Is Democracy Compatible with Liberal Markets?

Is Democracy Compatible with Liberal Markets? â€Å"Is democracy compatible with liberal markets?† Part I: Introduction: This paper seeks to explore if there is a possibility of coexistence between democracy and liberal markets. This paper argues that these two are compatible; the pillar on which this argument is built is that the two concepts are inseparable because they share the common heritage of being able to flourish under conditions of freedom.[1] Because of this, it becomes impossible for any other form of government to fit so neatly with liberal markets as democracy. The methodologies adapted, the problems encountered in the process, the arguments this thesis question addresses, and the case study proffered to support this thesis question are spelt out in the forthcoming sections. Part II: Summary: The fall of communism in the early 1990’s brought about an economic and political order that replaced the bipolar system. The extent and power of this change has been too dramatic to be described in simple words; the engine that has propelled this change has been democracy, capitalism and with it, liberal markets. While these may not have been the sole factors for the collapse of communism, the world order that came about following this event has certainly been driven wholly by these factors. Despite various arguments against the virtues of capitalism and market-driven economies, it is an ineluctable fact that this is a system that has come to stay. The bedrock on which liberal markets are built is democracy. This is because of the simple fact that communism as well as authoritarianism and liberal markets are as greatly antithetical to each other as is democracy to state-controlled economies. Hence, it follows that if there is an element of compatibility between the p resent political and economic systems, it has to be between democracy and liberal markets. This is not to suggest that each is an easy, automatic and inevitable part of the other; this position encounters enormous stumbling blocks, as listed in Part III of this paper. This leaves the paper its chief difficulty, that of the quandary over which position to assume, in light of equally strident, contradictory viewpoints about the compatibility of the two. One of the ways by which this paper seeks to extricate itself from the task of examining such broad and seamless concepts is in adapting Giovanni Sartori’s method in his book, The Theory of Democracy Revisited (1987), in which one of the ways by which one can arrive at a definition of democracy is in understanding it for what it is not, as much as for what it is. (Sartori, 1987, pp. 183, 184) To simplify this further, one of the approaches to the thesis question has been that of elimination; what this means is that in seeking to arrive at the essence of the thesis, this paper rules out the compatibility of liberal markets with other forms of governance. To demonstrate this, this paper takes up the case of Argentina’s economic crisis as a case study. In this discussion, this case’s detailed history is not made; rather, the important aspects of political profligacy that led to this crisis is illustrated, to show that long periods of political misrule characterised by an absence of democracy, and not liberal markets in themselves, was the cause of the crisis. It also shows up the example, on the contrary, of India, to show how liberal markets can succeed when introduced into a democratic polity. India, too, undertook several structural reforms of its economy under the IMF, but did not go the Argentine way, mainly because the political system was different. Part III: Limitations of this study: The core predicament of this paper concerns an investigation into the possibility of union between two ideas whose ages are incomparable –the concept, however amorphous, of democracy is as old as the hills,[2] while that of free markets, free trade and liberal markets are only decades old. In the attempted marriage of the two concepts, there is a very great possibility, perhaps even a near certainty, that there are sharply divided opinions. Secondly, as is well-known, there is no fixed, single definition of a democracy. This makes any treatment of this debate highly fluid and volatile. Another factor is that the focus of this paper is on liberal markets. This adds another problematic dimension to this paper, since the debate on the compatibility or lack of it, between liberal, free markets and democracy is charged with a feverish emotiveness and lack of dispassionate reasoning as by the core difference between communism and democracy, a dir ect hangover of the situation that prevailed during the height of the Cold War. Accentuating this debate was, as logically pointed out by Giovanni Sartori in his book, The Theory of Democracy Revisited (1987) the fact that while communism could be defined by clearly demarcated terms and meanings set out by its prophet, Karl Marx, no such fixed boundaries could be assigned to democracy. In such a scenario, as the author suggests, there is a tendency for what may be called â€Å"confused democracy†, while none of these applies to communism. (Sartori, 1987, pp. 3-6) This makes this system’s compatibility, or otherwise, with a sharply and narrowly described term even more difficult to explain. In view of this, it is to be conceded that all understanding and judgment of this paper’s position is highly subjective. Yet, since a position has to be taken, this paper proceeds in the full acceptance of the fact that an equally opposite viewpoint can be conceded. [3] Part IV: Discussion: The most important factor that facilitates the harmonious relationship between democracy and liberal market is that both are founded on the same edifice: of their common linkage with freedom. The rapid economic changes taking place in the world today are almost entirely market-driven. Following the death of the Soviet Union, this has been brought to bear even more heavily on the world. During the years following this event of critical importance to the world, there has been an unprecedented