Friday, January 31, 2020

The Elimination of the Electoral College Essay Example for Free

The Elimination of the Electoral College Essay With the recent election, a controversy has come up about the eliminating the Electoral College. The Electoral College is made up of a group of electors where they vote for the President and the Vice President based on the states popular vote for the candidate. There are 538 Electoral College votes and in order to win the election, a candidate must have a majority of 270 votes to become the President. When Americans cast their vote, they are actually casting votes for the electors who will then cast their votes for the candidate. So, what’s the issue? Well, the issue is that, â€Å"The current system has the problem that presidential campaigns concentrate on only ten of the fifty states, and at least four out of five Americans are left out of the process of deciding who their president should be,† according to John Koza. In this election alone, President Obama and Governor Romney have visited Ohio a total of seventy-one times because Ohio was a major battleground state. To add on, statistics show that President Obama and Governor Romney have spent about ninety- five percent of their time and money in only ten out of the fifty states. Why? Because those battleground states have citizens who are undecided as to which candidate they should vote for, whereas most of the citizens in other states are decided. Now, let’s say that there was no electoral college and the candidates won by popular vote, chances are that they will spend a lot of their time and money campaigning in heavily populated areas such as the New England states, the South, and the West Coast. This unit has mostly been about public opinion and political participation. It has also been about the election. We learned how people choose the president and we got a general idea about the Electoral College. The Electoral College plays a HUGE role in an election. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, the electors vote for a candidate based on the states popular vote. Take Virginia for example, if you were to look at the counties, you would see that a majority of them voted for Governor Romney. If you were to look at the heavily populated (urban) areas like Richmond or D.C., they voted for President Obama. So, what candidate did the electors place their vote for? President Obama. Just by looking at the map, one would think that Virginia voted republican. The Electoral College was an agreement between the election of a candidate by a vote in Congress and the election of a candidate by popular vote of citizens. I’m sure that back when the Electoral College was formed, no one questioned the fairness of it. The popular vote is basically being spilt from the Electoral College vote. In my opinion, the Electoral College should be eliminated because it should not be electors from each state deciding the â€Å"fate† of our country. It should be the citizens deciding the outcome of an election because after all, that is why we are allowed to vote. I feel that even though we are allowed to vote, our vote doesn’t really count because of the Electoral College. Voting is a great way for our votes to be heard and to exercise one of our many rights, but if the Electoral College is eliminated, then we might as well not vote. Works Cited Page Savage, George . George Savage: Time to eliminate the Electoral College.Madison.com Madison WI news sports entertainment. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Jeunesse, William La. Time to eliminate the Electoral College? | Fox News. Fox News Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos News Videos. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. . Is it time to eliminate the Electoral College? | TheGazette. Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines | thegazette.com Cedar Rapids, Iowa City. N.p., 6 Nov. 2012. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. .

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby :: Fitzgerald Great Gatsby Essays

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Daisy Miller by Henry James, most of the characters are under illusions during the majority of the plot. The plots are carried out with the characters living under these illusions, which are mainly overcome by the ends of the stories. The disillusionment of most of the characters completely diminishes the foundation in which the plots were built upon, leading to the downfall of some of the main characters and the altering of the other characters. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby functions under the illusion that Daisy is perfect and is living in such distress because she was forced to marry Tom due to Gatsby being away at war and being poor. This illusion leads Gatsby to spend his entire adult life pining after Daisy and cheating his way up the social and economic ladder in order to win her over. Gatsby believes that Daisy will someday come back to him because she loves him so much and they will live happily ever after together. Daisy is living under the illusion that Gatsby has become rich and successful by working so hard and getting lucky with some investments. I think that when she first met him she probably did love him. He conveyed something to her that was the complete opposite of what she was: a poor soldier that did not have the social class that she possessed. But now her attitudes have changed and she is attracted to him because of his money and his apparent success. Tom functions under the illusion that Daisy not only loves him now, but has always loved him and been completely devoted to him. Daisy does admit that she once loved him, but he was not her first choice; Gatsby was. Tom is also under the illusion that Daisy will never leave him. He has an ongoing, almost public affair with Myrtle but still wants to be devoted to Daisy and demands her devotion to him. Tom feels as if he will never lose anything: his money, Daisy, or his social status. Although their money and social status gives them everything they need and want, they are still restless in life and in marriage. No matter what and who they have, they are never satisfied. Tom had Daisy, but wants Myrtle, too. Daisy has Tom, but wants Gatsby, too.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Malaysia Low Cost Medium Housing

