Capacity Building of Indigenous Forces in Afghanistan by Western Forces Post 2012

Introduction

Building capacity for indigenous security forces presents serious challenges in most cases based on the political as well as cultural obstructions, but it is even worse during active battles. Western forces such as the United States forces have always played a significant part in building foreign forces in the quest of boosting international security in the most vulnerable regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan[1]. Forces capacity building is not just an act of increasing their number, training, equipment and releasing them to fight rather it is more of focusing on the ability to enhance their confidence and abilities to offer protection to the people[2]. Forces capacity building demands competent leadership and consistency. Forces capacity building remain to be one of the most prioritized activities adopted by several nations in order to ensure stability, security, and peace in vulnerable countries such as Afghanistan[3]. While most countries are required to fight radicalism within their individual jurisdictions most of them lack the needed capacity to accomplish the goal, the element of forces capacity building incorporates collaborating with powerful partners in terms of resources and skills to training indigenous forces to equip them with the needed skills to stop terrorism and violence. This report will seek to discuss the capacity building of indigenous forces focusing on the case study of Afghanistan post-2012 and how the ongoing development and capacity needs across organizational structure are being addressed. The study will begin by synthesis literature related to capacity building of indigenous forces in vulnerable countries such as Afghanistan. The report proceeds as follows. In the first section an introduction to the issue, with a description followed by a review of  literature with respect to leadership competence, leadership needs, change of skills in organizational hierarchy and influence of leadership. Lastly, a synthesis of literature with a case study of Afghanistan indigenous forces will be conducted. The conclusion will provide a detailed analysis of the identified challenges and the proposed solutions.

An Analysis of How the Ongoing Development Needs Across Organizational Structure

Counterinsurgency thinkers and security operations experts believe that creating skilled indigenous police forces is an unconditional imperative in regard to creating stability in fragile countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet, organizational leadership and structures among the western forces that are accountable for the roles such as the American government in frequent cases appear to be glorification the principle of breaks. Actually, western forces have demonstrated their commitment to creating stability in Afghanistan post-2012 but lacks the capability to efficiently train and expand what is debatably the essential aspects of the nation’s interior security forces. The existing gap was clearly demonstrated by the United States involvement with police force building in more than a decade of its interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively which is accounted for significant outcomes in both countries. Based on the increasing terrorist threat and the domination of the terror groups in different regions across the globe which has in turn affected the general ability of the affected countries to grow politically and socio-economically, the efforts by the western forces makes it evident that the building of effective indigenous forces is an important operation to subject it to uncoordinated and uncomprehensive measures in the field.

In Afghanistan, the instant post-war surrounding was branded by disorder and absence of healthy indigenous internal security[4]. However, for the case of Afghanistan although for different rationales police building lacked adequate attention either in regard to planning prior to the occurrence of war or post-2012 after the invasion era of the conflict. Given that the war that had taken place for close two double decades had mainly resulted in major destructions of the Afghanistan infrastructure, the western forces and the United Nations opted on the use of a light foot approach that restrained the global involvement in internal security affairs in Afghanistan. In consequence, over the past few years past the war, local policing roles were assumed by private soldiers that worked at the command of regional authorities rather than based on the request and authority of the central government. When it became rather evident that the immediate strategy was unsustainable, the primary donors particularly those from the west that were mainly involved in assisting the Afghanistan administration settled on the adoption of lead national strategy that wrapped out the leadership of the different security sector’s reform aspect to distinct nations as for instance German was left to bear the responsibility of capacity building of the local Afghan police forces.

Leadership Influence in Capacity Building of Indigenous Forces in Afghanistan

Leadership has played a substantial influence in regard to how the capacity building need and organization issues are being dealt with. To begin with, in the lead up to the post-war intervention, most of the senior officials from the western nations and forces focused on giving inadequate attention to the necessity for police force building but on the ground of a distinct reason[5]. In that, there is the assumption that Afghanistan apparatus and forces would remain intact. Since the western leadership believed and anticipated that the allied forces would be accommodated as liberators, the assumption that an obliging Afghanistan military and police forces held the ability to maintain national and regional security. This notion has however been proved as inaccurate. Post the war, the destruction that had occurred meant that the coalition was exceptionally not equipped in dealing with the extensive failure of national order that had occurred prior thus melting away the country’s indigenous forces as the western forces such as the U.S military assumed to have acted enough[6]. In Afghanistan immediately after the war rather than having a functioning and intact coalition, it was established that the forces were just crumbling giants.

Evidently, the lack of coordination is mainly attributed to the leadership which is a major threat to the capacity building[7]. With the fact that decisions within the structures have to be developed in a rather shared structure has resulted in major delays in regard to making appointments within the forces organizational command chain thus hindering the capability of the indigenous forces as well as their capability to fully assert command as well as control. it is worth acknowledging that capacity building of the indigenous forces is not just a matter of providing the needed resources to offer adequate defense and guarantee security but also seeking to provide practical training and resolving the organizational and structures issues that alter the ability of the forces to fulfill the set obligations[8].

Analysis of the Capacity Building

Forces capacity building in Afghanistan has been faced by a number of challenges mainly because of the needs resources, effort, the absence of security, insufficiency of forces, low quality of police training and instructions and the inability to manage efforts gathered from different nations. The rather unstable leadership has resulted in indigenous forces acquiring training under the corrupt and incompetent leaders which have thus restrained the ability of the forces. Afghanistan has a populace that is over 30 million with forces accounting for about 150,000[9]. The ratio is not a balanced one which makes the operations hard to achieve. Prior to 2012, the western forces had not been involved in capacity building of such large forces which in turn complicated the interventions.

From its foundation, the Afghanistan indigenous defense and security forces have widely been known for their intense experiences derived from the ever-changing partisan and security setting which have in turn affected their sizes, organizations, and capacity[10]. The forces have for the longest period being under the dependence of the western support for both monetary and operational help. Even though the intention to grow and enhance the capacity of this forces has been a primary priority of the western countries and the international community such as the United States it is evident that the forces are most likely to live under the dependency for a longer period than it had been anticipated post-2012. Despite the fact that the national security and defense forces in Afghanistan are characterized by desirable designs, the command and monitoring systems fail to perform as needed[11]. In that, the system is heavily reliant on bureaucracy which thus weakens the uppermost power and the lower one as well. The political meddling and the dodging of the official command chain normally hinders the interventions for capacity building from conducting well-established processes and plans in general. In Afghanistan there is an output that seeks to create and replace and army of approximately 90,000 and a police force of 98,000 which possess a great challenge[12].

 Government Role in Hospital Growth and Decline

Introduction

The U.S government has played a significant role in ensuring hospital growth in terms of universal access to quality care and universal protection of health care costs.  Hospitals  are  elements which are included in the health care system  and the government ensure that  health care facilities  can  access  medical technology, trained  physicians  and offer quality care to the  uninsured. The health care system in U.S  is one of the economic activity where  market play a big and a  significant role in  ensuring that citizens receive  quality health care services. In ensuring hospital growth, the level of authority which comprise federal, state and local government purchases health care for elder and disabled people. The federal government has a regulatory role of creating health care standards which   ensure that clinicians offer quality care.  Other regulatory standards in private sectors such as Medicare and Medicaid have improved care and patient outcomes. However, the government has also contributed in the decline of hospitals by allowing Changes in Reimbursement and hospital closures.

