Category: Uncategorized

Example Case Scenario: Scope of Malpractice

Oberon is a newly minted BCBA, who has passed the BCBA exam in the last month. During his supervision, he specialized in working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, specifically those individuals who needed acquisition skills training. He helped create programs to teach kids to request for items, or ask for a break, and to stay on task with assignments. Some of the kids had tantrums, but they were relatively minor. He was head-hunted by a company, SunTrust Behavioral, and the director of the company, Miles O’Brien, has asked him to take on five cases. Mile is a doctoral level behavior analysts, a BCBA-D and has had over 20 years of experience working in the field.

One of the cases is an adult male that engages in serious self-injurious behavior in the form of flopping to the floor and head banging. When a mat is put down, this individual tries to avoid the mat and make contact with the concrete, and has previously suffered a detached retina from engaging in this behavior. Oberon immediately raises his concerns to the Miles. However, Miles says he will learn on the fly, and he will offer him supervision if anything goes wrong. He indicates that for now it is up to him to earn his keep, and show him why he hired him in the first place. He mentions this is how he learned back in his day, and he did not get kid gloves to learn the skills he needed to be effective. Later Miles emails him that day some articles to read to make Oberon feel more comfortable with the case. Oberon notes that because Miles is the director, and is far more experienced, it probably means he should just defer to his judgement. He takes on the case and decides to keep Miles in the loop if anything goes wrong, as it appears if he asks for help too early, Miles will likely think less of him. After reading the articles, and creating a behavior plan based on an assessment previously completed about 8 months ago by the previous behavior analyst working with the client, Oberon is very successful and the self-injurious behavior ends up decreasing to near zero levels. Miles is pleased with his work, and Oberon continues with SunTrust Behavioral. However, Oberon sometimes ponders what would have happened if the behavior did not go in the expected direction.

Contingency Map Example: The Unethical Decision

Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Despite his concerns about taking a case that is outside of his scope of practice, Oberon does not want to go against his supervisor’s guidance or make a bad impression at his new job. It seems likely that Oberon will receive praise from his supervisor if he is able to “learn on the fly.” Oberon takes the case that is out of his scope of his practice. He decides to make a new behavior plan based on old information and strategies he learned from reading articles.

The client’s self-injurious behaviors decreased after Oberon implemented the behavior plan he created.

Oberon’s worry about this case decreases and he feels confident with his work.

Private Thoughts

Thought #1 (supporting the unethical decision):

Oberon feels pleased that he was able to impress his supervisor and is more confident in his ability to take on cases that he doesn’t have much experience with.

Thought #2 (prompting a more ethical decision next time):

Oberon has a private feeling that things could have gone the wrong way easily, and wishes he had a backup plan if things did not have the same outcome.

Contingency Map Example: The Ethical Decision

Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Oberon is nervous about taking a case that is outside of his scope of practice. He has worked with individuals with autism in the past but does not have experience with adults or with severe self-injurious behaviors. Despite his concerns, Oberon does not want to go against his supervisor’s guidance or make a bad impression at his new job.

Oberon discusses the case with the BCBA-D. He tells his supervisor he is not comfortable with the case and requests more oversight/training. Oberon also tells his supervisor that he will not take on the case without a proper training plan in place.

Oberon is no longer nervous about the case because he has received proper training while the current case was transferred to a more capable BCBA. Self- injurious behavior decreases. Oberon feels confident about his request for more training and feels better about taking on a similar case in the future or continuing to help out with the current case.

Oberon also believes he has the interpersonal skills to manage conflict in the workplace, and feels this experience gave him room to grow professionally.

Case Scenario A: Burning Hours

Jack Bean has been working with a company Downstar Horizon for 11 years. It is a company that offers behavioral services for individuals funded by Medicaid. The company has recently not been doing well financially. During the monthly meeting the owner mentions the financial issues, and says that they are implementing an incentive program for BCBA that bills the most hours. Each month the individual that bills the most will receive a $50 amazon gift card to reward the winner’s hard work. One of the senior BCBAs notes that the Medicaid service authorizations have a specific number of hours allocated to each client that must last throughout the year. The owner, acknowledges the BCBA’s input and thanks them for their insight, but goes on to note that the new Governor has been cutting Medicaid funding without consideration for the clients. The owner then states that five cases that had roughly 100 service hours each remaining at the end of the fiscal year had reduced cost plans the following year. This resulted in them having each 100 hours cut even though this year they desperately need those extra hours. The Senior BCBA says: “if you don’t use them… you lose them in this system! It’s probably best to make sure that we use them up, and then we can request additional hours by submitting a crisis report… indicating that the individual is in need of more hours.” The owner looked pleased that they were on the same page with the Senior BCBA in terms of the evaluation of the position the company was currently placed by the harsh political terrain.

Jack Bean immediately starts working on trying to win the prize. Jack keeps track of his hours diligently, and sometimes bills for phone calls, and indicates treatment that is at the group level is sometimes individual 1:1 work. Jack Bean earns the first prize for 3 months, but realizes many of his cases are running out t of hours. The owner asks Jack to make the appropriate crisis reports to request additional hours, and sends him a draft which has some language that hypes up the issues Jack is experiencing with his clients, for example, one the kids crumples paper and throws the crumpled paper, but the draft indicates that this kid throws projectiles as weapons. Not sure how best to interpret the wording, as he has been hit previously albeit accidentally by the crumpled paper, and because it would sound better to receive funding, Jack decides to submit the draft and see if he can get the best result for his client in terms of getting additional funding.

Contingency Map B: The Unethical Decision

Antecedent Behavior Consequence (provide two outcomes)

0.5 points 0.5 points 2 points

Private Thoughts

Thought #1 (supporting the unethical decision):

0.5 points

Thought #2 (prompting a more ethical decision next time):

0.5 points

Contingency Map B: The Ethical Decision

Antecedent Behavior Consequence (provide two outcomes)

0.5 points 0.5 points 2 points

Case Scenario A: Burning Hours- Discussion Questions

List at least 2 specific codes from Bailey and Burch that were violated in the case scenario “Burning Hours”. (0.75 points)

List at least three barriers to making an ethical decision in this case scenario. (0.75 points)

How could you overcome those barriers to make sure you make an ethical decision? Describe three specific plans that go along with each of the barriers you listed in #2. (1.5 points)