growth in the liberal markets of the world. A key point that perhaps best illustrates this dramatic transformation is the migration has been taking place from rural and semi-rural communities to urban centres all over the world, but principally in Third World countries, driven entirely by liberal markets. De Soto (2000) considers this nothing short of a modern industrial revolution, whose scale is quite unmatched, before which the original revolution pales in comparison. Consider the f act that the earlier industrial revolution in England had to support a migration of something like a mere eight million people in the two and a half centuries it took to transit from agriculture to the New Economy. In contrast, today, the world is witness to urbanisation caused by the influx of several million people, out of which some 200 million migrated to liberal market-driven urban centres in Indonesia alone. To accommodate changes of this magnitude, the only viable system of governance is democracy. Western economies were able to cope up with earth-shaking changes only because they had the democratic, legal institutions to absorb these changes; the Third World would today turn chaotic if the same conditions of democracy do not exist to accommodate the marginalised sections. (Soto, 2000, pp. 70-72) Another example, at the micro level, but of nearly equal gravity, of how democracy and liberal markets not only coexist but also promote each other is that of the sweeping changes taking place in the Indian economy. The deeply entrenched caste-ridden Indian mindset could not change its basic fabric in centuries; yet, less than just two decades of market-driven economic changes[4] showed the promise of instilling change at an unimagined speed. For instance, access to computers, a direct result of liberal markets-oriented economic reforms, has brought in democracy at the rural level at hitherto unimaginable speed. Farmers are now able to sell their produce to the user directly, bypassing the centuries-old feudal system by which they had to necessarily sell through the middle man, who used to be from the upper castes. This has been a direct result of the mating of liberal markets with democracy. This phenomenon is not restricted to India; as quoted by the political scientist, Sheri Berm an, shifts to democracy by most of Latin America in the 1980’s were closely related to a corresponding shift to free-market economy. (Bhagwati, 2004, pp. 93-95) Case study: This next section strengthens the thesis topic further by demonstrating that liberal markets have been a great failure when they have been introduced into non-democratic economies. The case study this paper takes up to vindicate this stand is the Argentine economic crisis of the late 1990’s. This paper takes up this case mainly because contrary to popular belief, the Argentine economic crisis was not the result of IMF-prescribed market economy measures; rather, they were the product of decades of economic mishandling characterised by wrong prioritisation, by a succession of dictators, (Peralta-Ramos, 1992, pp. 35-38) which the IMF intervention failed to correct. (Frenkel, 2002) The position this paper takes is that this correction could not come about because the system’s rot had been too deep-rooted, not on account of liberal market-oriented economic policy per se, but because of systematic squandering by the military in the decades following the end of Per onist populism, by which the economy was reduced to bare bones over time. In this transition, the beneficiaries of public spending shifted gradually but firmly from the middle class to the ruling class. (Little, 1975, p. 163) These economic misdemeanours were concomitant with political notoriety spread over the decades during the reign of and following the overthrow of the populist, Juan Peron, that came to be called by the collective epithet, ‘Dirty Wars’. Started initially in the name of fighting Leftist guerrillas, (Marchak Marchak, 1999, p. null27) this phase soon degenerated into state terrorism, marked by innumerable political kidnaps, extortion and disappearances, of people who dared to raise their voices against the military regimes. (Taylor, 1997, p. 258) In line with this, and more importantly, the governments, to support these activities, had built up a highly porous banking system which could easily be exploited by the ruling class with little accountability. The entire economy was built on debts, of which three-fourths was in the public sector, which the dictatorial ruling class could use for its benefit by draining the nation at will. In only 10 years between the mid-1970â€⠄¢s and the mid-1980’s, the interest payments the governments collected had fallen from 17 percent to a puny one percent of the consolidated public sector expenditure. (Ferrer, 1985, p. 6) This is just one example of the ruin the military brought upon the economy. Thus, the basis of the Argentine economic crisis was economic mishandling by the ruling class, and not so much the policies of the IMF, which came into the picture much later, when the economy had crossed the Rubicon. It is fashionable to put most of the blame for Argentina’s economic crisis of the late 1990’s, which snowballed into a full-blown economic catastrophe, on the IMF and its prescriptions for a free market economy. (Frenkel, 2002) While this may be true to some extent, it has to be borne in mind that this was only a last ditch effort to resuscitate the economy, whose causes for decline dated to several decades, as is seen here. In contrast, India, with its deeply ensconced democratic system, could absorb the momentous changes wrought into its economy with relative ease, breaking free from the shackles that had bound the economy in the earlier decades under restrictive policies. It is now admitted that India’s economic recovery from the deep crisis it was in, was the result as much of liberal market reforms as due to the inherent strength of its political system. (Drà ¨ze Sen, 1995, p. 179) Far from going the Argentine way, India is now an economy that is firmly an d surely on the road to liberalisation, from which there seems no looking back.