Saturday, October 12, 2019
Eskimo Pie Corporation :: Business Management Essays
Eskimo Pie Corporation Introduction à à à à à Reynolds Metals is the majority owner of the ice scream company Eskimo Pie Corporation and has decided to sell this company. Nestle Foods provided the highest offer of $61 Million. Due to delays of the Nestlà ©Ã¢â¬â¢s purchase, Reynolds Metals has take into consideration the IPO proposal of David Clark, president of Eskimo Pie Corporation, rather than selling the company to Nestle Foods (Case Study, 2001). à à à à à This analysis will identify the current value of the company at a stand-alone value and explain why Nestle Food would want to buy this company and the synergies involved for their reasoning. We will also discuss who will benefit if Reynolds Metals were to sell to Nestle or were to create an IPO. Finally we will provide a recommendation for Reynolds Metals that will be most beneficial to the company financial needs. à à à à à Stand-Alone Value à à à à à There are many valuation methods that could be used to evaluate this company. Finding a method that valuates the stand-alone value is difficult. The stand-alone value should be dependent upon the firmââ¬â¢s own assets and projected future income. We decided to evaluate this company based upon two methods: The Discounted Cash Flow Method and the Comparable Companies Method. Discounted Cash Flow Method takes the forecast free cash flows during forecasted horizon. Then we estimate the cost of capital (weighted average cost of capital) and estimate continuing value (value after forecast horizon). The future value is discounted to the present value. We than add back cash ($13 Million) and non-current assets and deduct total debt. With the information provided several assumptions had to be made to obtain reasonable values (life period of 30-years, Capital expenditures not to exceed $1 million dollars, depreciation to stay constant at $1.15 Million and a discounted rate of 10%). Based on our analysis, the company has a stand-alone value of $51 Million at the end of fiscal year end 1990 with a net present value of cash flows of $33 million that does not include the cash and non-current assets a cash of and non-current assets. The greatest risk using Discounted Cash Flow Method is all the assumptions that were made. Without knowing and having complete information this method could report underestimated or overstatement figures. The second method we used to analyze the firmââ¬â¢s value was the Comparable Companies Method. We used the historical figures as of 1990 and Goldmans Sachââ¬â¢s Projections. With an average of 22.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Should Animals Be Used for Scientific Research or Testing?
Should animals be used for scientific research or testing? Agli Panci Instructor: Eva Prifti Course: Composition I Time: Thursday, 15:00-18:00 From the early time humans survival was depended on animals, either as food or for transporting. Today we are using animals for a new kind of survival, we are using them for testing and experimenting medicines that we need for different diseases. All along this time, this experiments has helped a lot for discovering of new kind of diseases and medicine to cure them. I think that stopping of this experiments will bring limitation in scientific progress. However there are o lots of organization that try to protect animal rights but anyway for the moment is the only what that we have to test and experiment new way curing new or existing deceases. Although that many organization of animal rights think that animals should not used in medical research data shows that there are a lots of medications that we use today are invented due to animal research, because there are some animals who have similar body functions with humans. Reducing the human suffering as much as we can must be our firs priority, and then our second priority must be reducing of animal suffering or death. Is not the same as using humans and animals in medical research for discovering new diseases that my affect both animals and human beings, in this case we must use animals for research so we avoid human suffering as much as we can and after that our priority should be animals. For death bringers deceases like HIV or different tumors we need to do experimenting and tests with animals because it is the mos efficient way to find new ways to cure without having human suffering. Regarding to the second part that says that we must do our best to have the minimum of animal suffering has to a lot with ethics of the scientists that are doing this experiments. Regarding a survey conducted in the American Medical Association show that 99% of all active physicians in the U. S think that animal testing is the only way yo medical advancements. With today technology we can keep animal suffering in the absolute minimum. We can use anesthetics to minimize the suffering. Also to reduce animal suffering can be done by keeping them comfortable and in clean and healthy environment conditions. In other words is clearly possible to use animals in research without being cruel to them. New technologies of scanning that exist today like magnetic resonance, which make possible for doctors to learn about a certain disease from animals without making them suffer. According to studies there are thousands of death bringers diseases that are discovered from 1600's to 1990's due to animal experimentation. According to Animal Use and Abuse