Case Scenario B: Most Restrictive Not Effective

After passing the BCBA exam, you open a private practice. You receive your first inquiry for services from a parent named Elena who lives in the neighboring school district. She is seeking your services because her son, Matt, who is eight-years-old, is exhibiting challenging behaviors at home. When you follow-up about specific behaviors that are problematic, she says that he rarely finishes his homework, is refusing to do his chores, consistently uses disrespectful language, and does not comply with her directions. Elena says that she has sought help from the school but what they have suggested has resulted in little improvement and the school says that they cannot control his behavior at home. You meet with Elena to discuss the situation and take Matt on as a client. You obtain parental consent to conduct a functional behavioral assessment and identify what you believe to be the function of the behavior. You then take the time to explain the results of the FBA and your ideas for an intervention/treatment plan. When doing this, you are careful to describe the goals and rationale for your intervention procedures in easy to understand language and also model them for Elena. Satisfied that she understands the plan and is capable of carrying it out, you and the parent sign a contract to begin the treatment that was agreed upon. As part of the contract, you will visit the house weekly to work with Matt and record data on progress each week. After working with Matt for one month, you sit down for your treatment effectiveness meeting with Elena at which time you share the data that has been collected. During this meeting, she tells you that although she is generally happy with the course of therapy and appreciative of your work with Matt, she does not agree with your plan of providing rewards (e.g., attention; tokens; praise) to Matt for things that he should be doing already (e.g., homework; using respectful language; complying with requests).  She desires to move forward with treatment but wants to significantly reduce the amount of rewards Matt receives and focus on using punishment as this is the only way that kids learn what and what not to do.  She states that she does not want to implement anything cruel (e.g., hitting; screaming, deprivation of food) but does want to raise him how she was raised and not reward him for things that she did as a child without rewards. You decide to implement a punishment protocol and remove the reinforcement based system, hoping to appease the mother. You decide if it works then the mother will be happy, and if it does not you can revisit the change with the mother at that point.

Contingency Map B: The Unethical Decision

Antecedent Behavior Consequence (provide two outcomes)

0.5 points 0.5 points 2 points

Private Thoughts

Thought #1 (supporting the unethical decision):

0.5 points

Thought #2 (prompting a more ethical decision next time):

0.5 points

Contingency Map B: The Ethical Decision

Antecedent Behavior Consequence (provide two outcomes)

0.5 points 0.5 points 2 points

Case Scenario B: Most Restrictive Not Effective- Discussion Questions

List at least 2 specific codes from Bailey and Burch that were violated in the case scenario “Most Restrictive Not Effective”. Make sure to explain why you think the codes were broken. (0.75 points)

List at least three barriers to making an ethical decision in this case scenario. (0.75 points)

How could you overcome those barriers to make sure you make an ethical decision? Describe three specific plans that go along with each of the barriers you listed in #2. (1.5 points)

Examining Emotions, Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction

Student’s Name:

Institution:

Examining Emotions, Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction

Positive work Environment

In improving positive environment Joe creates great correspondence so as to make employees feel they can identify with the manager and that they are congenial, they will believe the manager. Making a decent correspondence style from the earliest starting point make workers feel better and help keep more content. Furthermore, group attitude get employed. When staff considers they are group unit; they are certain to each other instead of everybody for themselves. Also, positive contribution frequently offers feedback when something is not correct, while they ignore giving attention when an employee has made a decent presentation. Joe searches for genuine motivations to furnish staff with positive input by praising when they do things right more regularly than when they are doing things erroneously. Additionally positive working surroundings are available. A positive environment amplifies the demeanor and activities of the individuals who work. There is periodical examination to check whether the physical setup makes a positive feeling. Joe keeps it positive whether one is attending to an issue or giving an assessment; one attempts to say everything on a positive note. The leader concentrates on the changes that one wants to see, as opposed to harping on what the individual has not been doing (Aniket al., 2013).

Improving job Performance

Workers are persuaded by accomplishment of objectives, and they discover pride in attaining or surpassing the objectives. The administrator makes objectives intended to bring individual and expert fulfillment. For instance, issues a quarterly reward focused proceeds, and then set an objective to surpass those numbers and a bigger reward. Joe as well set an objective to increment departmental generation to get the official group to take into account vital updates and progressions to departmental supplies. According to Taneja, (2014), administrators who feel the need to perform the majority of the regulatory and managerial errands for their specializations alone are adding anxiety and distancing the staff. They know hot figure out how to get workers included in settling on the day by day preferences by enabling members to create their work routines, have a week by week staff meeting where the workers give departmental issues. The representatives will experience a feeling of contribution in the accomplishment of the division, and one will have diminished the anxiety and gather the fulfillment of enhancing worker advancement (Taneja, 2014).

Emotional intelligence in leadership

In managing relationship, leaders can employ mindfulness and regulation towards one-self. In the case of mindful, one know how one feel, and know the feelings and one’s activities that can influence the individuals around. The leader starts by being mindful when in an administration position. Additionally, it means having a reasonable picture of the qualities and shortcomings, and it means acting with tranquility. Keeping a diary – diaries help one enhance the mindfulness. In the event that one uses a couple of minutes every day recording the contemplations, this can move one to a higher level of mindfulness. Ease off – when one encounter annoyance or other solid feelings, back-off to inspect why. Keep in mind; regardless of what the circumstances, one can simply pick on the response. The second trait is the regulation toward oneself. Pioneers who direct themselves viable seldom verbally assault others, settle on hurried or enthusiastic choices, generalization individuals, or bargain their qualities. Regulation toward oneself is about staying in control. It is the component of enthusiastic knowledge, as indicated by Jansen et al. (2014), additionally covers a pioneer’s adaptability and duty to individual responsibility (Jansen et al., 2014)

Leadership traits to increase competitive advantage

First is to communicate. In any association, information is force, and extraordinary pioneers guarantee that each representative, from the extremely top to the exceptionally bottom of the organization line, is furnished with complete and forward facts about the association’s objectives, execution, triumphs and disappointments. To accomplish this level of association, one ought to likewise give sufficient channels to two-path correspondence in the middle of management and supervisors, enthusiastically requesting their thoughts for development and remunerating workers for putting forward (Daft, 2014).

Secondly is to be an unequivocal. A standout amongst the most fundamental obligations of any pioneer is to decide. Profoundly powerful pioneers are not hesitant to be conclusive and to make extreme calls immediately when circumstances oblige. When one has the entire facts one have to settle on a well-informed choice, then don’t flatter -make it. Also, once one settles on a choice, then stay with it unless there is an especially convincing purpose behind to transform. Regardless of what kind of association or industry, it is conceivable to turn into a more successful pioneer, moving the people to give absolute best each day of the week. Make a state of honing these seven initiative characteristics, and one will be a profoundly successful leader.

Thirdly is to help and encourage the group. For individuals to do the absolute best work, they require a hierarchical environment that back the people by making it sheltered to go out on an extremity, to come clean, and to talk up … without being rebuffed for doing so. Help the members by making this sort nature’s domain, and it is going to encourage advancement to accomplishing the firm’s objectives and hence creating a competitive advantage (Landis, Hill, & Harvey, 2014).

References

Anik, L., Aknin, L. B., Norton, M. I., Dunn, E. W., & Quoidbach, J. (2013). Prosocial bonuses

increase employee satisfaction and team performance. PloS one, 8(9), e75509.

Daft, R. (2014). The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.

Landis, E. A., Hill, D., & Harvey, M. R. (2014). A Synthesis of Leadership Theories and

Styles. Journal of Management, 15(2), 97.

Jansen, C. A., Moosa, S. O., Van Niekerk, E. J., & Muller, H. (2014). Emotionally intelligent

learner leadership development: a case study. South African Journal of Education, 34(1), 1-16.

Taneja, S. (2014). Violence in the Workplace: A Strategic Crisis Management Issue. Journal of

Applied Business and Economics, 16(1), 33.