 Government funding

 In hospital growth, financial capital is vital for health care organization to meet the community needs, implement new technologies, offer new serves and enhance quality.  Government has a primary responsibility in offering a substantial capital   which aids in advance in technology and creation of for hospitals (Shi & Singh, 2012). The development of these hospitals expands the health care system and physical therapy practices. Funding has also brought new medical technology   and has made changes in healthcare sphere. Government plays an important role in hospital growth through the allocation of funds.  The government has increased growth through funding the hospital services in both rural and urban areas and medical procedures. Through these methods, the government ensures hospital growth and provision of public health services (Galloro, 2010). The connection between Commonwealth and Territory government play an important role in funding public hospitals and setting policy parameters and hospital programs.

Hill-Burton Act of 1946

            The World War 2 led to devastating effects in that hospitals were destroyed but the U.S government has ensured construction of new hospitals through the Hill-Burton Act.  The latter improved the supply, increased hospital beds and quality health care services to poor people. The government offered Hill-Burton funds where all people receive quality hospital care (Galloro, 2010).  The Act also developed hospital-building programs where all countries regardless of race, gender and more received hospital beds.  By 1975, about one third hospital was constructed and 6,800 were financed by the Act (Shi & Singh, 2012).  Hospital, clinics and rehabilitation centers were developed and they still exist and help the uninsured to access care.  Hospitals are expected to offer subsidized care, demonstrate community benefit and provide care to the uninsured.

Public health insurance

 The Affordable Care Act (ACA) led to coverage expansion and financial position for hospitals.  Medicare   also introduced fixed prices, improved hospitals by reducing inefficiency, reducing intensive care use and improved financial position.  The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act led to improvement in hospitals as they were able to control spending per recipient. Reimbursement systems were developed and these have allowed the State governments to implemented varied policies design (Shi & Singh, 2012).  Generally, the Medicaid programs   developed prospective reimbursement which has minimized growth in spending.   The health care coverage provides indirect funding which has led to benefits in coverage gains to low-income population vulnerable populations.  Medicaid has led to hospital growth and increased   the affordability of care, self-reported health and positive health outcomes (Galloro, 2010).

In ensuring hospital growth, the government provides quality health care by providing clinical guidelines  which  play role in standardizing treatment and improving quality.  The government creates model programs and initiatives to help clinicians in diagnostic of disease and treatment. The government also enhances growth by ensuring that the vulnerable population access quality cares.  This is done by ensuring federal tax exclusion where employers provide health care coverage to employees (Shi & Singh, 2012). The government has also developed support programs and financial support to the vulnerable groups such as homes and uninsured.  The government also ensures the growth of hospitals through the provision of public health insurance.  Medicare and Medicaid programmes have played a significant role in expanding hospitals and access to care.  The government has created a health care workforce where it offers education and career development (Galloro, 2010). Since competitive market forces affected the career decision, the federal government has created funding programs where health care workers   gain clinical and cognitive abilities.

Governmental role in hospital decline

Changes in Reimbursement

            The Affordable Care Act led to modification in the healthcare revenue cycle, care delivery and payment collection with an aim of maximizing profit.  The created value-based care models have benefits some while others have experienced challenges due to unpaid patient payments and more. The Prospective payment system brought new payment methods where patients were given fixed amount based on principle diagnosis and not considering the length of stay (Shi & Singh, 2012). The fixed reimbursement amount affected the length of stay and this led to early discharge and hospital closures.  The Balanced Budget Act led to changes in Medicare reimbursements with an aim of reducing net spending by $116.4 billion.  However, the rate of prospective payment system reduced in all diagnosis-related groups and other reduction was noticed in disproportionate share payments and payments on indirect medical education.  The changes in reimbursement reduced Medicare patients by 40%   and Medicare margins decreed from 10.3% to 1.7% (Manchester & Schwabish, 2010).  Hospitals experienced financial stress and by trying to maintain the operating margins, patients’ services were curtailed, nursing staff decreased in quality and quantity and there was a reduction on level of services.

Rural hospital closures 

Major forces for hospital disclosure are cutbacks in spending   which account for 9% to 13% of total GDP (Shi & Singh, 2012).  To manage the debt, the government initiated strategies such as closure of hospitals in order to remove inefficiencies. The government has played role in hospital decline in that there was a high constraint on hospital budget and   hospitals which experienced budget reduction used case-based funding formulas to increase efficiency.  However, the case-based funding were affected by hospital restrictions why reducing acute care beds and community-based care. In August  2004, research  showed  that 959 small rule hospitals  have been concerted to  Critical Access Hospitals  and this has contributed to adverse effects in that  communities are not accessing heath care  and  per-capital Medicare expenditures is increasing  at a slower rate (Manchester & Schwabish, 2010).  The hospital decline has also contributed to job loss where workers suffer for employment and work for low wages.

Conclusion

 Government has played a significant role in hospital growth by providing funds for hospital construction and public health insurance.  For example during the Great Depression, hospitals were destroyed and the government offered federal grants where new hospitals were constructed.  The Hill-Burton Act ensured that there was nations’ bed supply and hospitals. In addition, the government has ensured hospital growth through creating Medicare and Medicaid which has impacted the hospital beds and utilization. Elderly and poor Americans benefited from these programs and community hospitals increased dramatically. However, the government has also played role in hospital decline in that the hospital Medicare reimbursement brought a new prospective payment method where hospitals focused on early discharge post acute car. The prospective payment system led to competitive pricing and other devastating effects such as hospital closure in rural areas.

Reference

Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2012). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach. Sudbury, Mass:

Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Manchester, J., & Schwabish, J. A. (2010). THE LONG-TERM BUDGET OUTLOOK IN THE UNITED STATES

AND THE ROLE OF HEALTH CARE ENTITLEMENTS. National Tax Journal, 63(2), 285-305.

Galloro, V. (2010). Better than expected. Modern Healthcare, 40(27), 32.

Tyler Clement

            Clements death sparked a countrywide objection against bullying and especially over the social media. According to the prosecutors’ argument, it is clearly stated that Ravi’s actions were intended to intimidate Clement because of his sexuality as he was gay. This paper will, therefore, be subdivided into three parts where it will seek to discuss on whether Clements’s right to privacy was violated, whether the case is to be considered as a cyber or hate crime. It will also discuss the reasons as to why the offenders of the case were not legally charged with Clements’s death.

            Invasion of privacy is mostly regarded as a civil right violation and is therefore used during a civil court hearing. Ravi’s action towards Clement went beyond the border of human privacy and this prompted Clements’s suicide. Clements private moments were taken away from him and were used to intimidate him as his video was leaked online. Clement was unaware and also did not consent to the posting of is the video to the public and thus it is quite evident that Clements’s civil rights on privacy were violated (Foderaro 2010). In this case, Ravi, who was type perpetrator, was the subject of criminal charges since he broke the law in his quest to publicize Clements private information in the public media.

            Hate crime is referred to a crime where the victim is beleaguered due to discriminatory elements such as race, religion or even sexuality. Once a person is harassed by another person who thinks that the person in question is a homosexual, then the harassment is measured to be a hate crime regardless of whether the statement is true or not. Clements’s case is therefore considered to be a hate crime case since Ravi expressed bias intimidation against Clement with the intent of intimidating him following his sexual orientation (Foderaro 2010). However, it is important to note that defining hate crimes is difficult and this took the judges’ time to merely instruct the jury on the issues they had to address so as to reach a verdict.