[5] In a matter of just one generation, it is one of the fastest growing economies of the world today. (Cetron Davies, 2006) Part V: Conclusion: The congruence between democracy and liberal markets is indubitable; while admitting that there are several areas that need rectifying, and that this is not the most viable of all possibilities, it has to be admitted that there exist no better alternatives. While it is conceded that this system is far from perfect, the fact is that no system is; had the socialist system been perfect, then all the economic upheavals the world has been going through should have been averted. In this scenario, it makes little sense to argue about the disharmony of the market economy with democracy. If anything, what needs to be put into place is a supporting set of laws and regulation that tempers down some of the inequalities of the system. (Wolf, 2003) Historical experience shows that liberal markets have always flourished in the industrialised nations, which have been democratic, prime examples of which are the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. (Dryzek, 1996, p. 68) However, a ne w dimension has been added to this notion, with India showing that the engine for this growth is not so much a belonging to the group of industrialised nations[6], but the existence of democratic systems as its bulwark. This, rather than liberal markets in isolation, is the prerequisite for achieving economic growth. In the light of these findings, it is meaningless to argue that democracy and liberal markets are incompatible; on the contrary, they are almost inextricably bound to each other and are inseparable, fuelling each other’s development. References Bhagwati, J., (2004), In Defense of Globalization, Oxford University Press, New York. Cetron, M. J., Davies, O., 2006, July/August, â€Å"The Dragon vs. the Tiger: China and India Reshape the Global Economy; India and China Will Vie for Economic and Political Dominance on the World Stage. Heres an Assessment of the Two Nations Short-Term and Long-Term Prospects†, The Futurist, Vol. 40, No. 38+. Retrieved April 16, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM. Dryzek, J. S., (1996), Democracy in Capitalist Times: Ideals, Limits, and Struggles, Oxford University Press, New York. Drà ¨ze, J., Sen, A., (1995), India, Economic Development and Social Opportunity, Oxford University Press, Delhi. Ferrer, A., (1985), Living within Our Means: An Examination of the Argentine Economic Crisis (Alvarez, M. Caistor, N., Trans.), Westview Press, London. Frenkel, R., (2002), â€Å"Argentina: A Decade of the Convertibility Regime†, Challenge, Vol. 45, No. 4, p. 41+. Retrieved April 16, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM. Little, W., (1975), 7 â€Å"The Popular Origins of Peronism†, in Argentina in the Twentieth Century, Rock, D., (Ed.) (pp. 162-178), Gerald Duckworth, London. Marchak, P., Marchak, W., (1999), Gods Assassins: State Terrorism in Argentina in the 1970s, McGill-Queens University Press, Montreal. Peralta-Ramos, M., (1992), The Political Economy of Argentina: Power and Class since 1930, Westview Press, Boulder, CO. Sartori, G., (1987), The Theory of Democracy Revisited, Chatham House Publishers, Chatham NJ. Soto, H. D., (2000), The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else, Basic Books, New York. Taylor, D., (1997), Disappearing Acts: Spectacles of Gender and Nationalism in Argentinas Dirty War, Duke University Press, Durham, NC. Wolf, M., 2003, September/October, â€Å"The Morality of the Market†, Foreign Policy, 46+. Retrieved April 16, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/ 1 Footnotes [1] An excellent source for an analytical study between democracy and capitalism, or liberal markets, is the book, We the Nation, The Lost Decades, by one of India’s pre-eminent jurists, the late Nani Palkhivala. The book’s paperback edition has been a bestseller, having seen almost two dozen reprints in about two decades. In particular, his eulogy of the free market enterprise and its suitability to the democratic setup as practiced in India is sharp, and is in evidence in several chapters. [2] Here, the reference is to some forms of governance in the ancient world that can be described as being non-despotic. For instance, one of the core ideas on which one of ancient India’s most famous mythological texts, the Ramayana, is built is good governance, in which the king is fair, just and non-arbitrary. The protagonist, Lord Ram, is seen as the exemplar of a perfect democrat and upholder of virtue, who goes to the extent of banishing his wife to the forests to honour a lowly washerman, an example of how the ruler was expected to uphold the wishes of the ruled. Even if one were to dismiss this example as mere mythology, the fact that there is reference to what may be called the forerunner to present democracy in such an ancient text suggests that democracy existed in some or another conceptual form in the ancient world. If one were to entirely omit mythology and take historically recorded facts as the benchmark, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that republican democracy existed in India far before the western concept of Athenian democracy. For more details on the recorded instances of democracy in ancient India, this link may be a good source of understanding: http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/h_es/h_es_muhlb_democra_frameset.htm. And this is by no means a declaration that India’s was the only case of such a system of governance; there may have existed several others in other civilisations of this period. [3] To get a rough idea about how this subject can be interpreted in virtually any manner, this article, posted on the following blogs, in which the idea of compatibility of the two is denounced in the strongest possible terms, may serve as a pointer: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.viewfriendID=12432772blogID=140524780MyToken=5144b54f-2d93-4349-9274-e6526a5a57d6, http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.viewfriendID=12432772blogID=140524780MyToken=cb1631f6-cb16-4a39-85c6-a9b05c6cc9d9 