Variables into a Regression Equation and Summary of Recent Research

Name of the Student

Name of the Institution

Example of a Quantitative Study using Regression Analysis

Childhood obesity is currently one of the major health concerns in the US. The high rate of obesity among children aged below 12 years has been attributed to the consumption of energy-dense foods (Maher et al., 2007). A study can be conducted to confirm whether the high rate of obesity among children who are below 12 years is associated with the consumption of energy-dense foods. The National Health and Nutrition Examination has been conducting surveys on the consumption behaviors and the causes and rates of obesity and other health-related problems. I would use the national representative data collected by the organization to determine whether there is significant association between the consumption of energy-dense foods and the high rate of obesity among children who are below 12 years. I would use quantitative data on dietary energy density and the predictors of obesity (measures of Body Mass Index and waist circumference). I would apply regression models to the variables to determine whether there is significant association between dietary energy density and the predictors of obesity.

Methods of Selecting Variables into the Regression Equation

During the process of selecting variables into the regression equation, I would use either the forward inclusion method or the stepwise-selection multiple regression. The forward inclusion method involves addition one independent variable at a time to the regression (Sawilowsky, 2007). I would select one predictor of obesity that I expect to have the highest correlation with the dietary energy density and put it first into the equation. Then, I would then conduct regression analysis with just the selected variable. I would check whether dietary energy density has significant association with the variable. I would then repeat the same process with the other variables, each at a time. Alternatively, I can use the stepwise-selection multiple method. The stepwise-selection multiple regression is almost similar to the forward inclusion method (Sawilowsky, 2007). In the forward inclusion method, a variable that is added to the regression equation remains there during the subsequent regressions. However, in the stepwise-selection multiple regression, a variable that has no significant contribution to the equation is not included in the subsequent calculations. The two methods would help to determine whether each of the three predictors of obesity has significance association with dietary energy density (Veney, Kros & Rosenthal, 2009).

A critical analysis and application of this study

Over the past one decade, the rate of obesity among children has been rising rapidly. Studies have linked the problem to lifestyle behaviors (Maher et al., 2007). In particular, studies have linked the high rate of obesity among the children to the consumption of energy-dense foods. In most cases, energy-dense foods, high in added fats, added sugars and refined grains are inexpensive and palatable. However, they are associated with poor diet quality and high level of energy intake. Such foods have been found to contribute to obesity (Maher et al., 2007). However, the link between the consumption of energy-dense foods and the development of obesity is not well understood. Whereas some studies have found significant association between the two, others have not. The findings of the study would be useful to add more evidence on the existing knowledge. If the study would show significant association between the independent and dependent variables, the findings would be useful to the public, health professionals and organizations that campaign against lifestyle behaviors that may lead to obesity.

Summary of Recent Research

Mongkolsomlit, S., Patumanond, J., Tawichasri, C., Komoltri, C. & Rawdaree, P. (2012). Meta

Regression of Risk Factors for Microalbuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes. Southeast Asian J

Trop Med Public health, 43(2), 445-466

Mongkolsomlit et al. (2012) conducted a study to determine the risk factors that are associated with microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. Mongkolsomlit et al. (2012) analyzed 22 previous empirical studies related to the study topic and conducted a meta-regression analysis on the risk factors and microalbuminuria. As well, the researchers applied the random effect model to obtain pooled odd ration estimates. Mongkolsomlit et al., (2012) found four risk factors to have significant association with microalbuminuria, namely smoking, uncontrolled hypertension, poor glycemic control and central obesity. Mongkolsomlit et al. (2012) concluded that there is need for establishment of health promotion programs in order to mitigate the risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The null hypothesis and alternative hypotheses

The null hypothesis (H0): Smoking, age, gender, uncontrolled blood pressure, dylispidemia, uncontrolled hypertension, duration of diabetes, poor glycemic control, and central obesity (body mass index) do not have significant association with microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Alternative hypothesis (H1): Smoking, age, gender, uncontrolled blood pressure, dylispidemia, uncontrolled hypertension, duration of diabetes, poor glycemic control, and central obesity (body mass index) have significant association with microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Regression Analysis Results

Mongkolsomlit et al. (2012) applied meta-regression analysis to the identified risk factors and microalbuminuria. The analysis found that out of the risk factors identified in the previous studies, smoking, uncontrolled hypertension, poor glycemic control and central obesity were the only risk factors that were significantly associated with microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. The regression results for smoking, uncontrolled hypertension, poor glycemic control and central obesity were; 1.37, 95% CI 0.95-1.98; OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.08-1.46; 0.79, 95% CI, 0.63-0.99; and 1.43, 95% CI, 1.14-1.80, respectively (Mongkolsomlit et al., 2012).

Type of Data Required and the Assumptions of the Test

The study needed to use quantitative data on the results of the previous studies examined. The researchers needed to extract data from previous cohort studies, case-control studies and analytical cross-sectional studies. The main assumption of the study was that the there was a high level of heterogeneity in the findings derived from previous studies. The researchers found significant level of heterogeneity inn the results of the previous studies.

Whether the Study is Statistically Significant

Mongkolsomlit et al. (2012) conducted tests for statistical significance of the level of heterogeneity in the studies from which the data was derived. The results indicated that the heterogeneity in the previous studies, with regard to smoking and central obesity, were not statistically significant (p< .05). The study found a statistically significant level of heterogeneity with regard in the results for uncontrolled hypertension and poor glycemic control (p< .05).

Statistical significance refers to the probability that an outcome has a high probability of being true and that it has not occurred due to chance (Veney et al., 2009).

The Possible Implications of the Study

The previous studies on the risk factors associated with microalbuminuria have found mixed and controversial results. The meta-regression analysis by Mongkolsomlit et al. (2012) highlighted the overall effect specific risk factors examined by previous researchers. The study harmonized the findings from previous studies and it identified the specific risk factors that have significant impact on the development of microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, previous studies have shown that microalbuminuria causes cardiovascular and nephropathic complications in persons with type 2 diabetes. Mongkolsomlit et al. (2012) highlighted the importance of avoiding health behaviors that may lead to the development of microalbuminuria and the associated complications.

References

Jekel, J. F. (2007). Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Preventive Medicine. London: Elsevier

Health Sciences

Maher, E. J., Li, G., Carter, L. & Johnson, B. D. (2007). Preschool Child Care Participation and

Obesity at the Start of Kindergarten. Pediatrics, 122 (2), 322 -330

Sawilowsky, S. S. (2007). Real Data Analysis. New York, NY: IAP

Veney, J. E., Kros, J. F. & Rosenthal, D. A. (2009). Statistics for Health Care Professionals:

Working With Excel. California: John Wiley & Sons

Name:

Instructor:

Subject;

Date:

a.)What did the framers mean by a republican form of government?

Framers defined republican form of government as government established by the people and not by the state. The government sought to protect both liberty and order, based on a written constitution, which combined federalism, separation of powers and principles of popular consent (Wilson et al. 47).

b.)What offices were elective offices in the early years of the Constitution?

The elective offices were the same in today’s constitution. They were the President, members of the House of Representatives and senators. The people directly elected House of Representatives while state legislatures elected the senators. An electoral college elected by the people elected the President.

c.)Who was allowed to vote?

