ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Different factors that undermine the international relations of the U.S. trigger the decline of the country’s supremacy. In this concern, interested parties identify the need for restoring the American hegemony to foster the dominance of the country, especially in the political fronts. In this respect, this paper discusses the problems leading to the decline of the American hegemony before identifying the solutions that can facilitate the reestablishment of the U.S. as a global powerhouse. This paper examines the re-emergence of geopolitics, the weakening of the U.S. defense strategy, and the internal divisions among political elites in the foreign policy team as part of the key problems that have triggered the decline of the American supremacy. However, the paper will also propose some solutions to the above problems, including mitigating the re-emergence of geopolitics, improving the efficiency of the U.S. defense strategy, and alleviating divisions in the foreign policy team. Problems Related to the Decline of the American Hegemony Several issues have contributed to the fall of the American hegemony. The factors range from the re-emergence of the old-fashioned geopolitics to the foreign policy challenges in the U.S. Thus, discussing the various problems that account for the decline of the American dominance in international affairs is relevant. The Re-emergence of Geopolitics In the 20 th century, geopolitics provided the strategies for addressing international political affairs before the emergence of independent superpowers. However, the return of geopolitics in the modern times threatens the influence of the U.S. in global political, economic, and social issues (Mead, 2014). For instance, the seizing of Crimea by Russian forces and Iran’s formation of alliances with Hezbollah and Syria to gain control of the Middle East region depict the return of geopolitics. For this reason, superpowers such as the U.S. and the European Union (EU) show concern over their diminishing authority. The Weakening of the U.S. Defense Strategy Over the years, the defense strategies of the U.S. have shown considerable weaknesses that provide room for rivals to counter-act (Futter & Zala, 2015). For example, the September 11 attacks showed the invincibility of the U.S., as well as the presence of weaknesses in the country’s defense mechanisms. Besides, rival countries such as China have engaged in the modernization of their military forces to stamp the American authority in the Asia-Pacific stretch (Montgomery, 2014). Furthermore, the development and testing of nuclear weapons by countries such as Iran uncover the extent to which the American hegemony is threatened to decline further. In this respect, defense policies of the U.S. show diminishing efficiency in fostering the country’s authority as a superpower, thereby giving rise to the emergence of a new world order led by countries such as China. In
Introduction “ herein lie buried many things which if read with patience may show the strange meaning of being black here in the dawning of the twentieth century. This meaning is not without interest to you, gentle reader; for the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line.” These concise lines sum up the intent of the collection, which is to make an impression upon the world, the exacting familiarity of being an African American about forty years after the Civil War. The Souls of Black Folk is testimony to Du Bois’ position as one of the leading scholars on race, religion in general, and the Black experience, in particular. The work comprises fourteen essays on a variety of topics, ranging from a history of the U.S. government’s labors at Reconstruction to a dialogue of the function of religion in the black community. Popularly known as the Father of social science, Du Bois’ observations and findings are everlasting and several of his worries continue to afflict society even today. The Major Themes The themes of race and religion were woven through each essay to demonstrate life behind “the veil” for the slave, the free person, and the Negro. This same theme offers insight into “double consciousness” for Blacks today. The author’s manner moves from solemn scrutiny to euphoric demonstration as he accounts a history burdened by the irrational, the unreasonable, the pointless, and in some cases, the dreadful. In some sections of the essay, Du Bois continuously illustrates how their spirit in some way remained intact and all set to battle a new day while the remaining sections consider some ways in which Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk updates the discipline of sociology with relation to racism and race relations, monetary discrimination and Black management, edification, and religious conviction and the Black Church. At the heart of the text is the staging of a divergent, dichotomized identity of being Black and American, where the Black identity branded one a “problem” to be overlooked, sympathized, or disgraced and the White personality remained a steady reminder of an inheritance of domination and position to be honored but by no means reached. Racism and Race Relations Du Bois primarily lay emphasis on the inheritance of racial discrimination and its harmful effects on the lives of Black people. He in addition educated the reader that discrimination and prejudice not only stymied the Blacks, but had severe consequences for the Whites whose apprehension, suspicion, mistrust, derision, and hatred of Blacks weakened their own humanity. As a result, the inheritance of racism left the complete nation wanting the fundamental human qualities on which it was apparently originated. Isolation in metropolitan cities, economic discrimination, and poverty are evidence of the increasing effects of racism (Wilson 1986; 1997). Importance of Education Du Bois constantly points to education as the principal means of mobility and personality development for Blacks. The author applauded the “