Statistics, more than 25 million vertebrate animals are used annually, and the number of invertebrates may extend to billions in United States. Above the scientific ethics of the scientist is the technology that is available to him, so our part is to do our best to avoid not needed hurting or testing. So we must take our benefits from this experiments but also to protect this animals from death. According to the US based, Foundation for Biomedical Research: ââ¬Å"Animal research has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century ââ¬â for both human and veterinary health. From antibiotics to blood transfusions, from dialysis to organ transplantation, from vaccinations to chemotherapy, bypass surgery and joint replacement, practically every present-day protocol for the prevention, treatment, cure and control of disease, pain and suffering is based on knowledge attained through research with lab animals. Humans genes are 99% like chimpanzees, and many other basic functions like eating, seeing, smelling are in humans like in animals. As a result of this similarity , the feedback of these animals are a very good guide to possible reactions of human patients. It is very possible that humans and animals can get o lot of the same diseases, because of this we can make the research in animals and test new medicines in them firs and after this we can produce for humans. As we know from the theory of evolution animals feel pain and pleasure,because we share with them our emotions. So the people using animals for experimenting or different purposes should treat them with respect. Also the purposes for witch they are used should be legitimate. The groups defending animals have tried to distort the truth about what animals are used for. They refuse the fact that these researchers are important and declaim that animals shouldnââ¬â¢t be used for any reason. They argue that medical community doesnââ¬â¢t support the fact that animals are used in research and it is obvious that it isnââ¬â¢t the truth. Besides the modern technology used in animal testing not all the experiments finish successfully and millions of animals die each year. Another point is that there are a lots of medicines that are tested in animals but they have side-effects in humans. So this kind of experiments bring suffering and deaths in both sides, in animals and in humans. Because different species reaction differently on different medicines. Animal rights organization have tried to dis inform public about the different fact in animal research. They do not accept the fact that use of animal in research has given a very useful contribution in curing different diseases. Today about 95% of U. S medical schools do not use animals to experiment new medicines or for testing purposes. They are trained using the human stimulation that the today technologies can offer and doing didactic work. While there are trying to find other ways to animal testing and experimenting, what the best scientist can do for now is try to reduce the number of animals being tested. They are using modern technologies and new types of scanning to see the animal organism so they donââ¬â¢t actually need to apply surgery. Though it is hard to completely stop the animal resting, what we can to is prevent unnecessary tests by stopping certain products that don't require animal experimenting. In order that the pathogenesis of different diseases could be studied,doctors need animal experimentation as the only way at te current level of knowledge ,and it undertakes drug trials,vaccines to alleviate suffering for human and animals. To conclude, humans must try can to reduce the number of animals being harmed in these experiments aimed at benefiting society. References Cook, K. (2006, March 29). Facts about Animal Research . Message posted to http://www. pro-test. org. uk/2006/03/facts-about-animal-research. html PETA. Animal Testing Is Bad Science: Point/Counterpoint. Retrived from http://www. peta. org Research Animal Resources. Ethics and Alternatieves. Retrived from http://www. ahc. umn. edu University of Georgia. Animals Used in Experiments. Retrived from http://www. uga. edu
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Based On Your Reading Of Gulliver’s Travels, To What Extent Do You Agree That Jonathan Swift Is Misanthropic In His Presentation Of Human Society
In Gulliver's travels I think that Jonathan Swift is trying to show people what human society is really like. He does this through 4 voyages each to a different imaginary place, where the people are a satire of a different aspect of human society, and in each voyage Swift is telling us what he thinks of human society through what Gulliver says, and what he sees. Many people have described the book negatively for example William Thackeray, an 1850's novelist described it as, ââ¬Å"Filthy in word, filthy in thought, furious, raging, obscene,â⬠and indeed over the two and a half centuries since it was first published it has caused a lot of controversy and has divided opinions. Gulliver's first voyage is to a place called Lilliput. The Lilliputians are small people, about 6 inches high, and this is a metaphor for their small-mindedness. Gulliver criticises the way the Lilliputians elect their ministers- by doing circus tricks, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ ith a dance on the rope and whoever jumps the highest succeeds in office. â⬠This quote is showing that Swift is annoyed that people have to ââ¬Ëjump