                        Ravi’s crime was appalling, yet his conviction was lenient and very unconstitutional. It is therefore quite evident that an unjust law was used to rue Clements’s case and therefore the entire ruling was unfair as it allowed Ravi with all his terrible crimes to walk away free. The charges that Ravi was convicted of such as bias intimidation, was a perfect example of how the case was ruled unconstitutionally. The statute argued that the defendant would only be convicted if their victim, Clement reasonable believed that he was harassed due to his sexual orientation. This led to the dismissal of those charges and hence an unfair trial was administered. Prosecutors failed to charge Ravi for the death of Clement who left no justification for his suicide. The punishment to the offenders seemed too indulgent for the crime that led to Clements’s death. Therefore, legislators ought to establish constitutionally legal and clear laws (Hu 2010).

            In conclusion, it is important for the state to offer resources to education and advocacy institutions in an attempt to educate students on sexual orientation and how to deal with some of these problems and the importance of accepting their sexual orientation. This will enhance the growth of a less discriminated society.  

References

Hu, W. (2010, October 2). Legal debate swirls over charges in a student's suicide. The New York             Times, p. A15.

Foderaro, L. W. (2010, September 29). Private moment made public, then a fatal   jump. The        New York Times. Retrieved from:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/nyregion/30suicide.html

Research Proposal: Understand the Voters Perception on Brexit and Its Implication On Ordinary People.

Introduction

Brexit has been one of the most discussed topics across in Europe and globally based on the controversies it has raised. Brexit can best be described as a terminology that is utilized to refer to the United Kingdom (UK) exiting the European Union (EU) (Hunt & Wheeler, 2018). On the 23rd June 2016, a referendum was held with a turnout of 72.2 percent with a majority win in support of the exit consisting of 52 percent voters and 48.1 percent on the opposition side (Hunt & Wheeler, 2018). It is this win with its low margin that set the pace for Britain to leave the European Union thus raising a number of key issues on the effect of the move on the country’s economy and whether the voters were fully informed of the risks and benefits in regard (NYT, 2017). My interest in undertaking the research project on Brexit is driven by the need to understanding the implications of the exit on ordinary people with respect to socio-economic lives. As a youth worker, interacting with individuals from different backgrounds, ethnicity and culture the project will help in appreciating diversity and the effect of the exit of every group. This project is essential because it addresses a rather sensitive issue that affects everyone thus understanding its complexity can be useful in proposing some feasible solutions to addressing this issue. This report will thus, seek to investigate on voter’s perception on Brexit, whether they were informed and the implications of Brexit on the UK and the effects of the UK exiting the European Union.

Research Aims

1. To determine Voter’s perception and attitude with respect to Brexit
2. To establish the impacts of Brexit on ordinary people.
3. To determine the role of Article 50 towards Brexit

Research Questions

1. What are the voter’s perception and attitude towards Brexit?
2. What motivated the referendum win and whether the voters were fully informed of what Brexit entails?
3. What are the effects of Brexit on ordinary people?

Preliminary Literature Review

According to Bowler (2017) for most individuals, the referendum subject has remained as a major surprise based on the controversy that it generated. In fact, it is the turnout of the voters during the referendum that illustrated the existing doubts regarding the issue even after the country joined EU in 1973 (Fabbrini, 2018). The fact impact of Brexit was the resignation of David Cameroon as the United Kingdom’s prime minister. Even with the slight margin win the current Prime minister who in had been in strong opposition to the exit Theresa May made the decision of supporting it after terming it to be the people’s will. Some of the individuals that voted for Britain to exit the European Union argued that their decision was grounded on the notion that issues within the United Kingdom should be addressed within without having to follow protocols created by others. The term Brexit was designed by the media in describing the intentions of Britain leaving the EU (NYT, 2017). Through the referendum, individuals signified the need for the nation to exit the European Union.

The procedure to be adhered to, when leaving the EU by any nation is monitored and controlled by Article 50 of the EU abiding treaty (Acton, 2016). The article was therefore triggered as the UK submitted a formal letter with detailed and applicable arguments to the EU stating its wish to exit. Based on the provisions of article 50, the exiting procedure from the EU takes two years which seeks to incorporate negotiations while seeking to clearly define the existing terms of the member (Acton, 2016). It is worth noting that Brexit referendum failed to assert on the existing terms and it remains the responsibility of the country’s prime minister to choose an approach of exiting that best guard the interest of the people (Acton, 2016).

Negotiations are underway and at the end, they will lead to two major options for the exit. This is hard and soft Brexit. Hard Brexit style can best be stated that the United Kingdom will be independent fully from all principles of EU (Acton, 2016). In this context, it means that EU will not have the authority of forcing the UK to implement different procedures that will, in turn, restrict the free movement of individuals from and into the European nations. In addition, the legitimate framework of Britain will acquire independence from all the developed measures and guidelines along with the EU case laws. In this context, it becomes evident that certain tariffs are to be applied on goods exported or brought from the UK, a trend that would raise the trade expenses for the country thus leading to economic decline. Contrary the Soft Brexit style would generally permit the UK to evade goods imports and exports charges while still reserving a section of its present privileges as the EU member. It is rather evident that the most successful exit that would result in less harm to the UK people, its economy, and trading competence is the Soft Brexit. In that, the country will gain a high degree of independence in regard to developing its own control measures as well as seeking to ensure that its trade rights that build up its economy and assert on social welfare are not affected (NYT, 2017). It cannot be denied that without low-cost trade the living cost will be affected and ordinary individuals will be subjected to poverty due to increased living cost an aspect that will affect UK’s stability.

There are a number of reasons that pressure UK people to back up Brexit. To begin with, UK is worried about the increasing rate of immigrants in the state which is bound to affect its economy and stability by creating high reliance rate yet as a member of EU it cannot make independent decisions to prevent the movement (Musaddique, 2017). Secondly, communication is an aspect that has been affected dearly particularly in the political platforms. A significant number of persons that voted for Brexit did so without an adequate understanding of the whole subject. This is because the notion was mainly being adopted by some influential people such as Boris Johnson which might have driven and lured the voting choices of most voters (Hunt & Wheeler, 2018). It is worth noting that most individuals in the UK mainly believe that Brexit is the best solution to the existing sovereignty and economic issues in the UK. In that, the lack of independence has caused a number of notable financial risks that will affect the country highly. However, there are those that believe that leaving is more harmful given that even with political independence the country will not be able to make economic moves given that the cost of trade will increase rather rapidly (Finn, 2017). For instance, the banking industry will be affected heavily by Brexit since most financial institutions are engaged in cross banking thus the exit will mean that the UK will have to cover for the growing investment borrowing amid firms and individuals on its own after the EU passports privileges have been lost (Acton, 2016). In addition, the country would be forced to end collaborations and transactions with customers from abroad an aspect that threatens the financial sector in the country.

It is anticipated that Brexit would result in a 25 percent business or trading reduction (Outhwaite, 2017). The impact of the exit would be adverse on Britain’s economy particularly if the negotiations end with the hard version (Outhwaite, 2017). It cannot also be ignored that the exit will have some potential advantages in the long run. In that, the country would be able to expand its economic abilities and mainly focus on growing its business activities in general based on the act that it will no longer be limited to trading in a limited region (Musaddique, 2017). These means that the living standard of ordinary individuals will rise with the employment rate decreasing further as the immigration measures will seek to regulate individual’s movements. This is socio-economically beneficial since the public will be exposed to a range of options that mainly seek to ensure that the social standards are raised. With more economic abilities then the country can fully support its social needs such as healthcare and education (NYT, 2017).

