Comparative Advantages Of Presidential And Parliamentary Systems Politics Essay

Comparative Advantages Of Presidential And Parliamentary Systems Politics Essay At the birth of every nation is the key structural question, how best to govern ones people and state. This has predominantly been met with two, very differing and opposing answers that of presidentialism and parliamentarism. The variables that determine this choice are inherently entrenched in the political, social and economic history of the state in question. As such one cannot dismiss one particular system on a political or ethnocentric basis, but evaluate it on its applicability and suitability to the state that it presides in, and the impact the innate strengths and flaws of both systems. However given the huge number of political systems to study and the national variations that occur within each state it would be impossible to present a comprehensive comparison of the systems, as such I will focus on two systems in particular, the United Kingdom and the Unites States of America. These can be regarded as the figureheads of their respective systems and the models upon which most other systems are based. The American constitution was created in 1787 with the radical idea that no single branch of the political structure should have precedence over another. As such the concept of separated power was introduced. This involved a significant departure from the traditional forms of government of the colonial states that had controlled and exploited the New World states such as the US itself. The governments of the industrialised imperialists tended to be dominated by the executive. This is another significant factor which encouraged these ex-colonial states to reject the democratically imperfect parliaments of the European imperialists in search of a fairer, more representative system inspired by the ideas of Aristotle  [1]  . Therefore both the executive and legislative is elected separately and therefore have dual democratic legitimacy. Therefore neither body is accountable to the other such as in the British parliament, so there is no danger of one branch holding more power and dominating the other. This ensures a more balanced government and one that more correctly expounds the political will of the public. The fact that there are bicameral and presidential elections makes the system much more representative and democratic then in the UK where only the legislature is elected. It also makes the political institution more flexible to the changing tide of public opinion. For instance if the British public becomes dissatisfied with its Labour government after its election it may have to wait five years before they can vote against them, whereas in the US elections for at least one aspect of government occur every two years, enabling government to better represent the contemporary political desires of its c itizens. This arouses another key component of the presidential model; it has set term times for its officials. For instance the President is in office for four years and can only be removed by being impeached by the congress, a very rare move. This gives the system a stability and removes the uncertainties of the parliamentary system where the threat of both the vote of confidence and anticipated elections always hang over the government. Anticipated elections though inducing a certain amount of uncertainty into the parliament, they also give the government a much greater flexibility then that of its American counterpart, enabling them to alter the political landscape of the parliament to react to the changing moods and reality of the domestic and international environment. New elections may be called before the obligatory five years for a number of reasons, for instance to strengthen a parties ruling majority, to introduce a new government if one cannot be created or becomes unworkable or t o respond to crises such as a huge scandal in government.  [2]   In terms of elections in the Congress the framers ensured that both houses of the bicameral legislative should be elected, in keeping with the founding democratic principles of the American constitution. This leads to a much fairer and representative governing of the people as all aspects of the legislative and presidency are elected by the people. However the relatively high number of elections may go some way to explaining the extremely low voting turn out of the American people, perhaps somewhat apathetic to elections they dismiss as commonplace and thus irrelevant. These dual Presidential and Congressional elections allow the opportunity for both a legislative and government division. If different parties occupy each house or the congress is united against the opposing administration there can be a divided government. This can lead to a deep division within the presidential system if the two sides disagree, it can be very difficult to enact legislation or concur on appointments to the Supreme Court  [3]  , famously described by Rauch under the term of demosclerosis. However, few examples of a unified government since WWII demonstrate that unification does not guarantee efficient, informed, timely and effective public policy  [4]  , as seen under Jimmy Carters administration and due to the individualist based nature of US politics rather then party orientated. In fact the potential delays associated with dual democratic legitimacy ensures that policies are not rushed and are mutual accepted by both the executive and legislature. The third branch of the presidential system is the Supreme Court, yet Schubert has shown that it is only since 1957 has the supreme court began to exert its power over the congress and president by asserting its constitutional right to veto laws it deems unconstitutional. Previously to this the Supreme Court had only struck down Presidents actions fourteen times, failing to maintain an effective separation of power by undermining the system of balance and checks that the US model is based on.  [5]  A more independent and aggressive judiciary helps to ensure that the constitutional rights of the public are preserved and to limit the powers of the executive and legislative. However there still remains the capacity for a combined, presidential, congressional and federal over turning of the Supreme Court ruling so as to ensure the balance of power remains. Though the British parliament encompasses a number of similarities with the US model such as a bicameral legislative and three branched system, it still remains profoundly different in how these institutions are created and distributed. Most importantly only the legislative is democratically legitimate. This means that the executive originates from and is appointed by the legislative. This has a number of critical implications. Without the potential legitimacy conflicts that may occur in America the government can rule much more efficiently and quickly then the grid locked Presidential model. However the executive is prevented from abusing this power by the fact they have no democratic power base and as such, are accountable to the legislative by a vote of confidence. This allows a flexibility in the parliamentary system that America lacks. If the government suffers from ineptitude, an unworkable hung government or national crisis the government can be expelled and new elections call ed. This has only occurred once in Britain in 1979 when the minority government of Labours Callaghan was removed with a vote of no confidence when the government had become hung and ineffective  [6]  . The UK also has an unelected head of state, albeit a de jure power role. Though this is extremely undemocratic when compared to the US system, monarchists argue that the royal family acts as a symbolic vessel for all the heritage and wisdom of the previous generations and is a fundamental institution of the British consciousness. The same can also be said for the lower house of the UKs bicameral legislative. The house of Lords is another unelected part of the parliament, albeit much less influential then the house of parliament. This gives the parliament a stability, in its continuity that the permanently changing congress lacks, even if this is at the expense of democratic inclusiveness. The house of Lords also acts as the highest judiciary court of the parliamentary system. They can repeal government decisions only by legal precedents as the UK has no constitution. This streamlines the political structure and thus reduces the opportunity for inter-branch conflict which would slow down and inhibit the mechanism of governing as demonstrated by the demosclerosis that occurs in the US. However this is an obvious merging of powers and allows room for the abuse of power and conflict of interests, and as such is a serious flaw in the UK system. The traditional form that parliament or legislature takes is that of a majoriatarian, where there is one dominant party with a majority of seats (51 %plus). With Britains tradition of a ministers loyalty to their party and the whip system, they have very disciplined parties compared to America. This allows the party with an absolute majority to pass their legislative quickly and efficiently. Whereas in the US, despite the importance of party labels, member of Congress are independent players who vote not primarily out of party loyalty but to advance their constituency and career interests  [7]  . This means that the fluidic environment of Congress relies on undisciplined parties in order for it to function in a divided government, the existence of a whip system in such a divided government would produce comprehensive grid lock. This is a final example of the inherent indigenous nature of politics, what works in one state may not work in another. This is evident in the wide spread failure of president democracies such as in South Vietnam. Americas attempts during the Cold War to remake the third world in its image have obviously been an over-riding disaster. Both these systems require a number of prerequisites in the nation they are being implemented in. America requires a lack of ideological rigidity, undisciplined parties and locally-orientated politics  [8]  , whereas Britain needs public deference to its political rulers and an allegiance to authority. So despite each systems blatant imperfections they are ideally suited to the two entirely different nations they exist in.

