Plato vs Aristole Political Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Plato vs Aristole Political Philosophy - Essay Example Philosophers were prominent people to those societies since they were influential to the people. Plato and his student Aristotle are well known for their efforts and contribution to the society on matters concerning governance and leadership. This paper will therefore, analyze the views of Aristotle and Plato towards governance. The essay will focus on their views towards self-interest and property. Philosophers around the world consider Plato as the greatest philosopher of western civilization. Although western civilization was characterized by a by democracy and capitalism, Plato considered communism government and lifestyle as the most appropriate. According to Plato, democracy and capitalism were just experimental ideologies that were not practical (Benardete 134). Plato considered communism as the most applicable lifestyle in people’s lives. According to his utopian society, the success of a government can only be defined by the success of its people. Plato also considers that a society is best governed by its best minds. A society can only be ruled by its best mind when there is limited competition or self-interest within the society. In such society, people would be working towards the realization of a common goal. This is the basis of communism according to Plato. The best minds of a society are the kings or philosophers within that society. Plato considers a socialist society as a society that is governed by wisdom and proved knowledge. A society that is different from Plato’s society is governed on un-established knowledge. The philosopher considers a socialist society to be better than a capitalist society. A communist society as described by Plato is a selfless society such society people work towards the realization of common goals. According to Plato, a utopian society can only be realized if people adapt knowledge. Plato acknowledges that people in an ideal society have no desire for power and common interests and goals drive them. People need knowledge to tame their desire for power and self-interest. According to Plato, people with self-interests are uneducated and therefore, quality education will eliminate people desire for power. Educating people will make them change their attitude towards the community and the country and, this will eliminate their desire for power. Application of knowledge is power; an educated person will be able to visualize the relationship between power and knowledge. According to Plato, relevant education will make the people understand the relationship between power and knowledge. This will make people compete for power based on their knowledge. People with less knowledge therefore consider themselves less appropriate to take leadership positions The love for the public is the second strategy that Plato proposes to use in order to tame people’s desire for power. Plato proposes that creating the love towards the nation among people makes them have an obligation towards the nation. This is followed by a separation of self-interests from national issues. People who have love for the nation assume responsibility over the nation and, this eliminates their desires for power. People who are hungry for power cannot establish an ideal nation that Plato proposes. People can only live satisfactory lives if they establish a gap between their self-interests and national interests (Allen 76). Plato is confident that acquisition of knowledge can tame desires for power and sel

Statistics project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Statistics Project Example In order to achieve such economic growth in the Chinese economy, it is essential to focus on improving the major industries, such as the telecommunication industry. However, this cannot be achieved without solving the challenges hampering it from achieving the desired growth rate. The motive of this study is to establish and define challenges facing the Chinese telecom firms in their expansion strategies. The study will achieve this by examining the current market situation to identify the main challenges that firms in this industry are facing from a marketing perspective. The study will also attempt to suggest solutions that the Chinese telecommunication industry could adopt to solve these problems by assessing the solutions that have been employed in other countries. This study is intended to give a clear understanding of the challenges facing the Chinese telecommunication sector. It will focus on establishing why the telecommunication sector in China is growing at a lower rate compared to telecommunication sectors of other economies, such as United States and India. Through this research, the management of firms in the Chinese telecommunication sector will understand better the challenges that are limiting their expansion strategies from a different perspective. This will enable them devise better ways of dealing with these challenges in the future and ultimately boost the growth of the telecommunication sector. The hypotheses for this study are: The alternative hypothesis-: H1-Chinese firms do not exhibit a slow growth rate due to industrial nor customer based challenges. These hypotheses enhance the empirical testing of the outcome of the research. Some of the challenges that will be looked at are the customer based challenges. The biggest concern for many businesses regards the criteria through which customer loyalty is measured. Several techniques