through hoops' to get into office. This is one of the stupid laws in Lilliput. This is like politics in the 18th century and even now, in that the rich were the only ones in parliament in the 18th century, and now it is mostly the rich in parliame nt because they are the only ones who can finance a campaign. Another law is no urinating in the palace. When a fire breaks out in the palace Gulliver does not want it to burn down, ââ¬Å"This magnificent palace would have infallibly been burned to the ground,â⬠so he urinates on it to put it out. Then the king of lilliput makes several articles against Gulliver. This is Swift satirising the ingratitude, hypocrisy and cruelty of the state, because he is talking about England, and it is also saying how a normal law could be used to drive out a person the king or prime minister didn't like. At the end of the voyage to lilliput, my opinion of the Lilliputians is that they are ungrateful and small-minded. They are ungrateful because they don't thank Gulliver for saving the palace, they are small-minded because thy have a war with Blefuscu because they open their eggs at the other end. This is satire for the war with France over religion. This could show that Swift is misanthropic because he is only saying how they are against Gulliver not what good things they have done, if any. However this could show that Swift is not misanthropic because they might not have done anything good, and he only targets those who deserve it, the politicians. Gulliver's second voyage is to Brobdignag. Brobdignag is the land of the giants. I think that they are giants as a symbol of their great wisdom, the opposite of the Lilliputians. Gulliver tells the king there about European and English society and especially the wars. Gulliver says, ââ¬Å"It was only a heap of conspiracies, rebellionsâ⬠¦ our ambition could produce. â⬠This quote seems misanthropic because Swift is criticising everything in human society and saying people only do bad things like rebel and murder. However Swift may be right and might only want the world to improve, and one way to do this is to tell people plainly and simply. The king's response to what Gulliver says in damning. He calls humans, ââ¬Ëthe most pernicious race of odious little vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl the earth. â⬠This is misanthropic because it is Swift saying exactly what he thinks of the human race. The third voyage is to Laputa, Glubbdubdrib and Luggnag. In Laputa, Swift is satirising scientists and intellectuals. The people in Laputa live on a floating island and use this fact to exploit those below them. I think this is a metaphor for the rich at the top of the hierarchy exploiting the poor below them in hierarchy. Also in Laputa are the scientists. They have a personal servant that taps them on the mouth when they have to speak and on the ear when they have to listen. This is saying that scientists and intellectuals have to be reminded to listen to others because they think that what they say is right. Another thing the scientists do is invent stupid things, for example to get pigs to dig the fields by burying truffles for them to dig up, but the flaw is that you have to bury the truffles first so you might as well just dig the ground and not bury truffles. The second part of this voyage is to Glubbdubdrib. In Glubbdubdrib, Swift is satirising superstition and magic. Gulliver gets the chance to go back in time and see what really happened in the past. He finds out that history is partly lies, ââ¬Å"The world had been misled by prostitute writers, to ascribe the greatest exploits in war to cowards, the wisest council to fools, sincerity to flatterers, Roman virtue to betrayers of their country, piety to atheists, chastity to sodomites. â⬠This tells me that swift really thinks that history is lies and people who don't deserve it have had all the glory. The final part of the third voyage is to Luggnagg. Gulliver tells us what he would do if he could live forever. He says, â⬠â⬠¦ Procure myself richesâ⬠¦ in the second place I would apply myself to the study of arts and science. Lastly I would carefully record every action and event of consequence that happened in the publicâ⬠¦ By which acquirement I should be a living treasury of knowledge and wisdom, and certainly become the oracle of the nation. â⬠Here Gulliver is saying that if he was a Struldbrugg, or immortal, he would first get riches for himself, then afterwards use his capacity to learn all things in arts and science, and use what he has learned to be the oracle of the nation. However at the end of this voyage Gulliver sees what happens to them when they get extremely older then normal, they get even more deformed in proportion to their age, and are hated by all the other people, and he decide that he would rather die then live forever. In the voyage to Luggnagg, swift is making us think about whether all humans would use their capacity to help others, or whether they would just use it to become the richest person in the world. Gulliver's fourth voyage is to the country of the Houyhnhnms. This is the place where horses, or houyhnhnms, are the dominant species, and the humans, or Yahoos, are the subordinate race. Gulliver first finds this out when he is attacked by a group of Yahoos. He describes them as, ââ¬Å"very singular and deformed. â⬠Gulliver then gives a long description of them, for example, ââ¬Å"the females have long hair,â⬠ââ¬Å"The hair of both sexes was of several