Only the adult white males who owned property were allowed to vote. The delegates excluded all white males without property, all women, slaves, servants, Native Americans and some African Americans from voting (Wilson et al. 43).

d.)What offices were changed to elective, directly or indirectly?

The senate was elected by the legislatures of the various states while this changed where the Senate is now elected by popular vote. An electoral college selected the President and Vice-President. This changed where electors vote by balloting for two people, and the person with the greatest number of votes becomes the President (Wilson et al. 43).

e.)How was the electorate expanded to include voters that are more eligible? What events, amendments, laws, etc. brought this enlargement of the voter base about?

Suffrage was expanded to include more people based on different age groups, sex and race. Lowering the voting age to 18 years, banning literacy tests and providing translations on all electoral material for non-English speaking citizens are amendments to include a greater number of voters.

f.)Why don’t eligible voters take advantage of this right today?

Young people constitute about 42% of the voters. They eligible to vote, but they do not vote. This is because they feel neglected during campaigns where they are not targeted during the campaigns. The older people do not vote because they have busy schedules, thus cannot find time to vote (Wilson et al. 176).

g.)What, if anything, should be done to increase voter participation?

Presidential candidates should not ignore the young people during campaigns. The government should make the voter registration easier by making it available on the internet, satellite locations and Election Day registration. It should also increase polling stations on Election Day.

Work Cited

Wilson, James, Dilulio, John, Bose, Meena. American Government: Institutions & Policies, 12th ed. Massachusetts: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Name

Professor’s Name

Course

Date

Native American Culture

Native American culture, refers to the culture practiced by American Indians, rich in history strife and triumph. The Native Americans practiced a number of rituals and held a number of beliefs regarding certain objects or totems. Amongst them included the feather bonnet and the plains Indian horse. Both objects were held in high regard within the Indian culture, one for its divine significance, and the other for its practical utility. The feather bonnet was a type of head gear made up of eagle feathers and typically worn by medicine men or individuals in positions of great power. Due to the materials used in creating such head gear, they were not just considered symbols, but sources of great power (Understanding Headdresses and War Bonnets). The Plains Indian horse on the other hand, was a typical horse used by the Indians to increase mobility and productivity (Moore, n.pag).

The feather bonnet was considered as not just a symbol of great power but a source of power in itself, mainly due to the materials obtained from revered animals like the eagle feathers. It was believed that because great power could be transferred through the spirit from the animals used to create such feather bonnets, the power would enable the wearers heal and treat the sick. The healing power of the feather bonnet is therefore more divine and spiritual than physical. The Plains Indian horse on the other hand was and continues to be used to heal psychologically. Horses and humans have always been believed to have a deeper understanding of each other, and horses can be used to great effect to achieve psychological healing. Native Americans used interactions with horses to achieve or gauge healthy mental states, a practice that is still in use to date, for instance by the Red Horde Nation in what is referred to as NAHIP (Native American Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, n.pag)

Works Cited

American Eagle Foundation. Native American Indians and the Eagle. Web. 14 June 2013.

Moore, R. Horses and Plains Indians. Web. 14 June 2013.

Native American Culture. Web. 14 June 2013

Red Horse Nation. NAHIP. Web. 14 June 2013.

Understanding Headdresses and War Bonnets. Web. HYPERLINK “http://www.indianvillagemall.com/headdress/headdress.html” http://www.indianvillagemall.com/headdress/headdress.html

American Criminal Justice and War on Drugs

Student’s Name:

Institutional Affiliation:

American Criminal Justice and War on Drugs

James P. Gray, a California based trial court judge in his book Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs believes that war on drugs has been a subject of failure. This regards its impact on society and on its own terms mainly on the stopping of use of illegal drugs. As a former federal prosecutor and an experienced trial judge who briefly held a record for the largest drug prosecution in the Central District of California, he authoritatively speaks about the issues related to the drugs war. He uses a compelling language to describe the war on drugs as exemplified in the opening words of his book. He states that that it is inevitable that the drug policies will eventually change. However, when this happens, people will be left back looking astonished that the former policies had prevailed for the extended period. He compares it to Jim Crow laws, slavery, or the days when women never voted.

In the United States the raging debate on the criminal law proper role in drug control does not centralize around the usual political geography left verses right divisions. A civil war of ideas for generations has been waged between the libertarian and their American right opponents of state drug control and more order conservatives and traditional law. Around 1990 at the zenith of the American drug war, prominent libertarian and conservatives intellectuals provided extreme state control leadership example Milton Friedman who came to be known for his radical deregulations and William Bennett for being the first drug tsar and based on their ideas the deprofitization proposal stated by James P. Gray finds its basis.

The current American treatment of drugs in the criminal justice mainly the surrounding events on the issue reveal that the fear centralizes largely on the notion that many people would support taking the drugs under a legal and supervised regime. However, this presumption may not be correct since there is no direct correlation between the drug-trafficking incidence and the harshness of drug laws. If considered from this aspect legalization that Judge James P. Gray proposes in theory might be able to regulate and even reduce both supply and demand of the drugs (Gray, 2001).

The impact the implementation of the legalization would have on the drug control would be to transform the drugs issue from a law and order related problem to a public health issue. It would also help drive away the gangsters. In addition, the regulated drug tax implemented by the government will ensure that raised funds are effectively redirected into other economic sectors like education, which focus on public education and the risks and treatment of addicts of the substance abuse. The government will also realize that different drugs need different levels of regulations and taxation. The difficulty in this system would be imperfect and fiddly that would require monitoring constantly hard to measure tradeoffs and constant monitoring. Other levels of post-tax prices should be set as a means of striking a balance between discouraging desperate acts and a black market in which prostitution and thefts in which addicts often resort to maintain their habits and damping down use (Gray, 2001).

The main arguments that Judge Gray offers center on utilitarian aspects that go against prohibition of drugs. He states that the enacted laws that should address the prohibition of drugs are not effective, but instead help in the eroding of civil liberties, and the prohibition of drugs is a leading cause of democratic debate stifling mainly over the drug policies, and in this manner increases the danger to the users. In summary, the author stops short of advocating for full implementation of drug legalization through his preferred solutions of a combination of treatment programs, realistic education, punishment for harm to others, regulated sales of drugs (Hakim, 2011).

Thinking of this, proposed notion of legalization requires thinking on the possible issues associated with drug use. Under the influence of the drugs, some users tend to harm possible third parties an example is on marijuana users. A well-established principal of criminal law and tort exists to handle such harms. Reviewing the response of how the principals of legal drug market would apply include seeing advertisements that would support responsible drug use. In addition, there would be a clear incentive for the drug manufacturers to directly invest in the drugs developing mainly on substances that provide lesser risks and short-term high effects that would not impair its social application. This would also be an incentive to the vendors since out of lawsuits fear they would be careful to see that there is a safe behavior by their patrons.