Intermarriage - opposition Essay Example for Free

Intermarriage opposition Essay Marshall Sklare was able to articulate the fears of many older Jews and he wrote: Intermarriage (and its sociodemographic consequences) can no longer be treated as marginal when it is the result of a deep-rooted sociopolitical ideology and value structure and a function of lifestyle, residential pattern and educational and occupational structure The intermarriage issue has become central to the internal struggles of American Jewry (1982, p. 37). Aside from the fact that the older generation seemed to be in a perpetual survival mode of existence, keeping to themselves to continue Jewish values and traditions, there is a deeper reason why many are opposed to the idea of exogamy. Steven Bayme explains that the rise of intermarriage is a threat because it can only mean the, â€Å" decline of Jewish commitment, a weakness in Jewish identity, a failure of Jewish education and the Jewish family to bring about the commitment to Jewish continuity † (2002, p. 226). If this is true then it will just reveal the error of their ways. This is because suppressing the symptoms will not make the sickness go away. If the symptom for impiety and the shortcomings of a flawed educational system is the high rate of intermarriage then opposing exogamy will not change the fact that there is problem with Judaism. Traditionalists made their opinions known; that they do not agree to intermarriages but this seems to be an idea suited for past generations who cannot see the possibility of compromise in the land of the heathen. A popular 1950s joke regarding this matter was an accurate depiction of how parents felt about their children marrying non-Jews. The following dialog is between a young Jewish soldier coming home from the Korean War and his mother. Before the young man left Korea he calls his mother to inform her about the good news (Shapiro, year, p. 233). Son: I have survived the war without being wounded. Mother: That is good. Son: I am bringing home a Korean wife Mother: That is also good. Son: We dont have a place to live. Mother: Thats okay. You can stay in my apartment. Son: But you live in a one-bedroom apartment. Mother: Thats no problem. After I put the phone down I am going to jump out of the window, and you will have the entire apartment to yourself. According to Bayme, when it dawned upon the Jewish community that intermarriage is snowballing into something that can overwhelm them, the reaction was radical and aimed at the jugular to forcibly stop the perceived madness and he adds: When the first news of the growth of intermarriage occurred, communal leaders responded with agony and handwriting. Virtually all Jewish organizations passed resolutions and statements signaling opposition to intermarriage. Conferences were held about what we can do in the face of this tidal wave (2002, p. 226). Calvin Goldsheider pointed out that even as late as the 20th century the reaction was fairly dramatic. Opposition to the marriage was made plain by, â€Å" Jewish mourning rituals of sitting shiva or reciting kaddish † (2004, p. 29). It must have been a disconcerting sight for a son to see his parents lamenting his decision to take a bride not from his people. Rising Tide But it seems that no matter what type of measures was put in place to discourage interfaith marriages; more and more Jews chose to be joined with a non-Jew. It is therefore understandable that others may conclude rebellion to the norms and traditions of Judaism as the number one culprit. But more and more studies claim the contrary. In fact Shapiro remarked the traditional scape goat for the high rate of intermarriage no longer applies. Marshall Sklare, a noted sociologist on American Jewry, warned that, â€Å" attributing intermarriage among Jews to self-hatred, cowardice in the face of anti-Semitism, or social climbing misread its etiology because marriages with Gentiles increased while anti-Semitism was dwindling and many of the social traditional status distinctions were being swept away† (as qtd. in Shapiro, 1992, p. 235). Bayme supports the finding of Shapiro and Sklare and was very practical in his approach for he said that differences in religion are not a significant consideration to young couples of today. Bayme also added that American society values romantic love more than it values differences in religious beliefs. And to top all that Jews are contending with an unexpected external force, â€Å" 87 percent of Americans welcome marriage to a Jew † a rather surprising revelation considering what the Jews had to endure for centuries (2002, 226). Now if the reasons for the rising rate of interfaith marriages can be explained in terms of love, openness, acceptance and the realization that every human being is created equal in the sight of God then what kind of community will