colours, brown, red, black and yellow. â⬠This is an ironic description of humans because Gulliver is describing exactly what a human is like naked and does not even realise it. The Yahoos ââ¬Å"discharge their excrementsâ⬠on Gulliver and this makes them seem barbaric and uncivilised. Then, when two horses appear they walk around Gulliver softly in awe of his hat and his clothes ââ¬Å"hanging off him. â⬠This is a direct comparison and is showing that humans are not as civilised as they think and that when shown from a different perspective, they can be the uncivilised ones. When Gulliver goes to the house of the horses he sees that it is like a human house but with things horses need like a manger to eat from. Gulliver is soon compared to a Yahoo, and he realises that he is a Yahoo but his clothes are keeping it a secret. Throughout this voyage the impression is built up that this place is a utopian society, but in the end, Gulliver can't stay there. Here, I think swift is telling us that humans can't be part of a utopia so they shouldn't try. When Gulliver returns home he hates his family and can't stand to be around them, ââ¬Å"for the first year I could not endure my wife or children in my presence, the very small of them was intolerable, much less could I suffer them to eat in the same room. â⬠This is showing the readers that being with a much more civilised race, or even a very different race, can change you and the way you see things. At the end of the voyage to the country of the Houyhnhnms, I think that even though it is a utopian society, they don't have some concepts humans have so it would be hard to live there. In conclusion, I think that swift is not misanthropic in his presentation of human society because he presents models of human behaviour in the Houyhnhnms and the Brobdignagians, because it is in these voyages that the people in the places are commenting on what Gulliver has to say and it isn't Gulliver saying what was bad in that place. However, the Brobdignagian model is better because they have flaws and are not perfect. Swift shows this because the Brobdignagians have freak shows and this is inhumane. Furthermore I think Swift is not misanthropic because his main attack is on unjust wars, and this is a common in all four voyages. Another reason I think swift is not misanthropic, is that he only criticises those who deserve it, like the ââ¬Ëquack' doctors, and the drunks who use all their family's money on alcohol. Also, swift shows the flaws of mankind and wants to improve it. I know this because he wrote about good people like the Brobdignagians and the Houyhnhnms, as I said before. Swift also only tells us about what has happened to him, so if he has only had bad experiences with, for example politicians, then he can only make bad comments about them. However, Gulliver doesn't tell us about any good people in England at the time, or any good experiences he had had with people, he focuses on the bad. In conclusion, I think that Jonathan Swift is not misanthropic in his presentation of human society because he only comments on what he knows, and his main aim is to make the world better, and the best way to do this it to tell people in simple terms, in a story of a popular genre.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Communication Climate In the Film ââ¬ÅOn Golden Pondââ¬Â
Climate in movies can be developed in a variety of ways, depending on the theme, characters, and genre. The movie On Golden Pond has an award winning cast. Two of the actors are father and daughter in real life, Henry and Jane Fonda. The task of creating a communication climate is centered on an important contemporary theme: the challenges of aging, bonds between male and female, man and child. These topics are all issues that theatre-goers can relate to. The communication climate, thus, becomes a central element story development and creating pace while keeping the viewerââ¬â¢s interest peaked. The film opens with breath-taking view of New England landscape, panning in and out of the quiet, peaceful lake. This reinforces the emotional attitude of the film from the beginning. Enter crotchety old Norman Thayer and soft-spoken, yet affirming wife, Ethel. The film-maker, well-aware of the highly publicized problems revolving around Henry Fonda and his son and daughter, uses this to add impact to the filmââ¬â¢s emotional sentiment. Norman and Ethel arrive to their remote vacation home without anyone in sight. Ethelââ¬â¢s hands are full and she cannot open the door. She needs Normanââ¬â¢s help and knocks on the door. ââ¬Å"Someoneââ¬â¢s at the door,â⬠says Norman, not even looking up from his book. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s me you old poop,â⬠Ethel says. This brief dialogue speaks volumes about who is the enabler in this marriage. Normanââ¬â¢s age and life-long frustrations are clouding his memory and his ability to keep up with life. Norman expresses his concerns over death in subtle ways. He vents his frustration on loved ones by being irritable, short-tempered, and using quick-witted sarcasm. Itââ¬â¢s obvious that sarcasm has been a life-long sentiment in the Thayer household. The sarcasm between Norman and his daughter Chelsea has built walls that have silenced their ability to express true feelings for one another. Thus, Norman uses discomforting messages for the majority of the film. Hereââ¬â¢s an example of Normanââ¬â¢s sarcasm regarding his daughterââ¬â¢s new love. ââ¬Å"Sheââ¬â¢s