By comparing the present situation to the foregoing hypothetical scenario that the book proposes, drug users search for longer lasting highs due to the fact that the possession of the drugs if done in large quantities mainly by weight increases the stipulated penalties and also they are aware that the drugs purchasing also presents a threat. There is no incentive to the drug dealers to have closer relation or contact with their clients and as such, they centralize on this to avoid chances of being captured. This implies that their cannot be a legal advertisement by the drug manufacturers the issue here is not that there is no profit to the participants in the drug industry, but that the legal system prevents them to effectively participate in the market (Gray, 2013).

Some of Judge Gray’s biggest critics state that his approach had flaws in three main areas. First, he exclusively and heavily relied on popular press accounts as basis to support his factual claims. Even though this view seems baffling, it helps stress the fact that Judge Gray is well conversant on the subject and is aware of the wide professional literature and journals on divergent angels of the war on drugs and the many governmental reports on the matter. If the opinion being expressed had been his own personal account and position the relevance of the citation would not matter, but since he tries to document the drug prohibition failures the lack of better sources of quality undermines his overall message. Critics find the fact that he over relied on popular media as his main source is frustrating since Judge Gray according to most of them was in a strategic position to offer new material on that area that few other authors could provide mainly data on what judiciary thought on the drugs issue.

Judge Gray is also criticized for considering the drug policy in a vacuum, without trying to frame it on a broader aspect. Critical civil liberties questions are raised by the drug policy, but this is similar to other policies within the government mainly the state and federal government’s rights violation in connection to the divergent volume of drug policies but not from their rights violation in connection with gun laws and tax laws. Since there is no rights based analysis that is offered by Judge Gray on the antidrug laws impact, his account however offers no means of a possible consistent approach to the issue. In addition there is also an issue with how Judge Grey proposes to solve the drug issue mainly that of de-profitization that could be brought by a regulated distribution system which his solution revolves on the statement that states that it is much easier to regulate, control and police a legal market as compared to an illegal one (Hakim, 2011).

The author as a long time judge has spent many years imposing compulsory drug court regimes rehabilitation on the offenders and due to this he strongly believes on the efficiency of the drug court system. His acknowledging of the fact that addicts have to be coerced in order for them to receive and be kept in treatment makes it hard for them to be helped this is in unison with the capability of the criminal justice system of coercing into productive and meaningful sobriety the drug users. There are challenges to this proposal like the difficulty of finding candidates to enroll for the abstinence programs due to the many experiments being carried out currently on policies, and the 29-points plan proposed by Judge Gray that may strike many as unprincipled and incoherent for the orthodox libertarians.

In conclusion, through the provision of honest information on different drugs prices and their related health issues, consumers can be steered by the government towards the ones with least effects. In addition, designer drugs proliferation cannot be prevented by prohibitions thought of in laboratories. However, the legalization can also be used as a means of enticing and encouraging legitimate drug companies to try to improve the substances that people partake. The resources saved on repression and the resources would allow the guarantee of treatment by the governments to addicts as a way of making the legalization process more politically palatable.

Reference

Gray J.P. (2001). Why our drug laws have failed and what we can do about it: A judicial indictment of the War on Drugs. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Gray, J. (2010). Why our drug laws have failed: a judicial indictment of war on drugs. Temple University Press.

Hakim, P. (2011). Rethinking US Drug Policy. Beckley Foundation.

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Evolutionary Cooperation overtime

Evolutionary psychology concentrate on understanding of human conduct focused around evolutionary science and cognitive neuroscience drives new understandings with respect to the premise and inspiration for good conduct. Along these lines, morals have been comprehended and taught expecting that people are by nature social and naturally narrow-minded.

Morals are reflection on goodness and disagreeableness, good and bad, uprightness and bad habit, ought’s and should not be. The refinement in the middle of morals and profound quality is the qualification between the object of study and the study of morals. Morals are eventually about standards for human social collaboration.

Contemporary moral hypothesis is progressively getting to be “naturalistic,” established in the understanding of evolutionary science and cognitive neuroscience. However, moral hypothesis situated in people’s natural nature can be followed to present ending with Charles Darwin from Aristotle, Adam Smith, and David Hume.

Our sociality originates from our requirement for each other with a specific end goal to survive and flourish. The proclamation of our species obliges a substantial interest in youngster raising the participation of folks in the raising of posterity. It is because of our substantial brains and the expanded time of reliance essential for physical and cognitive development. Participation with different people is a necessity for social living. For Darwin, the profoundly withstanding social senses give a premise whereupon discerning, ordinary standards are accordingly.

To comprehend human profound quality as focused around evolutionary science, it must be recognized that, from an absolutely natural viewpoint, the objective of the human living being is to have its qualities communicated in an alternate generation. Natural determination thinks basically not about us, yet about our qualities being proclaimed. The detainee’s quandary exhibits that fruitful participation in a social setting is the consequence of proportional compassion.

A conceivable clarification of compassion is given by the hypothesis of gathering determination as recommended by Darwin himself while pondering issue of social insects which contends that characteristic choice can follow up on gatherings: aggregates that are more fruitful – for any reason, including scholarly practices – will advantage the people of the gathering, regardless of the fact that they are not related. It has had a capable claim, however has not been completely powerful, to a limited extent in light of challenges in regards to con artists that partake in the gathering without contributing.

Robert Trivers showed how corresponding unselfishness can advance between inconsequential people, even between people of altogether distinctive species. Also, the relationship of the people included is precisely undifferentiated from the circumstances in a certain manifestation of the Prisoner’s Dilemma. The Randian add that the speculation toward oneself is fundamental is generally unchallenged, yet turned on its head by distinguishing of an extensive, and significant perspective of what constitutes venture toward oneself.

Specialists choose to coordinate as per what number of cooperators there are in the gathering, and their technique is characterized by the quantity of cooperators they require to choose to participate.

Modern understanding of evolutionary science and human neuroscience are transforming understanding of human conduct, particularly moral conduct. As an outcome, morals is beginning to be seen as having an exact science measurement a science base that is testing large portions of the philosophical points of view that have been held for a considerable length of time. Understanding a definitive causation of human conduct is established in mankind’s evolutionary history. Evolutionary science shows that people created the characteristic of compassion as an aftereffect of the parental holding that happened as a consequence of a developed outset of human posterity. From it, the empathic men to family and others developed. An appreciation of the needs of others situated in relating in helping practices, practices that would be responded if an agreeable relationship were to be kept up. Such collaboration improved survival and multiplication. Ethical quality developed as compassion based arrangement of reasonable participation.

Compassion is a vital quality for an individual entering a helping calling, for example, dentistry. It is of identical significance to brainpower and perceptual engine expertise. Sympathy shifts in the populace as do these other two vital human characteristics and can be measured too. Dental instructors ought to consider evaluating compassion in the confirmations process, and pioneers in dental instruction ought to work to make schools of dentistry that are good communities in which concern is a fundamental attribute

The moral rules give a record of ethical quality that clarifies and defends the keen good choices and judgments of good specialists. The records of fair-mindedness and levelheadedness are additionally accounts of these ideas that clarify their focal and rational use by keen individuals in ordinary life. The fact of the matter is to portray these ideas, not to change them. These depictions of the ideas of unbiased attitude, profound quality, and rationality likewise demonstrate the nearby and perplexing relationship. It is the genuine cognizant business of these ideas, not what logicians say in regards to them that is imperative.