Proposed Methodology

The study will utilize a mixed methodology that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative research while following a descriptive design. In that, the method was selected based on its ability to generate maximum information within the shortest period at convenience (Vogt, Gardner & Haeffele, 2012). The subject of discussion is broad and through the method, the concepts can be narrowed to answer the study’s research questions.

Data Collection

Both secondary and primary data will be collected. Secondary information will be obtained from books, journals, and articles from the online platform. On the other hand, questionnaires and interviews will be utilized on a selected sample population for the study. This method is cost-efficient and will assist in the generation of accurate and reliable data that seeks to fulfill the objectives of the research.

This research touches a sensitive issue and therefore ethical consideration will be of the essence. The participants will be informed fully of their rights and the use of the research and that it is voluntary and their participation can be rejected at wish. In addition, for confidentiality anonymity is encouraged and the analysis will be done by the researcher fully and the findings are only to be utilized for academic reasons.

Conclusion

Brexit appears to be characterized by both opportunities and risks. In reference to the economy, exiting EU would increase the trading abilities of UK by expanding its trading routes with no restrictions. However, trade with other EU members would be affected by the increased trade tariffs. Brexit will only be beneficial for the long-run while in the short-run the ordinary people will be subjected to increased living expenses. The most successful exit based on the above analysis would be the soft version that will ensure that the UK maintains its economic privileges but gains sovereignty and increased ability to control its own issues. Simultaneously, the country’s ability to control major issues such as immigration would be certain. This research project is essential in adding knowledge in regard to the source of the exit, major implications and propose most feasible solutions.

References

Acton, G. (2016). All You Need To Know About Article 50 And The Brexit Process. Retrieved      from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/29/brexit-article-50-process-trigger.html

Bowler, T. (2017). How Has The Economy Fared Since The Brexit Vote? Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36956418

Fabbrini, F. (2018). The law & politics of brexit. Oxford University Press.

Finn, M. I. K. E. (2017). British Universities In The Brexit Moment: Political, Economic And Cultural Implications. S.L.: Emerald Group Publ.

Hunt, A. & Wheeler, B. (2018). Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887

Musaddique, S. (2017). Cost Of Brexit: The Impact On Business And The Economy In 2017 And Beyond. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/brexit-economy-sterling-currency-investment-cost-impact-business-financial-banks-insurance-retail-a7695486.html

New-York, Times. (2017). How ‘Brexit’ Could Change Business in Britain. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/business/international/brexit-uk-what-happens-business.html

Outhwaite, W. (2017). Brexit: Sociological responses. Anthem Press.

Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use what research design. New York: Guilford Press.Bottom of Form

Understanding and Analyzing Arguments

2) The extent to which the United States can be characterized as an antiracist and democratic society.

            The United States of America has taken every necessary step both in words and action to pursue antiracism. Antiracism deals with experiences and challenges that minority people face daily l in society. Antiracism focuses on the material and experience of the minority as they interact with the superior society. The race is a thorny issue in America. A Lot of people avoid public discussions about issues that revolve around race. The denial is very dangerous as race and contrasts brought about by it influence authority and dominance in the society (Asante, Molefi and Karenga p2).

The philosophy of antiracism involves searching for relevant information and production of the information so that it can assist to spread awareness to different people through various platforms. Antiracist is fuelled by personal encounters with racism in social settings and experiences associated with it. Analytical antiracism is based on the fact that people think and can speak for themselves. Both the minority and the majority, therefore, have the ability to stop racism. To try and dictate to people what to do is unintellectual (Asante, Molefi K, and Karenga).

Individuals’ beliefs, reactions, movements, and policies have often been used to oppose racism. Antiracism tends to exist in all forms such as inter culture and a combination of people abled differently. These individuals usually have the intention of altering any system that supports racism . Antiracism in the US has been promoted by people who believe that it is pervasive and damaging to other sectors of society such as the political, economy, and social sectors. The fact that some people can decide to fight racism in the unites states shows it’s a democratic society (Hazard, p79).

When the current president of US was elected, he claimed that when people are patriotic, there can never be room for racial discrimination. Patriotism has never solved the race issue in the United States. Some of the country’s notable figures were racists and had racist ideologies. Ku Klux Klan has always paid allegiance to the American flag. Lack of patriotism cannot be blamed for racism either . Ignorance and hatred is not an excuse to be racist as the public has always been made aware during events such as black history month . Ignorance and hate is not enough to sustain the production of racism that has been witnessed in the US . Instead, racism ideology has often been perpetuated and produced by shrewd minds of each past era. These men and women did not promote racist ideas because they hated black Americans. Time and again, the authority and bright minds of these powerful men and women has made ideologies to fit their own agenda and to hide policies that promote racism. Antiracism fights racist ideologies and makes an effort to institute policies that will support equality amongst all people and change the perceived existing notion that racism is in America to stay (Hazard, p56).

Most institutions have taken the initiative to combat racism. People are educated on showing empathy and standing against racism .Media influences stereotypes through their presentations of minorities. Stereotypes that support racism are often very common. In most films blacks and Latinos play roles that portray them as gangster or chaotic (Pollock, p 56).

The establishment of antiracism institutions and movements in America has enabled education and working atmosphere in which all the Americans can take part in and be treated equal and fair. Along with this obligation, antiracism organizations have pushed for   awareness, insight and acceptance in regards to the contrasts that lie between races. Awareness is raised through seminars where issues related to race are discussed. Multiracial groups usually inform the public at the local level on how racism works entirely and ways of fighting it. Examples of such institutions is peoples institute for survival and beyond (Asante, Molefi and Karenga p7).

The democratic society in America is characterized by adults being given the opportunity to vote for their leaders. It also stipulates clear guidelines during electioneering periods and term limit. Through this voting procedure, the Americans are given the opportunity to choose whoever they want in office. The rights of the majority and the minority gives everyone a chance to be equal in society without any discrimination. Although as it is the norm in a democracy, the majority carry the day. Personal rights are guarded by maintaining a distributed local government entities. This helps in some extent to stop racism in its tracks. Democracy is also founded on the protection of individual rights such as freedom to equality. A democratic society such as the US protects racial diversity and allows different communities to be represented equally (Pollock, 34).

The media often portrays black American as dangerous people. Both white and black people belief that blacks are dangerous because of the manner in which they are portrayed in the media. Media is responsible for creation of meaning on race and shapes the way people understand identity, history and social institutions (Hazard, p90).

The media is not only influential while spreading information, it strongly determines what to include and what not to include. Information left out, may be valuable to minority communities and they may feel excluded and discriminated against. Minorities should be well represented in each and every broadcast so that they can feel included. The American society has confronted issues to do with race. Majority of white Americans have shown interest and declared their stand against racism (Hazard, p67).

Antiracist knowledge should be used to change stereotypical information. This will enable the society as a whole to disintegrate from relations that for long have held Americans captive to racism. Lending a helping hand from distant the educators will not help, all people must come together to challenge the entire American system that has normalized racism. And stereotyped knowledge on the topic. Antiracism information will develop and facilitate linking identity to relevant information that is not clichéd. America had provided institutions and policies that have enabled antiracism to be preached.