dare go against universally accepted principles? More so, what kind of community will have the resolve to continually fight for exogamy in the face of a â€Å"love† assault? Surely, only a few can resist the advances of a determined lover and that may well be the number one reason why this crisis – at least in the eyes of Jewish elders – could not be contained. Resolution Marshall Sklare minced no words in asserting that there are only two definitive actions that can be used to settle the issue: 1. Change the social structure and value orientation of the American Jewish community; or 2.accommodate and accept the intermarried (1982, p. 37). Since option no. 1 is clearly unacceptable then the Jewish people are only left with one choice and it is to go out and welcome the non-Jew spouse into Jewish life. This is a view espoused by Calvin Goldscheider who believes that it is a blessing in disguise and contrary to antiquated and popular opinion the high rate of intermarriage will ensure the survival of the Jewish race both in numbers and in cultural distinctiveness. A seemingly incompatible set of ideas considering the nature of Jewish life. Goldscheider summarizes his argument into the following statements: The key indicators of an ethnic communitys strength, however, are not who marries whom, but the activities that their grandchildren engage in. A groups continuity depends on the ethnic and religious commitments of the family. Focusing on families and the ethnic commitments of the young redirects questions about assimilation away from biology and marriage and toward economic activities, cultural obligations and how parents pass on traditions to their children. In this regard, the American Jewish community is surviving, maybe even thriving† (2003, p. 282). Goldscheider arrived at the aforementioned conclusion as a consequence of the following research findings: ? The decline of the American Jewish community is a product of exaggeration and sensationalization of the facts; ? Interfaith marriages were assumed to result in complete and immediate conversion of the Jewish partner into non-Jewish religion, practices, and customs;? the terms used to define modern day Jews were biased towards the already assumed conclusion that there is a significant decline in their numbers; ? The numbers did not add up considering that there is a significant number of non-Jewish spouses who convert to Judaism, or informally integrate into the community and follow Jewish customs and traditions; and ? previous studies did not account the fact that in many intermarriages the intermarried couples decided that their children will grow up as Jews or at least encourage them to practice Jewish customs and traditions.

Defamation Laws: Freedom of Expression

Defamation Laws: Freedom of Expression It is often claimed that defamation law has a chilling effect on freedom of expression. What is problematic with this claim? Defamation requires an alleged fact which is false and which harms the reputation of another person (Dent Kenyon, 2004). The statement claims that the right to freedom of expression is restricted when people are less likely to express what they think. Defamation law can limit the ability to reporters to inform on issue of safety or other public interests that is serious and imminent, so it is often claimed that the chilling effect to freedom of speech may occur through legal sanction or social disapprobation. However, this claim is problematic because defamation law cannot restrict freedom of expression. This essay is going to argue whether defamation as a concept in society is a good thing and its limitations according to freedom of speech. The first part of the essay will provide the negative impact and limitation on freedom of expression through defamation law. Then it will move to the argument that defamation law cannot restrict freedom of expression and get evidence from Joel Feinberg in order to explain that defamation does not include a right to defame. Finally it will provide the example of South Korean defamation law in order to discuss the justification for freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is designed to protect legitimate interests including reputation, so everyone should have a right to hold opinion without interference. The right includes freedom to seek, receive and use information (Dent, C. Kenyon, 2004). Defamation is something that has being invented to protect peoples ability to stand up and face the world. It is the protection of reputation and the prevention of unjust allegations that lower the esteem in which people are held in society. Defamation laws necessarily represent an interference with the right to freedom of expression. The illegitimacy of the use of defamation laws is to maintain public order or to protect public interests (Feinberg, 1990). The limitation on freedom of expression is whether it includes defamation and some kind of right to defame or not. People assume that freedom of expression might include a right to defame, but The chilling effect of defamation law on freedom of expression means that people are less likely to say what they think. It also makes people more restrained. That is a negative