Profound quality’s nearby connotation with fairness and reasonability gets to be apparent just when an objective individual uses just those convictions that are imparted by all reasonable persons (sanely-obliged-convictions). Indeed with this constraint to rationally obliged convictions, not all fair-minded normal persons will concede to the majority of their ethical choices and judgments, however they will all concur on the general good system or framework that they use in settling on these ethical choices and judgments. Nonetheless, if a fair, reasonable individual uses particular convictions, for instance, religious convictions, there may be no real way to achieve understanding about ethical quality. Any case about all normal people concurring ought to be seen as a claim that all rational persons who utilize just judiciously obliged convictions.

Examination of Attitudes to Cosmetic Surgery

Beauty is perceived variedly among various age-groups, which makes the respective attitude analysis among various ages taking up cosmetic surgery an important topic of highlight. Alternatively, attitude assessment among the genders can be used to reveal the apparent distribution of perceptions between females and males regarding plastic surgery. According to ASAPS (2009, para. 1), different age-groups have different preferences regarding physical beauty perceptions, with young people having more than preferred attributes than the old. In terms of the best features and attributes that a particular age-group desires can be relied upon to illustrate the ease with which beauty enhancement can become an option. Cosmetic surgery to enhance beauty can be expected to be high among the young, which is however subject to attitude concerning such level of enhancement. On the gender front, women are likely to be under pressure to feel attractive and young than men (Frederick, Lever and Peplau, 2007, p1408). However, research needs to be conducted to reveal the exact patterns based on recent changes of uptake of cosmetic surgery across gender and age giving attention to attitudes as this study attempts to highlight.

Literature Review

Increased demand for appearance enhancement procedures shows that more men are taking beauty enhancement to an all-time high level. According to recent popularity surveys, the society has increasingly become open and less judgmental to cosmetic surgery (Delinsky, 2005, p2013). An improvement in medical technology applied in the surgical procedures can be attributed to the increased numbers, but changes in attitudes among men also play an important role. The modern society has experienced dramatic changes in the perceptions held about beauty among the genders, making it easy to adopt appearance enhancement than it previously was (Tiggemann and Slevic (2010, p67). Apparently both genders have changed their attitudes over the years to the extent that beauty can be applied in lifestyles. According to ASAPS (2009, para. 6), the reasons of uptake of beauty enhancement have evolved beyond low self-esteem to include factors such as career.

According to Crerand and Sarwer (2004, p100), while there is a significant increase in general demand for cosmetic surgery among women, there is a relatively higher demand among the middle-aged women (those who fall under the 40-55 years bracket). Tiggemann and Slevic (2010, p66) reckon that several factors affect the attitude that middle-aged women have towards cosmetic surgery. Among the most disturbing factor among the younger ages is the fear of aging and the portrayal of appearance enhancement in the media. The authors also attach an increase of demand of general beauty enhancement products and procedures over the last decade, a factor that has contributed to significant increase in demand for surgical procedures of enhancement.

Favorable attitudes on cosmetic surgery can be attributed to changes in lifestyles, media popularization and advancements in technology, which make traditionally uninterested groups change attitudes (Barrett and Robbins, 2008, p40). The effective drivers for different genders and cohorts preferences to cosmetic surgery are varied across the categories. Among the men, social factors carry more weight in influencing the specific attitude towards embracing cosmetic surgery (Bazner, 2002, p14). The author reckons that the most applicable explanation for men to continually easily embrace cosmetic surgery is purely on personal development for instance for career. On the other hand, there are several appearance considerations in women alongside career or social reasons. Women consider social reasons less importantly than men, despite the fact that other body appearance reasons may cut across social factors as well. Among the most prevalent reasons for appearance consideration leading women to cosmetic surgery include; aging anxiety, body image and appearance investment. The role of cosmetic surgery in women is largely attributed to the general attractiveness and the fear to become unattractive (Brooks and Henderson-King, 2009, p134).

According to (Markey and Markey, 2009, p169), negative feelings about self-esteem, body as well as face satisfaction have been major concerns among women which contribute to influence apparent perceptions on cosmetic surgery. The author associates the impact of media to the apparent improvement in attitudes among women and explains that there are indications of increased influence among men. Different ages among female cosmetic customers have different drives for appearance but beauty is equally important among women of all ages. Brooks and Henderson-King (2009, p135) highlight the differences of men and women in uptake of cosmetic surgery, where it is reported that men are likely to be attracted to social reasons of acquiring the procedures unlike in women who have a host of other reasons.

Materialism which guides the capitalist cultures has influenced consumer behavior around the cosmetic market which has an efficient marketing campaign to paint cosmetic surgery as a pleasant beauty option (AARP, 2007, p13). As observed earlier, very young women do not have several complicated issues with their appearance to warrant procedures such as cosmetic surgery. Middle-aged women are the largest cohort of beauty products consumers with under the largest pressure to enhance their appearance than any other group across the genders. Aged women have least appearance and beauty concerns since they are more concerned with their health issues before others (CPA, 2011, p2). It therefore follows that beauty procedures likely to compromise the health status of the aged are less likely to be preferred by many in this cohort. A few isolated cases have however been reported involving the old women categories.

Attitude differentiation across men cohorts illustrates higher preference among the middle aged men and little uptake among boys (Cash et al, 2011, pp472). Due to the social attachment particularly on the career front, young adult males are more involved in appearance enhancement than younger groups for other purposes. However, increased celebrity profiling of appearance is likely to attract higher following and change of attitude towards cosmetic profiling in the future (CPA, 2011, p3). The role of the media cannot be underestimated in the apparent transformation of attitudes among male cosmetic customers. On the other hand, a spirited campaign by the commercial sector on the popularization of cosmetic products and procedures is likely to target the consumer for the lucrative returns attached to the untapped male market. Medical reasons have equal importance across the sexes due to the life changing impact accorded to the reconstructive surgery patients (Griffiths, 2010, para.1).

References

AARP (2001) Public Attitudes Toward Aging, Beauty and Cosmetic Surgery. [online] Available from <http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/consume/cosmetic.pdf> [accessed 31 October 2011]

AARP (2007) Focalyst Insight Report: Getting Older and Looking Good. [online] Available from <http://calbooming.sdsu.edu/documents/AgingNaturally.pdf> [accessed 31 October 2011]

ASAPS (2009) How Do Our Attitudes about Beauty Change As WE Age? [online] Available from <http://www.surgery.org/media/news-releases/how-do-our-attitudes-about-beauty-change-as-we-age> [accessed 31 October 2011]

Barrett, A. E., & Robbins, C. (2008) The Multiple Sources Of Women’s Aging Anxiety and their Relationship with Psychological Distress. Journal of Aging and Health, 20, 32–65

Bazner, J. (2002) Attitudes About cosmetic Surgery: Gender and Body Experience. McNair Scholars Journal vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 10-16

Brooks, K. D. & Henderson-King, D. (2009) Materialism, Sociocultural Appearance Messages, and Paternal Attitudes Predict College Women’s Attitudes about Cosmetic Surgery. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 33, pp133-142