fallen in love with a dentist,â⬠says Ethel, full of compassion. ââ¬Å"Good God! Theyââ¬â¢ll be staring at our teeth all the time,â⬠is Normanââ¬â¢s response. The humor of the scene makes its mark while viewers are led to question Normanââ¬â¢s love and respect for his daughter. Does he, on a subconscious level, regret his lifetime of treating Chelsea unfairly? The film, unfortunately, treats the stereotypical grumpy old man with simplicity, never reaching into the heart of the matter. In fact, the only recognition between Chelsea and Norman comes in the closing scene of the film where they embrace as Chelsea says, Goodbye Normanâ⬠¦er dad. â⬠This verbal message does hold impact but the true reconciliation between father and daughter remains unknown. Ethel, in contrast to Normanââ¬â¢s character, uses confirming messages entirely through the film. Her deep love for Norman is shown by her willingness and unconditional acceptance of Normanââ¬â¢s less than joyous persona. Norman creates more humor in a scene that normally would lead people to show a little respect; for, an elderly woman who also lived on Golden Pond died recently. Norman doesnââ¬â¢t even bat an eye as he informs the mailman of this news and says, ââ¬Å"one of the lesbians expired. â⬠More disconfirming messages by Norman. The film maker shows Norman with his guard down in a scene where he gets lost hunting for strawberries near the house. He runs back until he bumps into their property. Norman waits for the mailman to leave before stating his angst to Ethel. It is one of the rare times, maybe the only time, that Norman uses confirming messages. ââ¬Å"(I had to) Come running back to see your pretty face. I could feel safe. I was still me. â⬠ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re my knight in shining armor. â⬠Ethel responds as she held his face gently in her hands. ââ¬Å"You're gonna get back up on that horse and Iââ¬â¢ll be right behind you. And away weââ¬â¢re gonna go, go, go. â⬠Ethel, once again, uses her confirming voice to heal. Billy Ray Jr. upon meeting Norman shows respect. Itââ¬â¢s Normanââ¬â¢s 80th birthday celebration. Billy Ray Jr. tries to make a connection. ââ¬Å"I just had a birthday two weeks ago. â⬠Norman says, ââ¬Å"Hmm. Weââ¬â¢re practically twins. â⬠Billy Ray Sr. also shows respect for Norman, using confirming messages. ââ¬Å"Love your house,â⬠says Billy Ray Sr. ââ¬Å"Thank you. Itââ¬â¢s not for sale,â⬠retorts Norman. Their dialogue continues as Norman uses more disconfirming messages and Billy Ray Sr. uses confirming messages. ââ¬Å"Norman? You mind if I call you Norman? â⬠ââ¬Å"I believe you just did,â⬠says Norman coolly. In closing, communication is what creates the climate of the film. Dialogue and body language are what keep the story moving along at a jovial clip. It is a wonderful film with a message about how challenging life can be for individuals when communication has little honesty. When people put up fronts and refuse to share their feelings, it leads to disjointed relationships and people wind up feeling hurt. This pain can cause further distress on a personââ¬â¢s life. The only solution is to share feelings and believe in the power that results when a cohesive family bond develops.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7
Marketing - Essay Example eryday city driving because its McPherson front axle offers high levels of driving safety, making it an excellent choice for everyday drivers as well who can enjoy the driving experience with relative safety ensured. The car is priced above $100,000. In devising an effective marketing plan for the Porsche, the market must be segmented so that target marketing can be directed at the appropriate segment that is most likely to purchase the new cars. Smith originally defined market segmentation as follows: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦..viewing a heterogeneous market as a number of smaller homogenous markets, in response to differing preferences, attributable to the desires of customers for precise satisfaction of their varying wants.â⬠(Smith, 1965:5). In effectively marketing a sports car such as the Porsche, which is priced in the luxury car range, it may be necessary to direct marketing efforts towards a cosmopolitan, city area where there would be an adequate number of customers in the high income ranges. The city of Melbourne offers excellent potential for the Porsche 91 Turbo car, since it is experiencing rapid growth ââ¬â for example, between 2000 to 2002, employment grew by 5.4%, while between 2002 and 2004, it grew by an additional 2%. (Profile, 2005). Segmentation is one of the essential ideas in marketing discipline, however it has evolved over time from purely descriptive factors of customers to benefit segmentation as a tool to identify factors that may influence future purchasing behavior.(Haley, 1968). According to Baker (1988), if market segmentation is to prove to be viable, then the following tools should apply: (a) viability (b) sustainability (c) responsiveness (d) stability (e) accessibility and (f) actionability. Benefit segmentation is a method that aids in the development of products and services that are of actual benefit to customers, therefore firstly, it is necessary to identify the kind of customers who may be benefited by the Porsche 911 Turbo car. For
Monday, October 7, 2019