impact. The threat of sanction effectively stops free expression, but such sanction cannot be justified, in light of the adequacy of non-criminal sanction in redressing any harm to individuals reputation (Feinberg, 1990, p.234). Defamation law is abused by the powerful to limit criticism and to arrest public debate. This is problematic. However, people should show self-restraint and caution about what they say about other people. According to Feinberg (1990), freedom of expression has never included a right to defame. He claims that Australian legislation is needed to justify defamation law truth and public interest. He talks about the moral concerns of defamation, and why people should care about defamation as an issue at all. He is concerned about whether or not truth is a sufficient argument for defaming another person (Feinberg, 1990). For example, people can harm somebody and still be speaking the truth. The truth and public interest is close to the Australian use of defamation. The court defense of qualified protection may come closer to general public interest coverage. (Dent Kenyon, p.10)People can harm somebodys reputation, even by telling the truth. As Feinberg (1990) states, Having ones interests violated is harm that is distinct from the feeling that comes from knowing your interest have been harm, this means that the action of defamation is different from what the individual may feel themselves about being defamed. There is no reason to assume that, but assume publish the idea about them regardless whether or not that the truth. It is possible to defame someone with truth, truth can harm unjustly. Joel Feinberg considers the uncontroversial harm such as defamation (Feinberg, 1990, p.256) Defamation law is protecting an interest and based on the legal term harm, which is not necessary about the physical harm. It generally about harm to somebodys interest. People have a human right to maintain their interest and free speech. However, it is problematic that there should be a crime of defamation. The conviction seems to be anomalous. People have a right with respect to the criminal law to say false and damaging things to others (Feinberg, 1990, p.253). It is an independent legal right to defame. Feinberg (1990) also claims that there is no legal right to defame in our legal system, but rather a clear legal duty not to defame found only in the tort law branch of the system (p.253) There is legislation to protect people and maintain privacy. Moreover, Feinberg (1990) suggests that we need an offense principle that can act as a guide to public censure. According to Feinberg, the offense principle commits us to the view that when public conduct causes offense to someone. (p.26) Feinberg suggested many rules and factors that needs to be considered and taken into account in order to value whether the offense needs to be restricted ( Feinberg, 1990). He claims that something can be truth, but not legally defame another person. People still can harm others with the truth. Feinberg claims that a person can be harmed though not affected by the harm. Australia defamation law places considerable restraint on the media. There are some undesirable outcomes about the law and the widespread misperception about the impact of media communication. Firstly, harm to reputation is consistently overrated, to the unjust advantage of the plaintiff.(Article 19, 2000) This make unnecessary and unintentional presumes to silence harmless speech. S econdly, defamation law can perpetuate socially regressive and exclusionary attitudes (Baker, 2008). To determine the chilling effect of defamation law Baker has interviewed and surveyed journalists and editors to discuss the extent of the influence of defamation law on media content. His work has examined media products in order to consider the existence of any chilling effect. Baker finds a considerable chilling effect on the Australian media. Media production practices in this relation differ between Australia and US legal system. The American defamation law is broader than Australian law, it only covers truth. In the defamation law of America, truth is a complete defense which will reduce the defendants liability (P.254). The US Supreme Court has said that common law defenses relying on truth are insufficient to protect public debate, because the critic of official conduct to guarantee the truth of its factual assertions inevitably leads to self-censorship. Truth remains a complete defense in the US (Dent Kenyon, p.3). However, it is hard to justify defamation even on the basic truth. There really is no right to defame. Some country has a stronger defamation law on the internet. For example, the defamation law of South Korea does not protect freedom of expression as a transcendent value. Its reputational interests are sensed in relation to the group to which they belong (Youm, 2004, p.1). The Korean courts have balanced the right to free speech and free press against the right to protect everyone reputation differently. Defamation on the web has emerged as a pressing legal issue in Korea. According to the law of Korea, reputation is guaranteed as a constitutional right of individuals to protection from an abuse of