Works cited

Asante, Molefi K, and Karenga. Handbook of Black Studies. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 2006 PDF

Hazard, Anthony Q. Postwar Anti-Racism: The United States, UNESCO, and "race", 1945-1968. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

Pollock, Mica. Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School. New York: New Press, 2008

Question one

Capitalist state is an economic structure that allows the state to control economic activities such as production and management as their own. Desire for political preparations depend on citizens’ impression of their good and preparations readiness.

Some of the issues faced by a capitalist state are unevenness, financial fluctuation and monopoly of power by elite people among many others (De p67).

Question two

Yes, it is possible to allow government in their lives as the government oversees the protection of the rights of its citizens to own property through laws and military. Therefore the role of the state in a capitalist is to ensure an equal and fair environment.  Government has the duty of coming up with policies that will favor is citizens. (De, p74).

Question three

Adversary state refers to dependence on consent, as a cover up for oppression or legitimacy. Turns the state into a free and disruptive force. This form of government faces a lot of challenges including disobedience from few citizens who want to dispose the leaders and doubt from some of its citizens. (De, p33).

Question four

Legitimation is the process of proving legitimacy. One of the legitimation concerns that faces governments, especially western democracies in the modern world is the lack of trust from the society. Another concern is the lack for a proper definition of the relationship between people and their government that impedes the role of legitimacy. Lack of a stable political system that is able to solve its citizen’s problems is the third concern .Lack of a standard procedure to assist citizens legitimatize the government is a major problem. Lack of public participation by people in political avenues such as elections hinders gauging of legitimacy. Voting demonstrates that the people have given the government authority to govern them. Hence, when people do not fully participate in elections legitimacy queries arise (De, p43).

Question five

The government can be prevented from carrying out its own interests by the law through the constitution. The law contained in the constitution dictates that there should be separation of powers. Separation of power reduces influence of the government over other institutional systems that are meant to regulate it .These institutions prevent the government from acting outside the law or carrying out their own mandate. The constitution also explains the role of citizens in regulating the government. Another way of controlling government power is constituting it with different people who hold divergent views from each other. This creates consultations which involves everybody in the government including other stakeholders. Altering the roles and structure of the government so that it can be accountable to different institutions regulates its powers and this prevents absolute power being held by the government. Rights of opposition can prevent an adversarial relationship with its people as it will guard and protect the rights of the citizens. (De, p33).

Question six

It is possible to prevent the government from assuming an adversarial relationship with members of the society in the modern world .Governments are elected by people both women and men. To prevent an adversarial relationship leaders who represent the people should maintain the relationship with their citizens. This relationship will help the leaders to remain accountable to the people. Political institutions should provide incentives for political authorities in order to promote accountability from the government. Periodic elections should also be used by the people to prevent government from being adversarial (De, p81).

Question seven

According to De Jassay, one of the sources for a public challenging a government‘s authority are freedoms. Freedom is what remains outside the law but is legal. Freedom gives the public power to face the government and advocate for justice. Another source is the rule of law. Under the law, everyone has a right. The public has the right to question the government and the state has to respond by giving an account of the role they have played to better the lives of the people (p69).

In order for a government to maintain authority and involve itself in the lives of its citizens, it should first provide equal rights to each and every one. It also should provide social services and necessities equally .This will help the government gain people’s trust and consent into accepting their services and laws. Government can also limit its power so that it can be restricted from being dictatorial to its people. The public should be involved in policy, making and the structure of the public services. (De, p67).

Question eight

Yes, it is possible to save the constitutional vision of the founders if we choose the limits in which the government exist. One of the limits through which the government should exist is through legitimate means that limit their freedom .Global courts have often stated that any activity by the government that goes against peoples’ freedom and expression should not be allowed to exist within the confines of the law. The laws in the constitution can restrict the government. The laws stipulated in the constitution directs the goals the government is supposed to achieve while serving its people (De, p75).

The bill of rights clearly outlines the restrictions imposed on the government. The bill of rights limits the government in two ways; defining areas where the government is to establish its authority such as controlling the economy and tax collection; it also prohibits the government from interfering with areas such as religion and freedom of expression. De, p59).

References

De, Jasay A. The State. Indianapolis, IN: Liberty Fund, 1998. Print.

Internally Displacement in Nigeria

Introduction

            Displacement refers to a situation where people are obliged to move from their locality to another. This occurs due to a number of factors; natural disasters, armed conflict, famine, and many other economic changes. As people undergo displacement, sometimes they move from one specific area to another definite area as a group. However, there are instances when people happen to move suddenly leading to lose of livelihood. For instance, parents taking different directions from their children (World at War, 2014). More often, displaced populations are characterized by poverty; this is because, they are forced to evacuate their homeland which they are familiar with, to go and start a new life elsewhere. Displacement of people normally affects a nation negatively, because a nation will have to spend on how to cater for the displaced population in the refugee land. Displacement is a global predicament that needs attention, and immediate action to be taken to support the affected people. For instance, according to a report released in 2016, a single individual was forced to flee their home to move to another place in the same country (World at War, 2014).

            The other types of displacement include internally displacement and forced displacement. Internally displacement is where people are forced to flee their home region, but they remain within their country’s borders. They are not entitled any international protection as refugees. Internal displacement involves a short distance and short time frame. These kinds of displacement occur as a result of conflicts (World at War, 2014). They also occur as a result of sudden onset weather disasters such as drought, storms, and floods. On the other hand, forced displacement is where a person moves from his or her home region to another far region. This may involve international displacement. One form of forced displacement is population transfer. This form of displacement involves the transfer of a large group of people from one place to another often enforced by international authority or state policy. This can be done by the superior party with an aim of using the land for other purposes, or due to disastrous environmental conditions.

             The other form of forced displacement is deportation. This refers to expulsion of people from a given place or country. This may happen in a two-way manner; for instance, if one country surrenders her member to another country because of committing an offense and this is commonly known as extradition. The other way involves the forceful removal of a foreigner out of the country just because his presence is inconsistent with the welfare of the country and this is always known as deportation. Forced displacement is always prolonged as people stay away for more than four years (Project on internal displacement, 2014). It was also discovered that very few members go back to their home countries after a long period of displacement. This is an issue of concern globally that requires proper coordination. Forced displacement causes severe suffering, especially to the extreme poor and the vulnerable such as children, women, and the youths. The displaced people face a challenge of limited capital and inadequate assets. In that state, they are unable to make plans and also not in position to access proper basic services. They normally live under uncertainty. The host community is also affected, for instance, it faces a sudden fiscal shock and increase in demand of services.

            There are many organizations that help to render service during displacement situations. These organizations are normally international, national and local and they have a distinct role to play. One of the international organizations is the United Nations with its organizational arms. The United Nations plays a big role of coordinating international and national humanitarian providers during an emergency. The OCHA provides a clear framework that gives all humanitarian providers to respond to an emergency. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) works on the global food supply and solves the problems associated with food supply. The IOM is an international Organization that help to remove relocate refugees both internally and internationally. The UNHCR offers international protection, assists internally displaced people more especially in conflict related cases (World at War, 2014). The World Food Programme is an international organization that deals with the supply of food to the affected population. The World Health Organization offers health assistance by monitoring health standards in such areas. There are many other organizations such as, save the children, refugees international. All these organizations provide a significant role towards the welfare of the displaced people, for instance, providing food, medical supply, shelter, educational facilities, and other necessary assistance to the displaced people.