and http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAllfriendID=12432772MyToken=5d4d6701-da69-40c8-adc9-3fb794f3fedbML This is given as a reference here mainly because this is not to be considered a work of erudition, and is just an illustration of the point sought to be made here. [4] India started the process of economic liberalisation under the P. V.Narasimha Rao government in 1991. At that time, it was considered a step over which the government had little alternative, given the nearly moribund state in which the economy was. However, in the period since then, it cannot be disputed that despite its problems, liberalisation has brought about changes of a magnitude India had not seen earlier under the socialist dispensation of the Nehru-Gandhi rule. [5] So entrenched has the programme of liberalisation become that it is now an a priori, with both the Right wing BJP that was voted out of power in 2004, and more surprisingly, a coalition partner in the present UPA government, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), too, embarking on a programme of massive market-oriented reforms of the economy. [6] It is easy to see how all the G8 members are democratic; the former Soviet Union had been kept out of this grouping till the end of the Cold War.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sing :: essays research papers

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In her novel, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings';, Maya states “The black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and the lack of black power';. Fortunately Maya was able to move beyond the crossfire, proving that she overcomes opposition that her status throws her way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being a young black girl in the 1940’s was not the easiest thing to be. At that time, the two kinds of people who were believed to be of little or no importance were blacks and women. Throughout the book Maya never really accepted the fact that she was not going to get anywhere because of her status. She always tried to be the best in whatever she did, and always felt that she was just as good as or even better than many of the white people. It was not until she went to live with her mother that she really put action behind her feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Bailey’s departure, Maya felt that “it was going to be impossible to stay where she was, but leaving held no attraction for her either.'; (Chap 34, pg 264, line 2) Eventually she decided to go to work. She had her mind set on becoming a streetcar driver. Even though her mother warned her that they didn’t hire coloreds, she was determined just as well. When she went to apply for the job, the white receptionist put great effort into discouraging her, mainly because she was black. However, this did not discourage Maya. She was even more determined to get the job, and swore “I would have the job. I would a conductorette and sling a full money changer from my belt.'; (pg 268, line 3)

Andrew C :: essays research papers

Andrew Carnegie was an intelligent Scottish immigrant that excelled in the steel and oil industries. He provided our country with inexpensive steel that allowed other industries to thrive. Carnegie was also a generous and well-known philanthropist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland November 25, 1835. His parents, William and Margaret Carnegie, were impoverished iron mill workers. They immigrated to the United States in search of employment and opportunities in 1848.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Carnegie obtained a variety of occupations since his first arrival to America. His first job, at age thirteen, was a bobbin boy in a local cotton mill. At fifteen, Carnegie delivered telegrams for the Western Union. This job paid twenty-five dollars a month, which was considered a phenomenal amount of money at this time. At age 17, Carnegie had a job with the Pennsylvania Railroad. This job involved sending and receiving telegrams to benefit each train’s safety; he was now earning thirty-five dollars a month.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1850’s the major form of transportation used was the railroad. People would take the train for traveling to different areas around the country. Unfortunately, the ride to these distant destinations was quite uncomfortable. The passengers’ complaints increased. Theodore Woodruff developed sleeping cars that introduced passengers to more comfortable rides. Through the persuasion of his boss, Carnegie bought a share in this particular company while working for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Carnegie’s boss urged him to purchase one-eighth share in this company. The share’s money supply sharply increased due to the excessive amount of railroad companies that wished to please their passengers. From the success of his stock with the sleeping car company, Carnegie was able to place his money in other lucrative opportunities. At the age of twenty-four, Carnegie was soon aware of the oil being utilized by the Seneca Indians in Titsuville, Pennsylvania. Realizing his opportunity, Carnegie decided to buy land in a near by area. The oil on the land provided Carnegie and his brother with an ample supply of money. The land itself had increased in value by 125%. In 1870, Carnegie changed his job to become an iron master. Carnegie transposed the old iron making procedure with his new routine. He assiduously combined three ingredients – iron ore, coke, and limestone – to produce an essential product.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iron manufacturers discovered that certain ores shouldn’t be combined with each other. By hiring a chemist, Carnegie’s ores were assorted into their specific group. Carnegie was then the first iron mill owner to have a chemist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carnegie assisted many companies with the makings of bridges, locomotives, and other products that relied on iron.