Calogero, R., Diraddo, A., Harwin, M. & Park, L. (2009) Predicting Interest in Cosmetic Surgery: Interactive Effects of Appearance-Based Rejection Sensitivity and Negative Appearance Comments. Body Image, 6, pp. 186-193

Cannold, L. (2007) Our Attitude Towards Cosmetic Surgery Needs A Sharp Facelift. [online] Available from <http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/our-attitude-towards-cosmetic-surgery-needs-a-sharp-facelift/2007/08/19/1187462081028.html> [accessed 31 October 2011]

Cash, T., Menzel, J., Sarwer, D., Small, B., Sperry, S. & Thomson, J. (2011) Internalization of Appearance Ideas and Cosmetic Surgery Attitudes: A Test of the Tripartite Influence Model of the Body Image. Sex Roles, vol. 65, no.7-8, pp. 469-477

CPA (2011) Attitudes to Ageing and Older Age. [online] Available from <http://www.cpa.org.uk/information/readings/attitudes_to_ageing.pdf> [accessed 31 October 2011]

Crerand, C. E. & Sarwer, D. B. (2004) Body Image and Cosmetic Medical Treatments. Body Image, 1, pp. 99–111

Delinsky, S. S. (2005) Cosmetic Surgery: A Common and Accepted Form of Self-Improvement? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35, 2012–2028

Frederick, D. A., Lever, J. & Peplau, L. A. (2007) Interest in Cosmetic Surgery and Body Image: Views of Men and Women across the Lifespan, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, vol. 120, no. 5, pp.1407-1415

Griffiths, K. (2010) Attitudes to cosmetic Surgery: US versus UK. [online] Available from <http://www.cosmeticsurgerytoday.co.uk/features/view/10324/attitudes-to-cosmetic-surgery-us-versus-uk> [accessed 31 October 2011]

Heyes, C. J. & Jones, M. (n.d) Cosmetic Surgery in the Age of Gender. [online] Available from <http://www.ashgate.com/pdf/SamplePages/Cosmetic_Surgery_Ch1.pdf> [accessed 31 October 2011]

Markey, C. N. & Markey, P. M. (2009) A Correlational and Experimental Examination of Reality Television Viewing and Interest in Cosmetic Surgery. Body Image, 7, pp.165-171

Tiggemann, M. & Slevec, J. (2010) Attitudes Toward Cosmetic Surgery in Middle-Aged Women: Body Image, Aging Anxiety and the Media. Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 1. Pp.65-74

American Domestic Policy

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American Domestic Policy

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration in the United States has become one the topics of greatest concern to the American public in recent years. This has resulted into examination of the costs and benefits of illegal immigration on unskilled works as well as the ultimate impact on the U.S economy in a number of studies. The costs include the effects of the effects of illegal immigration on unskilled workers, the property damage caused by the immigrants sneaking into the United States, the expenditure on the health care for immigrants at emergency clinics and hospitals, which are legally bound not to deny care to anyone or inquire whether someone is a legal resident, expenditures on public education for the children of the immigrants who attend public schools and burglaries and other crimes committed by illegal immigrants (Levy, 2010). Americans affected by the benefits want immigrants to have a way to take a job, whereas those most affected by the costs propose that immigrants should be kept out of the country at whatever cost.

The views on dealing with illegal immigration in United States range from using the military to guard the borders and the construction of a fence along the borders to amnesty for illegal aliens already in the United States. The US governments has taken several steps to curb the problem of illegal immigration including Operation Wetback as the one of the first response to what was perceived as an alarming level of illegal Mexican immigrants as well as enactment of several legislation as such as the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) (Boyes & Melvin, 2010). The purpose of IRCA was to decrease the number of illegal immigrants by limiting their flow and the legalization the status of the illegal aliens. However, application of the domestic policy has been affected by the experience with international terrorist attacks being associated with immigration and illegal immigration flows into the country.

This paper will explore illegal immigration as one of the most contested issues in the American politics and recommendation of ways to deal with the issue.

Factors Leading To Illegal Immigration Being Viewed As a Major Problem in America

The skyrocketing number of illegal immigrants in United States has triggered great concern among the American citizens over the last few years. As of 2010, about 11.2 million illegal immigrants were living in the United States and despite this being a reduction the populations in previous, the high number has raised great concerns to the Americans owing to the impact such numbers have on the state well-being (Passel & Cohn, 2011). The increased number of illegal immigrants has been associated with significant negative impacts including job pressure especially in unskilled labor, increased expenditures on health care for immigrants at hospitals and emergency clinics, pressure on public amenities, increased expenditure in the public schools, property damage cause by the immigrants and increased insecurity in the country. The problem of illegal immigrants has been exacerbated by the increased terrorist threats which have been strongly linked with the issue of illegal immigration into United States.

Although migration between Mexico and the United States goes back to the nineteenth century and has ebbed and flowed for more than a century, U.S. citizens and politicians have been entirely comfortable with immigrants in general or Mexicans in particular. There are and always have been people who view illegal immigrants as a thread to the United States, who blame them directly for economic ills as well as presenting a danger to American modern society. Large companies might benefit from cheap, immigrant labor, because of the low wages paid to the immigrants. However, the low wages contribute to driving the general wages offered to the Americans. The issues of job loss associated with immigrants particularly for unskilled labor has contributed immensely to the heated debate against immigrants among the Americans. The competition with illegal immigrants who are ready to work for less money makes Americans unable to compete effectively for the available job opportunities in the American job market. The public has become more united against the issue of illegal immigrants with majority favoring increasing penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants as well as increasing number of border patrol agents.

According to Polyanichko (2010), about two-thirds of Americans support the idea of denying social services to the unauthorized and propose that illegal immigrants should not be eligible for social services provided by the state and local governments. One of the main arguments leveled against illegal immigrants is that they receive government benefits and don’t pay taxes with education and unpaid healthcare being among the highest costs attributed to problem of illegal immigrants.

As result of the increased illegal immigration, the amount of uncompensated care has continued to grow as more and more unauthorized immigrants seek for health services. In addition, increased crime has been associated with increase in the number of illegal immigrants, a factor that undermines the security of Americans as well as costing the government huge budgetary costs at both federal and local government levels in attempts to curb insecurity in the country. The burden of illegal immigrants has become worse with the laws that require children born in America be recognized as American citizens thus increasing the burden as the government is obliged to cater for such children.

Some of the Attempts Made To Arrest the Increase in Illegal Immigrants and Their Failures

In a move to control illegal immigrants in United States, the government introduced employer sanctions prohibiting employers from hiring illegal immigrants. Through this strategy, employers have been expected to verify employees before hiring them to ensure that illegal immigrants do not gain access to employment. However, employer sanction strategy has turnout to be ineffective due to lack of reliable mechanisms for verifying employment eligibility, lack of political will due to some of the benefits accrued from illegal immigrants such as labor, and lack of enough funding towards interior immigration enforcement (Boyes & Melvin, 2010). The governments has also enacted various reforms in its domestic policy on illegal immigration including the Immigration and Control Act (IRCA) whose main purpose was ostensibly to attack the problem of illegal immigration and reign control over the borders.