Batting Biofilms Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Batting Biofilms - Assignment Example If genes which are responsible for the formation of these adhering protein molecules are deleted the bacteria are unable to form biofilms. However, it is now proved that bacteria form biofilms after communicating with each other through signal molecules, for e.g. in P. aeruginosa the relevant signaling molecules are acylated homoserine lactones which each cell produces at a low level, when enough cells assemble the concentration of these compounds increases which in turn trigger the activation of certain genes, the mechanism is known as quorum sensing, which is critical for the formation of biofilms. Since biofilms formed by P. aeruginosa is responsible for causing cystic fibrosis pneumonia, i.e. they turn virulent (disease causing). algC gene is responsible to synthesize alginate, the gelatinous polymer that makes extracellular matrix. Thus, signaling molecules to control the genes that code for virulence. During stage 1 when the bacterial cells move or swim freely and arrange themselves in cluster in order to form a biofilm; Attack strategy is employed that coats the molecules and block or disrupt microbial arrangement or attachment. During stage 2- when the collected cells begin producing a gooey matrix; Attack strategy is employed which coat the surfaces with substances that interfere with the matrix production so that film is not formed. During stage 4- when chemical gradient arise and promote the coexistence of diverse species and metabolic states; Attack strategy is employed which delivers multiple antibiotics or disinfectants to undermine the varied survival strategies of biofilm cells. Microbiologists took a very long time to size up the microbes in the biofilm. Since the establishment of germ theory, in the late 19th century by Robert Koch, bacteria were envisioned as single cells that float or swim through some kind of watery
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Fareed Zakaria article The Rise of the Illiberal Democracy, Civil Research Paper
Fareed Zakaria article The Rise of the Illiberal Democracy, Civil Rights, and Women Suffrage Movements - Research Paper Example Democracy is something much broader and holistic in its scope. It is a model of governance in which no individual, group or institution is endowed with absolute power so that it may ignore the aspirations expressed as seemingly disparate and conflicting opinions. Democracy is about liberty, separation of powers and assimilation and recognition of diverse opinions. Liberalism according to Zakaria is primarily an antithesis of absolutism in the political, civil and legal sphere (Zakaria 24: Online). Liberalism is a political doctrine that not only tolerates dissent and political, religious and ethnic pluralism, but goes a step ahead to recognize the opinion of the minorities and conflicting opinions, and extends them a fair opportunity and environment to have a say in the socio-political life of a nation. It is a political doctrine that gives every individual and group the access to some inalienable rights like the right to expression, assembly, religion and property. Illiberalism, sim ply speaking, is a way of politics, which curtails on the essential and fundamental rights of some or all segments of a society that includes the quintessential liberties like the freedom of speech, property, religion and assembly. (Zakaria 27: Online) Liberalism is the actual rule of the people, without any exception, not an arrangement in which an individual or a party rules by proxy and justifies the annihilation of civil liberties in the name of popular support and validation. For instance, Singapore is a liberal democracy in the sense that tough it offers limited political choices to its citizens; it does recognize and support their essentially human aspirations and rights, irrespective of their ethnic background or religion (Zakaria 25: Online). Modern Russia is actually an illiberal democracy in which the ruling party has usurped and appropriated political authority both horizontally and vertically, and has severely curtailed the civil and political rights such as the right t o speech, expression, assembly, and dissent (Zakaria 28: Online). In the context of the American constitution, liberalism certainly came first, followed by democracy (Zakaria 29: Online). Fear of absolute power and authority was the guiding spirit behind the architecture of the American constitution. That is why the American constitution provided for a clear cut division of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. It was unlike the British polity where the ministers are also a member of the House of Commons and the powers of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary tends to overlap or diffuse. In America the secretaries of state and the other government officials are not the members of the Congress. This arrangement negated the concentration of power in any one pillar of the American democracy. Civil Rights Movement The American civil rights movement that unfolded in the period 1955-1968 and aimed at the abolition of racial discrimination in the Ameri can socio-political setup and restoring the voting rights for the African Americans in the Southern States is an apt example of the liberal strains woven in the American democracy (Dierenfield 17). The very Declaration of Independence that can be considered the bedrock of the American constitution states that human beings have ââ¬Å"certain inalienable rightsââ¬
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