Proposal Plan Essay

The purpose for the organization Walgreens is to stay put in a dynamic, self-motivated and energetic business environment. Walgreens is a successful business looking to progress overall presentation and place the company for potential expansion. In order for this to follow through, a total rewards program needs to be created. The incentives and compensation plan must connect with the goals of the organization. A solid rewards program will build motivation in the work place. As the text states, â€Å"The notions that rewards are means to motivate employees assuming that the rewards are distributed fairly. Rewards seem to be part of many different perspectives in motivation (Helsley, 2013). † The most important part is the employees in this organization, and sadly the motivation is not up to par. Employees who lack motivation, insinuates that employees are not receiving proper rewards. Instead of management focusing on only one specific part of a department, they should rather work together towards a solid vision for the business. Presently, there is room for opportunity, to actually analyze the Human Resource Management system and see which problems which are leading employees to show lack of motivation. Through various researches, employees and outside sources, especially Human Capital Consulting organizations, believe that financial compensation is lower than market value. Employees do also not comprehend how pay interlinks with job performance. 20011 to 20012 surveys show that employees think that pay connects to seniority (Pulakos, 2004). Adding to standard compensation, individual rewards are not well connected to performance. For example, departments like Research & Development and sales focus the transaction force and rarely see any return. The lack of proper positioning for financial compensation and work performance is causing confusion and affecting the motivational problems. Walgreens needs to acknowledge that employee’s views need to be considered. This is the reason why the distance in understanding between the employees and the business needs to be fixed. Alterations to financial compensation can be expensive. The consultant from Human Capital Consulting the reward and compensation system needs to be fully reformed. The total cost of the reward system alterations are about $165,000. Since the business has been dealing with sales declining an investment of that sort would put the organization at a high risk (Walgreens Co. , 2013). Even though the company has to cope with that expense the organization has the chance to better compete in the market and reduce the risk of losing employees to other businesses due to financial compensation formats. This problem can be resolved if the management team at Walgreens takes into consideration the cause of external competition. Key objectives to consider are to make certain that the pay is enough to attract and sustain employees. If employees do not see that their pay is competitive compared to what other organizations are giving for the same type of work, then that might cause for the employee to leave. Even though employee motivation and financial compensation are viewed as big problems for Walgreens, the business’ ability to form attraction and support career enhancement has been dwindling. The problems can be caused by the lack of Human Resource Management in the business strategic human capital management, with a failure by leadership to form a successful culture that aids the business objectives. As the business sets itself straight and alters its strategy, it will be vital to effectively train employees and make certain that they are set for the challenges that come their way. Sadly, motivation issues are harming the business and may affect the strategic changes. Examples of the weak culture and employee development are seen in the Research & Development and sales parts of the organization. Each section contributes to the success of the business but receives rarely any recognition, whether it is pay or just an overall recognition. Walgreens has the chance to brace the culture and form a complete employee development system that supports the enterprises vision and goals for the future. To add to this the business has the ability to explore other areas aside from the financial compensation to augment employee motivation and job satisfaction. Executing a career development system will not be enough for long-term enhancements. Management at Walgreens will need to center on building situations that practice career development (Walgreens Co. , 2013). Employees at Walgreens have different interests. These interests can include financial compensation, career enhancement or development, strong and effective communication and of course support from the management team. Employees have the right to be rewarded fairly and be acknowledged for their efforts and hard work to the organization. To add to this, employees have the right to be included in the organizations culture instead of being part of teams that are divided up. This usually leads to a lack of direction. Employees crave cooperation, a challenging working environment and dedication. That’s why effective end state goals would be to make certain that employee motivation is being measured effectively. Also, form career development plans and spot out important achievements within the business. Not only employee motivation should be worked on, but also set up a comprehensive rewards system. The reward system will give employees the chance to take charge of their reward as well as form a spot to market benefits that pertain to Walgreen employees. An internal web application should be created by HR (Walgreens Co. , 2012). The system will center on benefits administration, cross-function team goal management, and incentive rewards tracking systems. Employees will have the option of reviewing their benefits and make alterations on their time. Also, managers will be able to appraise the improvement and donations made by cross-functional teams. Sales statistics will also be part of the reward system to keep track of sales performance. Overall, Walgreens needs to restructure its employee compensation program. This means that the organization needs to first acknowledge that employee motivation is low. From there, increase it, by rewarding employees for a job well done. Acknowledging them in front of their employees and even bonuses will be nice. Flexible schedule is so important. Basically, re-evaluating everything to make certain that employees are feeling valued.

Diversity Among Individuals Essay

Diversity among individuals, as well as cultures, provides a challenge for nurses when it comes to delivering meaningful health promotion and illness prevention-based education. How do teaching principles, varied learning styles (for both the nurse and her patients), and teaching methodologies impact the quality of such education? How does understanding a patient’s view of health promotion and disease prevention guide you in teaching them? Provide an example. Education is impacted any time that the student (patient) does not understand what is being explained, so it is important for the instructor (nurse) to have multiple teaching styles and methodologies to ensure the information is clear and understood. Speaking with patients, while drawing pictures or diagrams, as well as giving them handouts to take home allows you to cover all but one type of learner. Understanding my patient’s view of health promotion and disease prevention helps guide me to what specific information the patient will need. For example, A 21 year old male who smokes tobacco and has multiple sex partners informs me that he has no desire to quit smoking and refuses you to discuss the matter with me. Attempting to educate this patient on quitting smoking will do harm than good. The patient will be frustrated and possibly angry at me for not respecting his feelings, this could possibly damage our nurse-patient relationship of trust and understanding. In this case I will respect the patient’s right to smoke and spend my time educating him on sexually transmitted diseases and the importance of safe sex. My 21 year old female tobacco smoker informs me that she would like to quit smoking but is having a hard time. In this situation I would speak with her about her difficulties quitting smoking, fears and anxieties. Provide information regarding medications that are available, programs and resources that are designed to help her, and other options like hypnosis and acupuncture. Understanding and being able to incorporate teaching principles, teaching methodologies, and learning styles are all very important in patient education and health promotion but it will do you little good if you do not have the patient’s buy in and willingness to change.