Introduction The problem of prison overcrowding not only remains on the U.S. agenda but also grows gradually. According to a recent report published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2013), the state prison aging rates have been on the rise since 1993 (see Appendix A) (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013). Therefore, there is an urgent need to consider the adoption of the strategies that will help reduce the overcrowding rates so that the threats associated with the phenomenon (including health concerns (Roux-Kemp, 2013)) could be avoided successfully. The Policy That Might Help: Determining the Necessary Course of Actions Legislative Issues At present, many drug addicts are sentenced to long-term imprisonment, which leads to overcrowding. Therefore, the current law needs to focus on providing assistance to drug addicts and helping them to rehabilitate instead of imprisoning them. Petty criminals are also affected greatly by the Three Strikes Law (TSL) (MacDonald, 2013), which deprives them of an opportunity to mend their ways. Thus, the TSL must be reconsidered. It would be wrong to believe that a refusal for TSL completely is a reasonable step to make. Instead, the principles according to which it should be applied to legal cases need to be reconsidered. For instance, the applicability of the regulation toward the people responsible for committing petty crimes could be revisited. Executive Issues How the legal requirements are executed also leaves much to be desired. Although several projects aimed at reducing the prison overcrowding rates exist, they lack consistency. For example, pretrial detention is considered among the key ways of improving the current state of affairs from an executive point of view. However, the identified tool does not help fight the issues that lie at the core of the problem, but, instead, tends to embrace only what lies on the surface (Wheeler, 2011). Instead of considering other opportunities for detention, more complex and comprehensive approaches such as the use of restorative justice practices should be considered. Judicial Issues Eventually, the judicial aspect of policing must be studied. For example, police as the judicial institution should adopt a more appropriate strategy for managing cases. Sentencing guidelines need to be reconsidered so that the process of determining whether the Three Strikes regulation applies to a particular issue could become easier (Stein, 2012). Social Justice The changes mentioned above, however, will not have a positive effect unless the members of society recognize the need to shape the current regulations. For instance, as long as drug addicts are viewed as not people with health issues but an immediate threat, the changes to the current policies are unlikely to lead to positive outcomes. Therefore, there is an urge to make a societal change to promote the one on other levels. Conclusion Since overcrowding in prisons leads to a range of health concerns in jail and prevents from enhancing the effects of drug rehabilitation prison programs there is a need to address the issue on all three policing levels, i.e., the legislative, the executive, and th
Abstract The concept of patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) has been receiving much traction lately. For decades, Americans have been struggling with accessing health care, affording services, and handling less than perfect health outcomes. In light of increasing health care expenses and the lack of standardization, the PCMH model seems to offer a feasible alternative and give patients and providers new hope. Historically, the first mention of medical home dates back to the 1960s. Since then, both US and international bodies have been making efforts to promote universal health care and shift the focus to patients and their needs. The turning point in the history of the PCMH concept was in 2010 when President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. Its statutes contributed to the advancement of medical homes nationwide. The model aims at lightening the financial burden caused by surging chronic illness and disability rates. Medical homes are to be staffed appropriately and given additional clinical decision support. The PCMH model ensures easy access to healthcare services by reducing wait times and allowing patients to contact providers outside inpatient settings via phone or email. The adherents of the concept believe that the transformed system will enhance health literacy in patients and eventually, will help to decrease readmission and complication rates. The PCMH model is built on compassion and patient autonomy in health management and decision-making. For all its advantages, it might be too soon to make any conclusions about the efficiency of the proposed model. The critics of medical homes point out that implementation does not impact the quality of care significantly, nor does it cut the expenses. There should be further research on the long-term effects of the PCMH introduction. Apart from that, the concept needs tailored solutions that would fit various contexts. Introduction This policy memo presents the concept of patient-centered medical homes (PCHM). The model is characterized by centralization and coordination of services for a patient through his or her primary care provider (Edwards, Bitton, H