freedom of expression (Youm, 2004, p.7). Korean citizens can be arrested and detained for publishing articles on the internet or gossip site. They are arrested for distributing false information and are accused of impeding public interest under the law of Korea. Restriction on freedom of expression have been imposed not only on journalists, it also restricts people expressing their opinion on the internet (Youm, 2004, p.11). But defamation law is problematic in Korea because the punishment of internet libel does not provide any defenses for libel through internet communication similar to what the criminal code recognizes in publication of truthful defamation for the public interest (Youm, 2004, p.4). Defamation laws may fail to attack an appropriate balance between freedom of expression and reputation for a number of reasons. People just want to express their feelings, and bring in a public interest. However it is problematic that defamation laws are justified at all. Similar with the laws in some other countries, Korean law prohibits unjustifiable defamation. If some people just want to express their feelings on Facebook, it is hard to justify. Justification or proof of truth has been recognized as an absolute defense against a claim of defamation. Proof of truth is either always or almost always a full defense. The defense of truth is qualified (Youm, 2004, p.9). In conclusion, the above illustrated the chilling effect of defamation law. The chilling effect of defamation law on freedom of expression is that people are less likely to say what they think. It also makes people show restrained and caution. I think that defamation is something that is immoral, but I do not think it should be illegal. Defamation is supposed to protect reputation from unfair attack. Defamation is a fundamental of protection of peoples ability to stand up and face the world. It is objectionable is to obstruct free speech and protect powerful people from investigation (Dent, C. Kenyon, 2004). It is possible to defame someone with truth. Truth can still harm unjustly. However, we cannot make the distinction between what is representation and action, because there is a distinction between the act and the rest of the world. People can assault somebody by causing others to form an adverse opinion of a person or cause panic with words. People can do a lot of harm with wor ds. The harm principle is a restriction on other peoples actions.

Love Lost - Female Submission in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream :: Midsummer Nights Dream

Love Lost - Female Submission in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream After first seeing a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I would have called it a love story. After reading it several times, I am less sure what it is. I will take a closer look at the behavior and context of the characters to understand how a comedy with three marriages and as many as seven lovers almost concludes without a portrayal of love that satisfies me. The pairings I consider are: Theseus and Hippolyta, Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, Helena and Hermia, Titania and Oberon, Titania and Bottom, and Pyramus and Thisby. Theseus and Hippolyta’s relationship is the most dignified in the play. They show a desire to get along and they are comfortable sharing experiences and feelings important to them (1.1.1-11; 4.1.111-126). Theseus tenderly dominates Hippolyta: â€Å"Come, my Hippolyta. What cheer, my love?† (1.1.122; 4.1.185). Hippolyta however never reciprocates his use of terms of endearment such as â€Å"my love† and â€Å"fair queen.† In addition, the mythical context of their relationship is foreboding. We are reminded that Theseus is able to marry Hippolyta because he kidnapped her (1.1.16-1.1.19). The mythical Hippolyta later either dies in childbirth, or fighting against the Amazons by Theseus's side, or Theseus leaves her for another woman, Phaedra, and the story gets more sordid after that.[1] Theseus’s reputation as ravisher of women is addressed in the script (2.1.74-80). And the Amazon method of perpetuating their tribe is not romantic.[2] Our perception of Lysander and Hermia’s love develops in the following events: Hermia chooses to become a nun rather than submit to marrying the man her father has chosen for her; Lysander comforts Hermia and shares his plan to elope; They lose their way in the woods and negotiate sleeping arrangements; Lysander deserts Hermia to pursue Helena and to kill his rival, Demetrius. While the initial event establishes a traditional love-story scenario, departures from a Cinderella and Prince Charming characterization occur: Hermia responds disrespectfully to the Duke (1.1.53) and Lysander makes a scornful remark to Demetrius and Egeus (1.1.93-94). When Lysander comforts Hermia and they plan to elope, they show they are well-versed in the nature of mythical love (1.1.132-155). That they have this level of awareness contrasts painfully or comically with their later lack of self-possession. The exuberance of their rhetoric contrasts with the gravity of their situation, and I cannot conceive of these lines being performed in a way that could evoke deep feeling.