            This paper will bring to our knowledge displacement as a global problem, the types of displacement that arise in the world today, the humanitarian organization that assist during displacement. However, the main objective of the paper is to discuss displacement in Nigeria. This will explore the causes of displacement, challenges faced by the displaced people, and how the government and other international organizations have responded towards the problem in Nigeria.

            Nigeria faces a sequence of consistent humanitarian and economic crises which needs to be attended to in order to avoid disruption in the basic life-support systems. Displacement has increased in Nigeria because of the increase in Islamic attacks by the Boko Haram which resulted in protection crisis in the North Eastern part of Nigeria (Eni & Synda, 2016). As a result, over 1 million people have been forced to move to other parts of the country and about 200000 people taking refuge in the neighboring countries, such as Chad, Cameroon and Niger (Oduwole & Fadeyi, 2013).  The government’s operations have also caused insecurity and displacement in the North Eastern part of the country plus the neighboring countries. It is a challenging incident to the population of North Eastern Nigeria and the entire population has been affected negatively. In addition to Islamic attacks, many Nigerians have also been displaced due to natural disaster, and communal clash.

            The most common form of displacement in Nigeria is, internal displacement, where millions of people have moved out of their original homes to the other parts of Nigeria. In 2012, the country witnessed severe flooding as a result of heavy rains, which affected many coastal and inland cities of Nigeria. Communities were swept away by floods, properties destroyed, many people were displaced, and many others lost their lives during the incident. In addition to floods, Nigeria also faces inter-communal clashes brought by ethnic tensions (Olagunju, 2006). These ethnical and religious clashes have led to unstable climate of violence in the northern region including Middle Belt. In the past 15 years, many people have been displaced due to increased violence (Internal Displaced Persons, 2015). These conflicts are being steered up by numerous factors, such as ethno-religious disputes, land disputes, cattle rustling, and other cases of criminality. In 2014, over 400 people in the Middle Belt, Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa, were left dead due to inter-communal violence, whereas many other displacements and destructions took place.

            Boko Haram insurgency is one the causes of displacement that has caused many people to flee not, only to the other parts of the country but also to the neighboring countries as refugees. Over the last five years, Boko Haram is in control of the twenty out of the twenty-seven local government areas in Borno State of North Eastern Nigeria. As a result of the terrorism activities within those areas, many people have been forced to flee the affected regions and have set up camps in areas that are relatively secure. For instance, according to the report in 2016, around 130,000 people had set up their camps in Maiduguri, one of the local governments in the State of Borno. Over 1.2 million people were also staying in other states within the country (Jelili & Olanrewaju, 2016). These terrorism activities have disrupted with the day today activities of people, hence affecting trade flows. Many things have become scarce in the market, for instance, staples and other basic commodities hence increase in the price of such commodities. Thus, many people in the country are food insecure.

            Internally displaced people in Nigeria face a number of challenges. Women and children being the vast majority, feel as if their lives are still at risk, hence have restricted movement. Many are afraid of returning back in fear that the same incident may happen again, whereas, others have nowhere to go back to because their homes were completely destroyed by either floods or during conflict. The efforts by the national government to address their issues are not consistent. There is also a problem of limited support from international organizations and the civil society of Nigeria (Protection Sector Factsheet, 2016). Those who live in camps usually get assistance; however, it is always insufficient to meet their basic needs. There is a challenge of poor health conditions, as they tend to live in overcrowded and unhygienic places. The vulnerable groups of people, especially the old, young children and people with disability are at higher risk, since their needs are less cared for. There is a challenge of low access to education by the displaced children. The terrorists have made attacks against schools, and this called for closure of such facilities in the affected areas. Even in the remaining schools, many internally displaced children do not go to school because of the fear of attack (Eni & Synda, 2016). Additionally, there are reported cases of rape, sexual harassment, infant marriages and forced marriages in refugee and the consequences of these cases noted. There is also poor strategy to guide in offering humanitarian assistance coupled with corrupt practices by the leaders, whereby money and other commodities are not distributed to the people rightly.

Conclusion

            Displacement is a global challenge that needs a collective responsibility and much attention both nationally and internationally. A number of strategies should be put in place in order to prevent the occurrence of other incidents that can lead to displacement of people. The causes of displacement are now apparent to many nations such that they can prepare before the calamity comes and destroys many people. Despite the efforts that have been put in place to assist the displaced people in Nigeria, the government to strengthen its security while facilitating the return of these people to their homes.

References

Olagunju, O. (2006). Management of internal displacement in Nigeria. Unpublished thesis.

Brandeis University.

Nigeria: Protection Sector Factsheet, www.venturesafrica.com/the-numberof-internallydisplaced-

person/_... Last assessed 22nd Feb. 2016.)

Internal Displaced Person in Nigeria, dailytimes.ng/protecting-internally-displaced-persons/ last

assessed 23rd Feb. 2016.

Internal Displaced Persons, Protection Strategy, available at

www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/nigeria/document/idpprotectionstrategy2015-

0 last assessed 22nd Feb. 2016

World at War: Unhcr Global Trends : Forced Displacement in 2014. Geneva: UNHCR, 2015. Print

Eni Alobo & Synda Obaji, (2016) Internal Displacement in Nigeria and the Case for Human Rights Protection of Displaced Persons.

 Oduwole Tajudeen A. & Fadeyi Adebayo O. (2013) Issues of Refugees and Displaced Persons in Nigeria.

Project on internal displacement, (2014). Improving the Protection of Internally Displaced Women: Assessment of Progress and Challenges.

Jelili, M.O & Olanrewaju, S.O (2016). Realities of IDPs Camps in Nigeria.

Volunteering in congress campaign

The reason for choosing to volunteer in congress campaign over ballot proposition campaign is that congressional campaign presents an opportunity for a broad experience. This is informed by the myriad of challenges in the process which offer an experience that is unique, which will help in developing and improving my critical thinking and skills for logical thinking. The opportunity involves being tasked with solving problems that are likely to change the outcome in terms of poll number for the candidate.   In addition, the candidate of the congress seat has more opportunities for ensuring that various challenges being experienced in the community are addressed through legislation. The candidate can also gain support from community groups to change various policies.

The policy objectives and beliefs of the candidate are anchored on the service for the voter, trustworthiness and rule of law.  The candidate seeks to have an influence on policy shift relating to current issues affecting the society including healthcare funding, sustainable education, immigration, equal pay and taxation of the middle –class citizens.  The candidate aims at influencing policy change to have a comprehensive reform on immigration to attain citizenship that maintains any immigrant family together.  The other objective is to push for a universal program for heath care and build political coalition that will makes this possible.  Fighting for equal pay across the country is noble course embraced by the candidate who aims at ensuring that all employees are accorded equal pay without any discrimination including paid family leave and general affordable childcare. In addition, the candidate believes that middle-class citizens should be protected against increment in taxes but such increments should be applied to ultra-wealthy individuals. The aim is to reduce the growing gap between the rich and other persons in the society and which can be achieved through tax rates adjustments.

 The candidate is superior to his competitors because he is well branded which makes it possible to make a good first impression in the campaign trail.  The candidate and his graphical branding are at the forefront in the campaign effort. That kind of branding depicts trustworthiness since it can easily be understood by voters, so that they understand what the candidate represents.  The message of the candidate resonates well with the interests of the voters since his objectives represent issues that affect their lives. The confidence portrayed by the candidate and the message of hope provided for the candidates affected by the highlighted issues gives him a competitive edge since voters are able to relate with them. His sociable character enables him to interact with voters with ease and sell the policies at all social levels in the state.