Assisted Suicide – Introduction

Introduction/Rationale â€Å"No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted on him, and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibility of any person by whom death may be inflicted on the person by whom consent is given. †, this is according to the Indiana Code of Criminal Law and Procedure. In ancient days, assisted suicide was frequently seen as a way to preserve one’s honor. For the past twenty-five years, on the other hand, the practice has been viewed as a response to the progress of modern medicine. New and often expensive medical technologies have been developed that prolong life. However, the technologies also prolong the dying processes, leading some people to question whether modern medicine is forcing patients to live in unnecessary pain when there is no chance they will be cured. Despite the changes in modern medicine, the attitudes toward assisted suicide in America’s courts and legislatures have not altered considerably. Debate over assisted suicide nearly always centers on the â€Å"slippery slope† argument. This argument holds that permitting one behavior will lead to a series of increasingly dangerous behaviors. Critics argue that if voluntary assisted suicide is legalized for competent, terminally ill adults, the acceptance of involuntary euthanasia for incompetent, elderly, or uninsured people will follow. Assisted-suicide advocates contend that the slippery-slope argument is fallacious. They argue that legalizing assisted suicide would not place patients’ right to life at risk because America is founded on democratic values that would ensure the rights of all citizens. Assisted Suicide is defined as an attempt to take one's own life with the intentional assistance of another person. It is a form of euthanasia in which a person wishes to commit suicide but feels unable to perform the act alone because of a physical disability or lack of knowledge about the most effective means. An individual who assists a suicide victim in accomplishing that goal may or may not be held responsible for the death, depending on local laws. The participation of health professionals, especially physicians, in assisted suicide is controversial. Nowadays, assisted suicide is still debatable if it will be legalized or not. However, in Philippines, since it is a religious country. Assisted suicide remains prohibited for no one can take away one’s life except God and it is clearly stated in the Ten Commandments, ‘Thou shall not kill’. Assisted Suicide or Physician-assisted suicide has its proponents and its opponents. Among the opponents are some physicians who believe it violates the fundamental principle of medicine and believe that doctors should not assist in suicides because to do so is incompatible with the doctor's role as a healer. Physician-assisted suicide is often abbreviated PAS. It is called doctor-assisted suicide in the UK. The debate over whether assisted suicide should be legalized in the United States—a nation considerably larger and more diverse than the Netherlands—is not likely to be resolved in the near future. People on both sides of the issue will undoubtedly pay close attention to developments in Oregon, and perhaps other states, in an effort to bolster their side of the slippery-slope argument. Body Many have argued that it would be worse, morally speaking, for health care professionals to engage in assisted suicide, than others because it would weaken the basic values of the health professions. Others argue that these values include providing relief from suffering and that there are rare times when death is the only means of achieving this goal. Germany actually accepts assisted suicide but is against euthanasia, largely because of the issue of patient control. If the patient is performing, the action that leads to death it is more likely that this was a voluntary choice for the patient. Thus, there is less risk of abuse. Many people thought that assisted suicide and euthanasia is the same but the truth is these two terms are completely different from the other. The main difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia is that in assisted suicide the patient is in complete control of the process that leads to death because he/she is the person who performs the act of suicide. The other person simply helps for example, providing the means for carrying out the action. In the US, only the State of Oregon permits assisted suicide or physician-assisted suicide. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act allows terminally ill state residents to receive prescriptions for self-administered lethal medications from their physicians. It does not ermit euthanasia, in which a physician or other person directly administers a medication to a patient in order to end his or her life. The Oregon law allows adults with terminal diseases who are likely to die within 6 months to obtain lethal doses of drugs from their doctors. A relatively very small number of people sought lethal drugs under the law and even fewer people who actually used them. Many patients have said that what they want most is a choice about how their lives will end, â€Å"a finger on the remote control, as it were. † Like for instance, the case of Diane, one of the patients of Dr. Timothy Quill. She was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia and she was under Dr. Quill for a period of 8 years. Dr. Quill informed her of the diagnosis, and of the possible treatments. The series of treatments include multiple sessions of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant, accompanied by an array of ancillary treatments, in which the rate of survival is only 25% and it is very hard to find a bone marrow donor that will perfectly match her bone marrow type. Upon knowing, she decided to control the time of her death and informed Dr. Quill so that she could avoid the loss of dignity and discomfort, which will proceed to her death. She called Dr. Quill for barbiturates complaining for her insomnia. Dr. Quill gave her a prescription of the amount to take to make her sleep and the amount she will take to commit suicide. Few days after, Diane called her friends including Dr. Quill and say goodbye. Two days after Diane took away her life after they met. This is an amazing example of a case study of an assisted suicide, which really shows the difference between assisted-suicide from euthanasia. Analysis/Author’s Discussion Approaching the problem of suffering among the dying through the lens of assisted suicide is like looking through the wrong end of binoculars; it narrows and distorts the view. My focus is in reducing the conditions that make assisted suicide seem an attractive alternative to patients facing the prospect of living with an incurable illness and to society struggling to care for the dying. Success will not come with making assisted suicide legal, but rather with making them unnecessary. According to Dr. Ira Byock, as a doctor, his commitment is to do everything possible and anything that is necessary to alleviate a person’s suffering. In the very rare situations in which physical distress is extreme, it is always possible to provide comfort through sedation. I firmly agree with Dr. Byock for the main role of a doctor is to save life and to heal the