Abstract The practices of human resource management have a direct impact on the psychological contract between the employees and their employer. Whenever the management makes promises to the employees when they are hired or during the normal management processes, the promise will develop a psychological contract that binds the employer and the employee. When the management keeps the promise, the contract shall have been honoured, and the two parties would have a positive working environment. When the management fails to honour the promise, the relationship between the employer and the employee may be strained, and this could lead to serious negative consequences. Introduction Employees form a very important part of an organisation, and their commitment would always determine the ability of a firm to achieve its objectives. According to Guest, Isaksson and Witte (2010), the ability of an organization to achieve success is always based on its capacity to motivate its employees. For this reason, it is important to ensure that they remain motivated in order to remain productive in their respective tasks. Their motivation is always defined by the kind of working environment they are subjected to by their employer, especially the junior managers who directly supervise their work. This environment will define the relationship between the employees and the employees. Psychological contract plays a pivotal role in defining the relationship and the attitude of the employee towards the employer and the task. When one signs a contract to become an employee of a given organisation, there are always some expectations developed out of spoken or unspoken communication between the employee and the employer. The spoken expectations can be in the form of direct promises made by the employer to the employee on such issues as increase in salary, promotions, or improved working environment. The unspoken expectations may come in the form of the impression that the manager or the organisation itself gives to the employee. For instance, BP is one of the largest firms that pay its employees handsomely. When an employee is hired by such an organisation, he or she will expect high pay. In this research, the focus will be to determine how psychological contracts are affected by human resource management’s practices in an organisation. Hypothesis Statement Research hypothesis is always necessary as it guides the process of collecting data. In this study, the researcher developed a hypothesis statement below based on the preliminary information obtained in this field. H1. Human resource management’s practices have direct impact on the
The mysteries that the human life is full of are really enormous. The more attempts to solve the riddle we make the more complex and intricate they appear to be. Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a treasury of such mysteries. Each page of the book states a new problem to solve, but the author does not even give a hint on how this can be done. From the very beginning of the book the problem of evil begins to torment the reader. What is the essence of evil? Where does it come from? And, where is the borderline between the evil and the society development that modern technologies enhance? The book is aimed at making the reader think about the consequences that modern civilization holds in its store. The invention of the atomic bomb in August 1945 and its dropping on Hiroshima shook the world. The work under consideration is the author’s flesh back to the past with foreseeing the events of the future. The inventor of the atomic bomb, Felix Hoenikker, though dead already, is one of the main characters of the science fiction novel. The person who managed to approach the humanity to the global disaster looks as a picture of innocence in the book. Occupied with the turtles, reluctant to deal with one’s own children, this person still does not present any malicious intentions. But what strikes the reader is that the interest that Hoenikker has for turtles is the same as he has for the atomic bomb. It turns out that there is no distinction between the inanimate world and the humanity for Hoenikker. Here is the root of evil and this is in this indifference the disaster comes from. We are also inclined to believe that spiritual essence of each man’s character may determine the future of the whole generation. When it came out that America could destroy the entire city, and the atomic bomb was recognized as the universal sin, the inventor could not even define what the evil is. The absurdity of the situation is that in most cases the evil is created by those who do not intend to do it. The play with a string led to the invention of the atomic bomb. Isn’t this fact a ridiculous and horrifying at the same time? The author managed to render this dubious feeling in his book. On the one hand, Hoenikker succeeded in the creation of a toy for a child, on the other – in the creation of a nuclear weapon for the humanity. Two things so different in their nature but so similar in their purpose determine the destiny of the humanity. Actually, the atomic bomb itself is a toy in the hands of the powerful men. According to the author’s position that is not obvious but implied, the responsibility for the toy’s invention lies not only on its “father” but on those who fai