Total Institutions Essay -- essays research papers

Total Institutions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the year 1961, the author, Erving Goffman, published a book consisting of text and studies on mental patients and inmates, in what he has called â€Å"total institutions†. There is a large focus on the life of mental patients, due to his year long study in an American institution. However, the center of my reading was based on the institutions and the lifestyles that are reached when placed in such establishments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When describing these institutions the author referred to them as segregated communities. This is exactly what they are. One is cut off from the outside society, with little or no contact at all until the inmates stay is over. The character of these institutions is one that is an intimidating barrier to the outside world. One who’s barriers could be as simple as a fence or a locked door, but as distinct and scary as the high walls, thick bars and razor wire topped, electrically protected fences of today’s top penitentiaries. Every institution provides a new world to its members, in most successful cases, changing the perception and reality of the inmate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the years of research conducted by the author, Goffman concluded that the total institutions in our societies breakdown into five rough groupings. There is room to expand on each one of these groupings as these findings are not precise, interpretation is the key when classifying the establishments. His first conclusion was to classify all institutions that were established to care for people who were incapable and harmless to themselves and one another. One may relate to these institutions as the may be part of our lives on a daily basis. This may be the nursing home where the elderly, widow/widowed grandmother/father is living out his last fine days on this earth. It could be one of the less than desirable child rearing homes, such as an orphanage. Or this category may also include where the unfortunate, the wanderer, and the vagrant all congregate, our nations homeless shelters. Whatever the institution may be, it is defined by a place where one may go to receive treatment, nourishment and attention when there may be no other opportunity afforded them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second of these groupings, encompasses all of the institutions that care for people who are inca... ...s schedules are all imposed by the officials that run the institution. The goals of the institution are fulfilled by these schedules and the tasks that are completed by the inmates, whether it may be a work service crew maintaining the grounds or by a janitorial staff maintaining the interior. Even though these institutions are similar in many instances to others, the do however have more contact with the outside world and rely on that contact to enhance its abilities to rehabilitate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total institutions are ones that will take away and identity and not ask questions. One where inmates are moved as managed group and looked down upon as secretive and bitter. Treating one like they are inferior and, guilty and weak is no way to re-establish someone’s life and return them to the world. Total institutions are incompatible with family , which is one of the strongest values that we need to maintain in this disintegrating world environment. We need to embrace family and do what we can to maintain our natural family values all throughout our travels and daily life. 1961 erving goffman asylums; essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates

Policy in Theory and Practice

What is the social administrative tradition? Social administration developed when the welfare state was undergoing a period of growth, when there was a high level of optimism about its potential achievements and a high degree of consensus about the fundamentals such as Education, the National Health Services, and public housing. Social administration was concerned with social needs and problems, and with the response to the problems; social policy. It became regarded as the natural provider of welfare, apparently at the expense of others. Social administration is linked to the growth and development of welfare services, which have existed since the turn of the century, but were expanded and consolidated in the 1940s. It adopts a rational approach to solving social problems, which are often thought of as having an objective existence. Social services provided by the state were viewed as the proper method for causing progressive change. Fabianism was a movement designed to promote democratic socialism. The impact of Fabianism, as a coherent set of ideas, held that socialism in Britain was well-matched with the institutions of state and should, therefore, be implemented through a parliamentary system. Supporters of Fabianism wanted to utilise academic knowledge on social problems to create pressure on the state to research and conduct in-depth analysis in order to influence welfare reforms. The ideological and empirical alliances with Fabianism were associated with a concern regarding policy action; specifically what is done by policy action and how it is done, rather than why this is done. Two hugely prominent members of the Fabian Society were Sydney