sick not to kill or take away people’s lives. The difference between what Dr. Byock do from euthanasia is that palliative care does whatever is necessary to alleviate the suffering while euthanasia is focused on eliminating the sufferer. As a Catholic, being a tool to take away one’s life is a mortal sin and assisted suicide was never accepted as a legal practice here in Philippines. But for me, I disagree in the practice of assisted suicide and it will always be wrong to help in taking away people’s lives no matter what the reason it will be. Still assisted suicide remains debatable and still a lot of cases are still on-going. Conclusion Assisted suicide brings out some of the deepest feelings amongst human beings. It is a hard decision that nobody wishes to take, and is the power over life and death. Is killing a terminally ill patient justifiable? Who determines the worth of one’s life? God or human? The answer to this question varies, as there are many points of view to this controversial issue. Thus, assisted suicide is a form of suicide, which involves a person other than the person taking his or her own life. And during which the other person assists in direct or indirect physical means in giving effect to the suicide or, in the event of a statutory definition, in a manner as set out in that statute. The right to assisted suicide is a significant topic that concerns people all over the world. The debates go back and forth, about whether a dying patient has the right to die with assistance of a physician or other person. Some are against it because of religious and moral reasons. Others are for it because of their compassion and respect for the dying. Some physicians and Christians are also divided on the issue. They differ where they place the line that separates relief from dying and killing. Those among us, who think we would want assisted suicide if we were sick, should ask ourselves whether that is also what we would want for our lover, sister, brother, or child who was incurably ill. Would we want them to die quickly, so that they would not become a burden to us? If not, we need to look deeply into what â€Å"success† would look like in this time of living we call dying. Recommendations †¢I acclaim not to legalized assisted suicide for as a Christian, to help in taking away one’s life is always a mistake. Since our role as a steward of the earth is to preserve our lives. †¢We expect physicians to heal and preserve life, not to kill on request. I want to be able to trust my doctor to do what is best for me in every situation by not doing illegal stuffs like assisting suicide. †¢ Since, assisted suicide is a moral issue, I recommend that it has to be resolved on the basis of principles we use to deal with every other question about right and wrong, not a special case. Depression, when present, should be treated. I endorse that patients should be given sufficient time and counseling to enable them to make sure their decision represents their deepest wishes. But at some point we have to decide whether patients are to be permitted to be the authors of their own destiny or not. †¢The option of â€Å"self – deliveranceâ₠¬  should not be taken for granted for some might take advantage of it especially the mentally ill people who would grab the opportunity to decide when to end their lives. Bibliography: http://medical-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/assisted+suicide http://www. duhaime. org/LegalDictionary/A/AssistedSuicide. aspx Criminal Code of Canada, Revised Statutes of Canada 1985, Chapter C-46 http://www. dyingwell. org http://www. pages. drexel. edu/~cp28/euth1. htm http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Physician-Assisted-Suicide-Case-Study/38054 The Ethics of Assisted Death: When Life Becomes a Burden too Hard to Bear (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Co. , 1999). http://www. enotes. com/assisted-suicide-article

A Critical Regulatory Issue in Health Care

In the economy, the demand from consumers and the production costs will help guide and form a firm structure. Many health care organizations need to use good thinking tasks to make proper decisions. More issues include: patient autonomy, termination of patient treatment, advance directives, confidentiality, and informed consent. Back in the day, hospitals received charitable donations from internal sources of the community. Hospitals are thriving in developing new technology and new science. The price of the new technology for the findings that have sky rocketed and can create future financial concern. The development of new technology can broaden the areas for treatment and if they have the correct tools to perform treatment, then they will get to experience the cost of it as well. With having the new technology in most organizations, patient’s will receive less one on one time with the doctors to ask questions. I have noticed this through a personal experience of mine. I remember I would be in the doctors forever when I was a little girl and nowadays, I am usually in there for a quick visit. The patients pay a lot of money to receive less guidance from your doctor or though it may seem. Paying for health insurance s definitely a costly additive for the patient and does not get any cheaper to carry coverage on their family. Issues with the new technology and science will create more training and certification. This will be an additional cost to the health care facility of where they are introducing the new technology equipment. This can also cause staff to be less interacti ve with their patients because they are focusing on the new programs, equipment, ect. Although, the cost will be noticeable now, but once training and the proper use of equipment is learned, the facility will be saving money in the end. New sciences can develop more jobs and may also create the areas to have a more trained professional who has a distinct job description of the study of the issue. Patient autonomy is where the patients have a right to decide for their own medical care. This decision should not include an influential decision made by the patient’s health care provider but the health care provider is allowed to educate their patients about their possible concerns. The termination of a patient could simply be because the provider may be relocating or retiring. There are cases where a managed care plan may no longer be taking the patient’s insurance coverage. The physician needs to follow the correct steps in order to terminate a patient from their facility because if the physician does not follow the proper steps, then they may run into ethical issues if the patient isn’t given a reasonable cause for this action. An advance health care directive is a written statement of how the patient is wanting to receive treatment in case of a severe injury, illness, or incapacitated which will cause the patient not being able to make their own decisions. It is also known as a Living Will which will help the family members know what their loved ones wanted in case this happened. One of the most critical issues is confidentiality. It is the physician’s role to keep the patient’s medical information kept between the physician and patients. Full disclosure of patient information can help the physician diagnose medical conditions