In this article, the issues and challenges in implementing low medium cost housing in Malaysia under Malaysia’s government plan are deemed as somehow unsuccessful but have helped numerous Malaysians in owning a house. Issues arose for various reasons including those from the local authority, private developers and housing delivery system. There is no proper local authority regulation to evaluate the price of low medium cost housing in Kuala Lumpur. According to the data collected on table 5, most people who are working at Kuala Lumpur falls under the income category of less than RM1999 a month which is at 32. 7% and they can only afford to pay for a house below RM42,000. There is no possible way for the low income category to own a house in Kuala Lumpur because the price range to own a house in Kuala Lumpur is between RM42,000 to RM 85,000 per unit. Private developers are not interested in building low medium cost housing because of meager benefits like low profitability and no incentives are given. Clearly, the local authorities are not doing a very good job in monitoring the process of constructing new houses. Based on table 3, the planned and completed housing units are mostly not up to par. In fact, the Seventh Malaysia Plan reflected on only a 17. 1% of the targeted units of 110,000 low medium cost houses were completed. Also, there is a clear miss-match between demand and supply of low medium cost housing in Malaysia. Based on table 3, in the Seventh Malaysia Plan, the private sector built 268250 high cost houses more while 10402 low medium cost houses lesser. The primary demand was more on low medium cost houses, instead, more high cost houses were built. Clearly, there would be a vast imbalance on the demand and supply aspect. Also, there were no stern control to be hinged on by the housing delivery system. The low medium cost houses were always property speculators’ choice for them to make investments.

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Picture Of Dorian Gray - 1211 Words