 The structure of the campaign involves a dedicated team of staffs whose roles and functions well spelt out.  A campaign team is very important in making decisions, carrying out operations and making the process manageable and even fun for all the members and especially the candidate (Schofield, María, Jee & Ugur, 104).  The structure involves the campaign chairperson, managers, fundraiser, volunteer coordinator and consultants. The campaign manager takes the leading role on all matters and work closely with the candidate. He oversees the functions of various campaign managers and other team members and he serves as the intermediary between the staff and the candidate. The campaign managers are allocated various regions where they oversee the local campaigns. The fundraiser is tasked with organizing a team that will raise the funds needed by looking and gathering various sponsors and supporters.  The volunteer coordinator is tasked with managing volunteers and their workload so that things run smoothly.  The consultant assists in strategy development and in the communication efforts.

The strategy for this campaign involved branding the candidate, a communication tactic and a website with invested content.  The branding strategy involved making a trustworthy image that creates a good first impression and aligning the message to what the candidate stands for. The communication strategy involves developing materials that tell the voters the story including flyers and brochures that match the branding.  The strategy also involves active use of social media and investing in the right content through bloggers who engages the electorate.  The website allows for voters to search the candidate and make his candidature legitimate. Holding political rallies is a major strategy for meeting the voters at community level.

My roles major involved creating awareness of the candidate by displaying the candidate objectives and beliefs using various materials like flyers and brochures. Other roles involve making the presence of the candidate to be felt during community events and engaging people in social media. This aligns with branding the candidate and improving communication of the candidate manifesto.

Campaigns are important aspect of political systems if the perception and decision of society is to be influenced. Within any groups, election into political positions has an impact on them and people aspire to make the right decision for such positions. Campaigns require effective strategies, structures and support for them to have impressive impact on electorate.  Political system is therefore, a significant aspect in the fabrics of any modern society.

Works cited

Schofield, Norman,  María Gallego, Jee S. Jeon, and Ugur Ozdemir. Leadership or Chaos: The Heart and Soul of Politics. Berlin: Springer, 2011. 104

Assignment 2 It May Not Work in Politics

Charles Rangel was charged with approximately 11 different charges by the Ethics committee and was found guilty (Schneider, 2012). He had been accused of the failure to affirm the hundreds of thousands of his private possessions that where connected to his financial state reports, failure to contribute to the payment of taxes both within the federal and state settings on the rental earnings in regard to distinct properties that he owned and the fact that he assisted in guarding those that were evading revenue payment to the administration which was worth thousands of dollars. In this case, the committee found his conduct to be highly unethical given that he failed to uphold his responsibilities and violated the set principles (Schneider, 2012). In my opinion, I do agree with the made judgment fully. This is because his conduct was not pleasing is regard to ethics. As an individual who was supported to guard the wellness of the government, he made the decision of violating his working principles and the law.

I do believe that being part of the policy developers Rangel ought to have been the best example to the general public so that they would copy his behaviors. He would have played part in the payment of taxes and ensured that he did not take part in receiving any form of bribery from the groups that held no positive interest for the economy. This decision by the Congress increased by the trust since regardless of who one is disrespecting the law should not just be assumed. Everyone should be accountable for their wrong practices.

Third party presidential contestants have never been successful for a number of reasons. In that to begin with the public hold the notion that the candidate is less influential and have no chances of winning (Green, 2010). This candidate also can never succeed since 270 elect votes are required which they can never acquire from the Congress which is dominated by Republicans and Democrats (Green, 2010). On the other hand, they have less access to government funding for campaigns and other materials. The political misapprehension among the public hinders their capability also. If a third candidate won the election this would affect both the republicans and democratic parties politically since their power of passing bills would be minimal. This would, therefore, require them to collaborate in ensuring success. Their political influence would also be minimized.

One of the most pressing issues in America today is gun control (Corris, 2015). For the longest period, America has been trying to fight against violence which is fueled by the increased ownership as well as guns sales (Corris, 2015). In this context state and federal authorities have the obligation of regulating and implementing the law to minimize the effect of this issue. In that, the issue cannot be addressed adequately without having adequate measures that seek to account for the effects and the most effective strategies for eliminating violence and guns landing in the wrong hands. Some states have already approved the law where prior to being a seller or buyer assessment must be done and reports sent to the administrative authorities. In my opinion, I do not believe that the American constitution limits the state and federal authorities from addressing the use. In fact, it offers support. In that, thy have the power to develop laws and implement them based on the effects and nature of the particular issue.

References

Corris, P. (2015). Gun Control - Book 40 - Cliff Hardy. Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.

Green, D. J. (2010). Third-party matters: Politics, presidents, and third parties in American history. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger.

Schneider, J. (2012). Congressional deskbook: The practical and comprehensive guide to congress, sixth edition. Place of publication not identified: Thecapitol Net, Inc.

Congress

Congress is best described as the statutory branch of governance (English, 2003). The primary roles for the two representative’s houses in the Congress within the American federal system incorporate the building of policies that govern individual’s lives. However, the responsibility is not just in the development and amendment of laws but also the laying down channels for the application of the policies. In addition, it is also involved in holding meetings that informs of the legislative procedures and serves in implementing and guarding the interest of the public and country and also regulates the executive branches via through examinations (English, 2003). In that, the Congress is a lawmaking federal government branch which is comprised of the senate and other representatives elected by the public (English, 2003). Their proposals are therefore a reflection of what the public wants. In that, these groups are required to sustain strong contact with the public so that they can learn about their needs and opinions.

The Congress does not serve the political role. In fact, it plays a crucial part in the operation of the country and creating an orderly and organized society that accommodates everyone regardless of their distinctions (Cushman, 2014). Congress also conduct inquiries regarding programs that offer international assistance and market expansion for the country. This is fueled by the need to create a positive image in the global context while ensuring that individuals particularly those in need are supported (Cushman, 2014). The Congress has the highest ability to reflect public’s will as compared to politicians who tend to place their interest first. In that their ability is fueled by the fact that they are elected directly to represent the needs of the public and they are obligated to maintain close interactions with them.

References

Charles B. Cushman. (2014). An Introduction to the U.S. Congress. Routledge.

English, R. M. (2003). The United States Congress. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester University Press.

Homeland Security - US Critical Infrastructure

Critical infrastructure is the backbone of the country’s economy, fitness, and safety. Critical infrastructure should be secure at all times so that it can be able to combat and rapidly recover from any occurring dangers (Heckmann, Comes & Nickel, 2015). Protective as well as coordinative efforts are needed to strengthen as well as maintain secure, functional as well as resilient critical infrastructure which incorporates resources, networks as well as systems that are needed to enhance the buoyancy of the public, national security, protection and wellness (Starr, Newfrock & Delurey, 2003). This endeavor is a shared accountability among state, local, county, federal, ethnic, private and revitalized and public owners and all machinists of critical infrastructure. Nationally, the homeland security agency is involved in the provision of strategic leadership both to the private and public based associates, elevation of national unity and harmonizing the efforts of federal government to encourage the security and dependence and flexibility of the state’s critical infrastructure (Heckmann, Comes & Nickel, 2015).