Decision-making is one of the most critical processes in every organization. Leaders should possess adequate competencies in order to support their followers and formulate appropriate strategies that can take their firms to the next level. This paper gives a detailed analysis of the best approaches to effective decision-making. Decision-Making Tactics There are specific decision-making tactics that would be appropriate for improving communication in a team comprised of 4-6 mid-level to high-level managers. These professionals would require appropriate support, involvement, collaboration if the process is to succeed. The first tactic that can improve communication is that of evidence-based practice. This model requires that the leader examines how other supervisors have addressed similar issues in the past. They will consider the power of data to support the process. The second strategy is the ability to challenge the existing status quo (Denhardt, Denhardt, & Aristigueta, 2016). Those in charge will introduce new ways to do things, solve problems, and present superior models for delivering results. The third tactic is supporting the involvement of all participants. This strategy will promote teamwork, problem-solving procedures, and improve communication. The proposed tactics will deliver positive results since the group is small. Types of Power Several types of power can guide those involved to develop effective decision-making processes. Firstly, reward power will encourage the involved participants to be part of the process. This is true since they will expect something in return for their positive achievements. Legitimate power is the second type whereby the leader will persuade the members to focus on the process (Valcik, 2016). However, he or she should not rely mostly on it since it can be authoritative in nature. Referent power is also capable of delivering positive results because the supervisor will act as a role model. Expert power is necessary since the individual will present adequate knowledge to streamline the decision-making process. Sources and Exercises of Power In the context of public administration organizational behavior, leaders should have a clear understanding of power sources and the ability to exercise them. For this case, it will be necessary to consider expert, referent, and legitimate power types as the one in charge. Such aspects will ensure that the followers are engaged and willing to be part of the decision-making process. The most important thing is to be aware of these sources of power since they are essential within the field of public administration (Valcik, 2016). The next thing is the exercise of power. While influence can be gained from the exis
Introduction “The War of the worlds” by Herbert George Wells was published in 1898 but is a spell binding read for any science fiction fan even today. Alien life, a Martian invasion and the possible decimation of the human race is the baseline of this novel. In fact, all efforts by the human beings to quell these alien invaders seem futile, as the Martians are unstoppable in the capture and destruction of anything that crosses their path. It seems like a Martian triumph until a common germ infects the Martians who have no immunity and are consequently brought down fatally. The narrator of the story remains nameless although there are claims that he is H.G.Wells himself. This story is set in the late nineteenth century England and the events beginning with an explosion on Mars are witnessed by the nameless narrator and an astronomer called Ogilvy from an observatory in Ottershaw. Some time later the action commences at Horsell common when a cylinder like space ship , initially mistaken for a meteor , lands with requisite drama. Characterization The idyllic small towns of England are a stark contrast to the terror looming over the sylvan countryside in the form of the Martian tripods. The narrator resides at Woking and the narrative starts from there. He then flees with his wife to Leatherhead where she has relatives, to save her from the Martians. The narrator traverses the countryside attempting to flee from the alien terror, but inevitably comes across them. The scene shifts from town to town, and Weybridge an
Introduction The process of decision-making relates to making choices through gathering information and evaluating various resolutions. Thoughtful and deliberate decisions are based on relevant information analysis and detecting alternatives. It is crucial to identify the nature of the taken decision and its potential impact. Each alternative should be weighed up to imagine all possible outcomes based on the collected information and personal emotions. Decision-Making Process If the decision is collective, the standpoints of each participant should be taken into account. The discussions play a significant role in collective decision-making. Some researchers state that “in some decision-making situations, it is more comfortable for decision-makers to use linguistic expressions to provide their opinions instead of using a single linguistic term” (Dong, Chen, & Herrera, 2015, p. 95). It helps to reach the consensus lever faster and in an adequate way. The quality and effectiveness of the decision greatly impact the success of an individual both at a business and personal level. Problem-solving and decision making are regarded as an ongoing process that results in necessary actions. It is noted that decisions can be understood as the channels to guide everyday attempts to increase positive exp