and Beatrice Webb. This couple believed that collective provision for welfare through the state was essential in order to develop a British capitalist society. Social policy in Britain became more concerned with the practical issues of education for experimental research on recognized problems – social administration tradition. During the decades of the 1960’s and 1970’s the view of Social administration as social policy became discredited, and since then a more holistic approach to social policy developed. What is meant by liberal welfarism? Liberalism welfarism is about protection of the individual in terms of freedom, markets and kind limits the state. Welfare in liberal philosophy is not something that is provided but something that is achieved and developed through the free and independent actions of a free will. The welfare of each individual promotes the well-being of the entire society by increasing the sum total of freedom in which its members live. Liberalism promotes equality of opportunities that is rooted in an inequality of outcomes. Freedom is intrinsically linked to responsibility, so as the state takes over in the role of providing welfare for the population a diminished freedom also means diminished individual responsibility. This is damaging to society, and in order to minimise the damage the state must take a less central role. It was thought that the state should refrain from interfering in economic processes such as income policies, laws regarding minimum wage and employment protection legislation, w hich in turn would decrease the role of trade unions in economic and political life. This forms the foundation for a legal background which enables individual freedom along with economic prosperity, and has been of great influence in economic, political and social welfare. The economic policy of laissez-faire was an attitude in which the government refused to interfere. This eventually began to give way to a new collective ideal called new-liberalism, which imagined the state playing a positive in the enhancement of social problems. New liberalism led to a transformation in the nature of and relations between the state and the market. Explain the parliamentary policy-making process. Within the parameters of British state, the central state may be considered to be crucial as it is where many decisions are made. Constitutionally Britain operates a tripartite division of powers between the legislature, the judiciary and the executive. Crucial to this is the role of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, which are pivotal in the making of policy. The job of the legislature is to debate and consider the introduction of new laws. Members of parliament exercise the power through the system of Parliamentary committees, where they are able to question Ministers and senior Civil Servants. New legislation passes through the laborious process of First, Second and Third Readings in the House of Commons, interspersed with detailed discussion of a Bill’s content at the Committee stage. A Bill will then receive consideration from the House of Lords, and during this process the MP’s and Lords from the government and the opposition have the opportunity to question and debate the principles and provisions of new legislation, and to suggest amendments. Finally a Bill receives Royal Assent and passes into law as an Act of Parliament. Detail the New Right critique of the welfare state. During the 1970’s both the Conservative and Labour Party attempted to halt the apparent economic decline, yet neither were successful. Both parties experiences an increase of radical activity in the far wings of the party. The ‘New Right’ formed as a branch of the Conservative Party, campaigning for a break from the previous reliance on Keynesianism as part of economic and social policy.From 1979-1997, Britain was governed by a Conservative Party that was under Thatcher’s leadership and was inspired by the New Right, and was rooted in economic liberalism combined with social conservatism. According to the work of the theorist Friedman Britain began to build up a neo-liberal analysis of state welfare during this time. His main argument was that public expenditure was being driven up by the increase of state intervention within welfare services. This interfered with the operation of the market economy. The New Right arguing that free welfare services only encouraged useless people to become dependent upon benefits and provided no incentive for families to protect themselves and their welfares through savings. The Conservatives tried to shift the costs of welfare through changes in taxation and the benefits system, burdening the poor and disadvantaged, and this served only to increase the amount of citizens who were in need of state support. This was further intensified by policies that sought to achieve wage discipline through mass unemployment. Neo-liberals wanted to roll back the state and reduce the role of the government, with the aim to restoring Britain’s international competitiveness. Welfare benefits were seen as detrimental to labour market flexibility, as they kept up wages. Bibliography Alcock, C, Payne,S, Sullivan, M, 2004, Introducing Social Policy, Essex, Pearson. Baldock, N, et al, 2012, Social Policy, 4edt, Oxford, Oxford University Express. Loney, M, Boswell, D, Clarke,J, 1988, Social Policy & Social Welfare, Milton Keynes, Open University.