Lululemon’s Marketing Mix – Product

Lululemon offers a comprehensive line of performance apparel and accessories for women, men and female youth. Their apparel assortment includes items such as fitness pants, shorts, tops and jackets that are designed for healthy lifestyle activities such as yoga, running and general fitness. Although Lululemon benefits from the growing number of people that participate in yoga, they believe the percentage of their products sold for other activities will continue to increase as they broaden their product range to address other activities. Lululemon’s fitness related accessories include an array of items such as bags, socks, underwear, yoga mats, instructional DVD’s, and water bottles. They believe the authenticity of their products is driven by a number of factors. These factors include their athlete-inspired design process, their use of technical materials, their sophisticated manufacturing methods and their innovative product features. Lululemon’s athletic apparel is designed and manufactured using cutting-edge fabrics designed to deliver maximum function and athletic fit. They collaborate with leading fabric suppliers to develop advanced fabrics that they sell under their trademarks. Luluemon’s in-house design team works closely with their suppliers to formulate fabrics that meet their performance and functional specifications such as stretch ability, capability to wick moisture, color fastness and durability, among others. Advanced fabrics that they currently incorporate in their products include: †¢Luon – is included in more than half of the products, wicks away moisture, moves with the body, and is designed to eliminate irritation. †¢Luxtreme – their inherently wicking fabric is used in their running lines and is silky and lightweight †¢Silverscent – incorporates silver directly into the fabric to reduce odors as a result of the antibacterial properties of the silver in the fabric. Lululemon’s products are constructed with advance sewing techniques, such as flat seaming, that increase comfort and functionality by reducing skin irritation and strengthening important seams. Their apparel products include innovative features to promote convenience, such as pockets designed to hold credit cards, keys, digital audio players, clips for heart monitors, and elastic bands attached to the zippers. Packaging and Labeling Lululemon Athletica distributes reusable shopping bags to their customers as one of their green initiatives in reducing waste. The reusable shopping bag features their company name and logo on one side and on the other side features their manifesto. Their manifesto has inspirational messages that play a vital role in Lululemon’s culture which employees and customers alike inspire to. Some of their messages include â€Å"Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks†, â€Å"Do one thing a day that scares you† and â€Å"The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought†. Brand Name and Image Lululemon Athletica became famous for its yoga wear. The founder Chip Wilson, took his first yoga class and found the results exhilarating. However, he didn’t like the cotton clothing that was being used for sweaty, stretchy power yoga. His passion laid in technical athletic fabrics, and created an underground yoga clothing movement and wanted to sell his products. How do you know what good yoga wear is when it doesn’t exist yet? Lululemon would talk and let yoga instructors try their products and give back feedback. They design and iterate with the end user. The reason behind why their brand became so popular was by talking and listening to their customers. Customers can give their feedback through Lululemon’s website, through the store, and on their Facebook Fan Page. Lululemon Athletica spends almost nothing on advertising except the occasional print ads in yoga and running magazines. Also, they do not endorse celebrities with money to wear their merchandise to help them profit. Instead, they have Ambassador’s and Elite Ambassadors. Ambassadors are individuals in store communities (fitness instructors) who embody the Lululemon lifestyle and live their culture. These ambassadors are given $1000 of free apparel in return for modeling it to their clients. Elite Ambassadors are their international athletes of an elite level (Olympians) that choose to train and/or compete in their product. They are not paid to wear their clothing but are part of the Lululemon family and they support the athletes with product, yoga classes and training accommodation. Warranty and Service Lululemon does not have warranties for their products. They advise all customers how to wash and take care of their products so that they last long and which should refrain them from trying to return any damage product. Lululemon stands behind their return policy of 14 days. Lululemon sales associates are called â€Å"Educators†, they are trained intensively on product knowledge and are to pass the knowledge of product features, benefits, usage and care to all customers looking to buy Lululemon product. Strengths and Weakness: Strengths Lululemon Athletica has many strengths with their product. They provide many features and benefits on their products which entices the customers to purchase. Their packaging is environmentally friendly so customers are able to reuse the shopping bag. They do not spend millions of dollars in advertising due to their ambassador program. Weaknesses Warranty of their product is a major weakness for them. Many customers have complained and sent messages to the Complaints Board of Canada and United States regarding their horrible return/exchange policy on products that become damaged after one wash or one wear. Future Recommendations: Lululemon Athletica’s features and benefits, packaging and labeling, and brand name and image should be maintained. Lululemon is always striving to bring out the best products that have the best features and benefits to their customers because they listen to what their customers want. They continue to give reusable shopping bags to customers as they are an environmentally friendly company. A recommendation that should be developed for the upcoming year is on their product warranty. They should want to make their customers happy if they are unhappy with their purchase. If something was recently purchased and worn and washed within a month of purchasing and looks like it has been worn out, they should offer an exchange and look for the problem as to why the product turned out poorly in such a short time. Customers become turned off and bad mouth companies who do not stand behind their product.

Nigersaurus - Facts and Figures

Name: Nigersaurus (Greek for Niger lizard); pronounced NYE-jer-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of northern Africa Historical Period: Early Cretaceous (110 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 30 feet long and five tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Relatively short neck; hundreds of teeth in wide jaws About Nigersaurus Yet another Cretaceous feather in the cap of the globetrotting paleontologist Paul Sereno, Nigersaurus was a rather unusual sauropod, possessing a relatively short neck compared to the length of its tail; a flat, vacuum-shaped mouth packed with hundreds of teeth, arranged in about 50 columns; and almost comically wide jaws. Putting together these odd anatomical details, Nigersaurus seems to have been well adapted to low browsing; most likely it swept its neck back and forth parallel to the ground, hoovering up any vegetation within easy reach. (Other sauropods, which had much longer necks, may well have nibbled on the high branches of trees, though even this remains a matter of some dispute.) What many people dont know is that Paul Sereno didnt actually discover this dinosaur; the scattered remains of Nigersaurus (in northern Africas Elrhaz formation, in Niger ) were described by a French paleontologist in the late 1960s, and introduced to the world in a paper published in 1976. Sereno did, however, have the honor of naming this dinosaur (after studying additional fossil specimens) and publicizing it to the world at large. In typically colorful fashion, Sereno described Nigersaurus as a cross between Darth Vader and a vacuum cleaner, and also called it a Mesozoic cow (not an inaccurate description, if you ignore the fact that a full-grown Nigersaurus measured 30 feet from head to tail and weighed up to five tons!) Sereno and his team concluded in 1999 that Nigersaurus was a rebbachisaurid theropod, meaning it belonged to the same general family as the contemporary Rebbachisaurus of South America. Its closest relatives, however, were two intriguingly named fellow sauropods of the middle Cretaceous period: Demandasaurus, named after the Sierra la Demanda formation in Spain, and Tataouinea, named after the same bleak Tunisian province that may (or may not) have inspired George Lucas to invent the Star Wars planet Tatooine. (Yet a third sauropod, the South American Antarctosaurus, may or may not have been a kissing cousin as well.)

Interview With An Ethical Leader Essay - 2218 Words

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