with the proper treatment. The only way the patient’s information may be distributed is by signing a consent form to release their personal information. Informed consent is giving a medical professional consent to perform a procedure or a test that is needed for a health concern. The language on the document of an informed consent must be understood and readable for the patient. Once they have finished reading the document, then a signature from the patient is required because of they perform a procedure that could cause medical harm during it. The patient could go back and sue the facility for not properly following their regulations. In the consent for the patient, there should be statements describing the certain procedure of what the physicians will be performing. The informed consent needs to be given during a specific time frame before the procedure. In conclusion, these ethical issues can be prevented with the proper training of the field. Proper training will lead to better quality of care and safe practices within an organization. The cost of health care will still be an issue down the road because the technology and the new findings of diseases will continue to increase. Following rules and regulations will help organizations grow in a positive setting. It is important for all facilities to become known to a comfortable structure so that they are financially set for any new changes. New changes don’t only benefit the doctors but it also benefits the patient that is receiving the treatment. References 1. Mariner, W. (1995). Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. â€Å"Business versus Medical Ethics: Conflicting Standards for Managed Care† pg. 237. http://www. jblearning. com/samples/076374526X/4526X_CH14_235_250. pdf 2. Allison, David, Arch, D. , Uriel Cohen. (2009). The Center for Health Design. Critical Issues in Healthcare Environments. http://www. healthdesign. org/chd/research/critical-issues-healthcare-environments A Critical Regulatory Issue in Health Care In the economy, the demand from consumers and the production costs will help guide and form a firm structure. Many health care organizations need to use good thinking tasks to make proper decisions. More issues include: patient autonomy, termination of patient treatment, advance directives, confidentiality, and informed consent. Back in the day, hospitals received charitable donations from internal sources of the community. Hospitals are thriving in developing new technology and new science. The price of the new technology for the findings that have sky rocketed and can create future financial concern. The development of new technology can broaden the areas for treatment and if they have the correct tools to perform treatment, then they will get to experience the cost of it as well. With having the new technology in most organizations, patient’s will receive less one on one time with the doctors to ask questions. I have noticed this through a personal experience of mine. I remember I would be in the doctors forever when I was a little girl and nowadays, I am usually in there for a quick visit. The patients pay a lot of money to receive less guidance from your doctor or though it may seem. Paying for health insurance s definitely a costly additive for the patient and does not get any cheaper to carry coverage on their family. Issues with the new technology and science will create more training and certification. This will be an additional cost to the health care facility of where they are introducing the new technology equipment. This can also cause staff to be less interacti ve with their patients because they are focusing on the new programs, equipment, ect. Although, the cost will be noticeable now, but once training and the proper use of equipment is learned, the facility will be saving money in the end. New sciences can develop more jobs and may also create the areas to have a more trained professional who has a distinct job description of the study of the issue. Patient autonomy is where the patients have a right to decide for their own medical care. This decision should not include an influential decision made by the patient’s health care provider but the health care provider is allowed to educate their patients about their possible concerns. The termination of a patient could simply be because the provider may be relocating or retiring. There are cases where a managed care plan may no longer be taking the patient’s insurance coverage. The physician needs to follow the correct steps in order to terminate a patient from their facility because if the physician does not follow the proper steps, then they may run into ethical issues if the patient isn’t given a reasonable cause for this action. An advance health care directive is a written statement of how the patient is wanting to receive treatment in case of a severe injury, illness, or incapacitated which will cause the patient not being able to make their own decisions. It is also known as a Living Will which will help the family members know what their loved ones wanted in case this happened. One of the most critical issues is confidentiality. It is the physician’s role to keep the patient’s medical information kept between the physician and patients. Full disclosure of patient information can help the physician diagnose medical conditions with the proper treatment. The only way the patient’s information may be distributed is by signing a consent form to release their personal information. Informed consent is giving a medical professional consent to perform a procedure or a test that is needed for a health concern. The language on the document of an informed consent must be understood and readable for the patient. Once they have finished reading the document, then a signature from the patient is required because of they perform a procedure that could cause medical harm during it. The patient could go back and sue the facility for not properly following their regulations. In the consent for the patient, there should be statements describing the certain procedure of what the physicians will be performing. The informed consent needs to be given during a specific time frame before the procedure. In conclusion, these ethical issues can be prevented with the proper training of the field. Proper training will lead to better quality of care and safe practices within an organization. The cost of health care will still be an issue down the road because the technology and the new findings of diseases will continue to increase. Following rules and regulations will help organizations grow in a positive setting. It is important for all facilities to become known to a comfortable structure so that they are financially set for any new changes. New changes don’t only benefit the doctors but it also benefits the patient that is receiving the treatment. References 1. Mariner, W. (1995). Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. â€Å"Business versus Medical Ethics: Conflicting Standards for Managed Care† pg. 237. http://www. jblearning. com/samples/076374526X/4526X_CH14_235_250. pdf 2. Allison, David, Arch, D. , Uriel Cohen. (2009). The Center for Health Design. Critical Issues in Healthcare Environments. http://www. healthdesign. org/chd/research/critical-issues-healthcare-environments