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde warns against immorality, vanity and selfishness using his protagonist’s downfall to show the dangers of overindulgence and depravity. The preface is contradictory and reveals that Wilde’s beliefs on art and its ties to morality were inconsistent. He appears to be trying to show that we shouldn’t subscribe to just one clear ideal without questioning it or considering other opinions. However, it’s clear throughout the book that there is a strong moral ideology behind the story. Wilde claims that ‘an ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style,’1 but then breaks his own rules by showing Dorian Gray’s downfall to be inextricably linked to his exposure to and infatuation with hedonism and immorality. In this essay, I will demonstrate how the gradual moral decline of Dorian Gray and his eventual demise are used to send a very clear message about morality, corruption and overi ndulgence. When the book begins, Dorian is a blank slate – naà ¯ve, youthful, and ‘unspotted from the world.’2 The beginning of his corruption is clearly marked by his introduction to Lord Henry, and ultimately, his introduction to indulgence and immorality. Lord Henry tells Dorian ‘†¦you are unconscious of what you really are†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and comments on ‘†¦how tragic it would be†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ if Dorian was wasted.3 He also brings up the idea of indulgence and the taboo surrounding it, claiming that if a man resists temptation, his soul ‘grows sick with longing for theShow MoreRelatedThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1482 Words   |  6 Pagesreturn give to the same story† (Foster 185-186). One book that is a part of Foster’s story is Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. In this essay, Thomas Foster’s methods regarding both symbolism and  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬heart disease from his book, How to Read Literature Like a Profes sor will be discussed and applied to one of Oscar Wilde’s novels. Throughout his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde uses the portrait of the young protagonist as a symbol of many things, one of them being a mirror. WildeRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay1460 Words   |  6 PagesAs seems to be the theme of Oscar Wilde’s book, The picture of Dorian Gray, art an beauty are both the same, yet they are different. But how can this be? Well, beauty and art are intertwined the moment art is used to capture a sliver of pure beauty, in order to make that moment last forever. According to Lord Henry, â€Å" Yes, Mr. Gray, the gods have been good to you. But what the goods give can easily be taken away. You only have a few years in which to live really, perfectly, and fully† (Wilde Pg.Read MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1432 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, we see how the different characters show their love of beauty a nd pleasure and the affects they have on the main character: Dorian Gray. Each of the three main characters, Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton, and Dorian Gray portray a part of how the author felt about himself and the world around him. â€Å"Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks of me: Dorian what I would like to be- in other ages, perhaps† (qtd. in Bloom pg. 117)Read MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1576 Words   |  7 PagesTransformation in Literature Greek Philosopher Heraclitus once said â€Å"There is nothing permanent except change†. In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the theme of transformation is constant throughout the novel; however it is not portrayed as something that is permanent. Through the protagonist’s transformation, Oscar Wilde s novel is suggesting that the hedonistic lifestyle, a lifestyle where gaining pleasure is the main goal of a person’s life, may seem like it is an exciting and wonderfulRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray965 Words   |  4 Pages When looking at Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is clear that Frankenstein is a novel that can be placed into both the gothic and horror genre, although it is a gothic novel secondary to it being a horror novel; The picture of Dorian Gray isn’t so clear in this regard. On a first reading, one may assume the story to be gothic literature and only gothic literature because of the sheer amount of gothic characteristics and elements that the text presents that include, but are not limitedRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray957 Words   |  4 PagesWilde explores the theme of outsiders in his 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. He infuses what it means to be an outsider in almost every character in the story. The most important of these characters are Dorian Gray, Henry, and Basil. Each show what it means to be an outsider in his own individual way; whether it is an outsider among society, among a group of friends, or from a person’s own self. The main character, Dorian Gray, possesses most attributes of being an outsider. The most obviousRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray971 Words   |  4 PagesIn Oscar Wilde’s Popular nineteenth century novel, the Picture of Dorian Gray demonstrates the importance of the aesthetic movement in Victorian England. This suggests youth and physical attractiveness is emphasized and are valuable additions to society. Therefore, what matters to Dorian, is not the internal goodness an individual possesses but the appearance they present. Consequently, Dorian is able to forget the violent acts he commits as long as he appears beautiful on the outside. Since externalRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1680 Words   |  7 PagesAt the height of his success, Oscar Wilde wrote his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which follows the life of a young man living in late nineteenth-century London. The novel shares a similar storyline with that of Wilde’s life, as Wilde wrote it in attempt to justify his homosexuality. The protagonist of the novel, Dorian Gray, enters the story an innocent man, but eventually becomes corrupt due to his need for instant pleasure. Wilde recognizes that the topic of his homosexuality brings up theRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1283 Words   |  6 PagesWhat does the fall of man, Oscar Wilde novel The Picture Of Dorian Gray, and Shakespeare’s Macbeth all have in common? They all have the same theme of the fall of man and break in the perfect union they once where in. The novels all start with man in perfect union, then sin enters and chaos starts and it eventually leading to their death or downfall. The Fall of man, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Wilde’s novel The Picture Of Dorian Gray tightly follow the archetype of the fall of man this is all illustratedRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray864 Words   |  4 PagesWhile God in America: A New Adam illustrates the positive effects influence has on an individual, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde exhibits the negative consequences influence has on an individual who conforms to society’s beliefs. Compared to the Spanish, the Puritans succeeded in the teachings of their religion because they endorsed individual thought rather than collective thoughts. Upon their arrival to New Mexico, the Spaniard missionaries believed it was their mission from God to â€Å"save