Guarding the country’s infrastructure against cyber-attack is the primary responsibility of the national, federal, state administration as well as the private sector (Heckmann, Comes & Nickel, 2015). Even the dynamic processes can be heavily be influenced by one primary governmental action. While it is expected that a more rigid and safe cyberspace will develop via the evolutionary process the United States government should adopt instant actions to drive the change rate. With a number of government control measures, the nation can equally address the rising sophistication of cyber-related threats and impairments to public and private info sharing. The American society and economy rely on the country’s vital infrastructure. The significance of these services and the increasing cyber threat has been recognized for the last two decades by the national administration by attempting to prioritize different measures to be secure from the threats (Heckmann, Comes & Nickel, 2015). However, regardless of this recognition and enormous attempts to address the issue, cybersecurity is still one of the indefinable goals.

The primary rationale behind the lack of development in regard to critical infrastructure is based on the growing sophisticated cyber threats and the incapability to develop effective sharing and collaboration mechanisms (Stergiopoulos et al., 2016). Even with the increased risk, attaining a safer cyberspace is conceivable since America has the resources and the competence needed for the success. Cyberspace is a result of human beings innovation and thus humans still own the capability to develop a more safe future by connecting the instructions and experiences acquired in the earlier operations evaluate them and implement ways to eliminate each. Achieving an evolutional process will mainly take vigilance, continuous evaluations, collaboration, resources and time (Stergiopoulos et al., 2016). Acknowledging the state’s rising reliance on technology as well as the rising security risks within the cyberspace will be essential in settling for more effective mitigating forces. The existing national strategy is mainly aimed at guarding the country’s critical infrastructure so that the public, economy, and individuals can be protected as well. In addition, the approach additionally outlined the significance of collaboration and partnership amid the private and public sectors as the cooperative strategy is the foundation of success (Stergiopoulos et al., 2016).

With every individual’s life being digitally linked in ways that were accounted not to be achievable in the last few years, critical infrastructure has become more enrolled with cumulative computerization (Hokstad, Utne & Vatn, 2012). Fueled by the general benefits of performance, cost and efficiency this connection additional generates a growing appreciated mark mainly for those with the intentions to destroy the economy, security as monetary stability of America. In grabbing the opportunity, international governments, radical organizations, and crime based groups are utilizing more resources in the development of more equipped weapons that mainly exploit unidentified susceptibilities (Stergiopoulos et al., 2016).

It is unfortunate that the development that has been achieved to this end does not substantially mitigate, discourage or even prevent the progress of the most equipped cyber risks. Since the country’s critical infrastructure is still exposed to vulnerabilities it is necessary for the federal administration to present more efforts to heighten the treatment of this issue (Hokstad, Utne & Vatn, 2012). In mitigating the threats the American government should offer monetary incentives in order to inspire programs that will promote the determination and treatment of little susceptibilities. The existing security classification should be evaluated in relation to cyber security as well as prioritizing disclosure to the associates involved in the mitigation of issues as well as exploiting the risks. The highest primary risks should be determined and also offer the finance to determine and mitigate all the risks. One of the alternatives mainly incorporates the development of scorecards for those involved in purchases (Hokstad, Utne & Vatn, 2012). Those that play part in the acquisition of information innovative solutions throughout the industry in order to decrease the utilization of products.

In addition to reviewing the general security standards, time updates should be offered to the most critical infrastructure based on the reports that had been provided based on identifying and working based on the proposed solutions (Hokstad, Utne & Vatn, 2012). Most organizations mainly fail and are hesitant to collaborate in information sharing since they are more focused on guarding their images. However. The general solution in regard to achieving safety and security regarding the American critical infrastructure several collaborative defenses should be acquired. In that, the collaboration among different sectors must be exploited and knowledge applied by the relevant parties to improve the status (Stergiopoulos et al., 2016). Unless education and familiarity efforts are provided to the most organization in regard to the significance of collaboration in creating safety. Unless the organizations are persuaded that their sharing is confidential then it remains apparent that the reluctance will continue.

Reporting and sharing should be made compulsory while still guarding the confidentiality. In dealing with terrorism threats the national administration must participate in a more in-depth grounded collaboration with the private setting (López, Setola & Wolthusen, 2012). In guarding the state’s critical infrastructure, the accountability that involves setting objectives is mainly directed to the government but the general application of strategies to lower the susceptibility of the privatized and company’s resources relies mainly on the actions and knowledge held by the sector (López, Setola & Wolthusen, 2012). Despite the fact that private corporations adequately understand this demands and threats it is clear that they lack economic programs to support the reduction of the vulnerability. For most the general expense of reducing the costs outweighs the associated welfares of decreased threats from terrorism threats and other disasters (López, Setola & Wolthusen, 2012).

There are several strategies and steps that can be applied in mitigating the risks and make the nation stronger and more irrepressible (Heckmann, Comes & Nickel, 2015). To begin with, the private and public sectors should focus on capitalizing in the physical as well as cyber threats management arrangement and items. Also, the employees should be educated enough in regard to what critical infrastructure entails and how flexibility can be acquired. In that most of the threats can be mitigated and combated but the lack of knowledge hinders the potential of the sectors (Heckmann, Comes & Nickel, 2015). Equipping them with adequate knowledge will also trigger critical thoughts that will not only result in innovation but also the development of more beneficial and realistic solutions. On the other hand, the continuity of operations should be thoroughly planned to ensure that any disruption does not make an organization vulnerable to attacks. The trend of not sharing information in regard to threats as well as undesirable events should be fully reported. This is to create awareness and also share the general status of the experienced threat (Heckmann, Comes & Nickel, 2015).

Despite the fact that close to 85 percent of the critical infrastructure in America is owned by the private sector, actually, it is that the industrial force on its own is not sufficient to support the required investment for protecting (López, Setola & Wolthusen, 2012). Collaboration among companies has to be triggered since the threats related to critical infrastructure are growing as highly codependent while the technological, social and economic operations in regard to globalization heighten. Similar to the past policy developers groups that focused on the adoption of immediate measures the existing ones should focus on a market that is omnipresent (López, Setola & Wolthusen, 2012).

To sum up, despite the fact that mitigating critical infrastructure threats, susceptibility and achieving efficiency are generated in collaboration they are never evaluated as one. The economic market normally acquires enhanced efficiency since the parties are involved in consistent planning and fight for high earnings and vulnerability can only be determined after thorough examination of the forces that lead to failure. The attacks should not, therefore, be ignored since it is the responsibility of all parties to collaborate for efficiency to be achieved. Information sharing should be encouraged, more rigid policies created, reports and employees training in the regard offered without failure.

References

Starr, R., Newfrock, J., & Delurey, M. (2003). Enterprise resilience: managing risk in the networked economy. Strategy and Business, 30, 70-79.

Heckmann, I., Comes, T., & Nickel, S. (2015). A critical review on supply chain risk–Definition, measure and modeling. Omega, 52, 119-132.

Stergiopoulos, G., Vasilellis, S., Lykou, G., Kotzanikolaou, P., & Gritzalis, D. (2016, March). Critical Infrastructure Protection tools: Classification and comparison. In Proc. of the 10th International Conference on Critical Infrastructure Protection.

Hokstad, P., Utne, I. B., & Vatn, J. (2012). Risk and Interdependencies in Critical Infrastructures [recurso electrónico]: A Guideline for Analysis. Inglaterra: Springer London.

López, J., Setola, R., & Wolthusen, S. D. (2012). Critical infrastructure protection: Information infrastructure models, analysis, and defense. Berlin: Springer.