Among the solutions offered through this reform included a generous amnesty to illegal aliens and creation of a Special Agricultural Workers program (Polyanichko, 2010). However, these strategies emerged to be a flop by further contributing to the influx of immigrant workers into the U.S. labor market. In this case, IRCA was seen as an attempt to reconcile the rising political clamor for border control with continuing demand for cheap immigrant labor rather controlling the increasing of illegal immigrants in the country. Some of these immigration measures have resulted into increased gap between the goals and outcomes of U.S. immigration policy. According to Cornelius, Martin and Hollifield (1994), the greatest challenge in the U.S. immigration policy has been the failure to recognize the key problem facing its implementation as the lack of recognition of illegal immigrants as the main problem.

Another failure in attempts to control illegal immigration emerges from the lack of consensus on policy options, which consequently results into general lack of concern or benign neglect. United States still perceives itself as a nation of immigrants, a tradition that obstructs efforts to restrict or control any type of immigration. Another key factor undermining efforts by the U.S. government to control illegal immigration revolves around the lack of understanding of the root cause of illegal immigration. Some the root causes of the increased illegal immigration include, poor verification mechanisms applied by employers, inadequate channels to ensure legal economic immigration, changes in the global economy particularly globalization and finally inefficiency in the border patrols. The government has in the past introduced border patrols to ensure that all people entering and leaving the American territory are well vetted through presentation of proper document as provided by the U.S. laws. However, limited political will in supporting implementation of such policies thereby rendering such strategies ineffective.

The government has failed to provide adequate resources to ensure effective and efficient verification at the borders of the country as well as in job places and other areas such as health care institutions (Fix, 2004). Some of the factors exasperating the illegal migration that must be put into consideration in any attempt to curb the problem include demand-pull factors, migration networks, and supply-push pressures. The strength of these forces lying behind illegal immigration, coupled with the political, legal, and institutional constraints facing the domestic policy on immigration, have all contributed to what most observers view to sanctions’ modest and declining impact on immigrant flow to date. Controlling illegal immigration to the United States emerges to be more difficult logistically than controlling illegal entry to Europe, owing to the access afforded by the country’s lengthy land borders. Efforts to control illegal immigration in U.S. are further undermined by the nation’s long dependence on illegal foreign labor, its comparatively short history of immigration controls, and the social commitment to civil liberties and anti-discrimination norms.

Recommendations to Avert the Problem

One of the strategies that can deal with the problem of illegal immigration amicably entails strengthening the border control through prevention by deterrence. In this case, the government should raise the risk of being apprehended for illegal immigration to a situation where they would consider it futile to attempt to sneak into United States at whatever cost. The government should concentrate additional resources on the patrol along the borders. In order to strengthen the border control, the Border Patrol should concentrate personnel and technology resources at hot points with the highest level of illegal immigration activity as well as tightening security at areas with the least activity to avoid shift of the entry points to other sections along the border (Grans, 2007). In addition, the Border Patrol should also capitalize on physical barriers to deter entry along the border, increase vigilance along the border, and identification of the right technology and personnel to increase efficiency along the border.

The patrol should also on ensuring flexibility to respond to changing patterns in the alien traffic. In order to facilitate the implementation of the employer sanctions strategy, the government should invest in providing employers with reliable mechanisms for workplace verification including tools and legal responsibility to determine someone’s eligibility to secure a job or to be employed (Grans, 2007). The government must therefore invest immensely in the implementation of this strategy through availing the necessary mechanisms to ensure effective verification by employers. Availability of the correct mechanism for verification will play a critical role in the realization of the employer sanction provision in the control of illegal immigrants. This strategy addresses the main reason behind illegal immigration which is the search for employment in which unavailability of jobs will deter the immigrants from sneaking to the country. In line with the verification mechanism, a tamper-proof social security card for every American can be used as a sure prove to work eligibility (Fix, 2004). Nevertheless, the government must also enact stringent measures alongside this strategy to crackdown on people involved in forgery of documents, which has undermined implementation of the employer sanction requirement.

The U.S. government should also constitutional citizenship requirements to restrict the automatic citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal residents. This will reduce the number of aliens seeking citizenship because their children are American citizens by birth despite being born by illegal immigrants. The policy to confer all U.S. citizens the citizenship of the country regardless of the mode used by the parents to enter United States encourages illegal entry into the country and does not motivate those who seek the right means to enter the country (Grans, 2007). The U.S government should also consider introducing new legal avenues for entry into the country as well as encouraging permanent economic migration. Nevertheless, the government should be weary of notorious illegal immigrants willing to pay for any price to enter into the American territory. In this case, the government should strengthen its internal mechanisms for deterring foreigners from entering the country illegally rather focusing on stopping them from crossing the borders.

Conclusion

Illegal immigration remains one of the sensitive issues in the American politics as well as among the general public. The negative perception among the Americans on the issue of illegal immigrants has been triggered by several effects on the society including their pressure on public facilities including hospitals, clinics and hospitals, increased insecurity, and significant impact on the economy of the country. Illegal immigrants have been associated with increased unemployment among the Americans through their preference by employers due to their low wages demand. The U.S. government has taken to several measures to control the threat posed by increased illegal immigrants including introduction of reforms in the immigration Act. Such reforms have included the employer sanction, a generous amnesty to illegal aliens and creation of a Special Agricultural Workers program, and the IRAC reform in general among others. However, such strategies have failed to yield the desired results due to poor political will in its implementation, limited resources, significant negligence, and lack of understanding the root cause of the illegal immigration. Nevertheless, the situation can be averted through increase in Border Patrol vigilance, provision of necessary verification mechanisms to the employers, encouragement of permanent economic immigration, and imposition of restrictions on citizenship of children born by illegal immigrants.

References

Boyes, W & Melvin, M. (2010). Microeconomics. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Cornelius, W., Martin, P. & Hollifield, J. (1994). Controlling immigration: A global perspective. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Fix, M. (2004). The Paper curtain: employer sanctions’ implementation, impact, and reform. New York:The Urban Institute.

Grans, J. (2007). Illegal immigration to the United States: Causes and policy solution. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://udallcenter.arizona.edu/immigration/publications/fact_sheet_no_3_illegal_immigration.pdf” http://udallcenter.arizona.edu/immigration/publications/fact_sheet_no_3_illegal_immigration.pdf

Levy, J. (2010). Illegal immigration and amnesty: Open borders and national security. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.

Passel, J & Cohn, D. (2011). Unauthorized immigrant population: National and state trends, 2010. Pew ResearchCenter. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/02/01/unauthorized-immigrant-population-brnational-and-state-trends-2010/” http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/02/01/unauthorized-immigrant-population-brnational-and-state-trends-2010/

Polyanichko, E. (2010). Weighing the costs and benefits of Mexican immigration. London: GRIN Verlag.

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American Dominance, American Regression & American Resurgence

With intent to explain the truth of the long and multifaceted relationship between the United States of America and the United Nations I will explain clearly the stages involved in forming it in the first place. Initially, it is the US that gave rise to the UN and gave it life through the use of its resources at that time therefore giving it the dominance it possesses. The UN therefore owes its current level of power and position in the world to the US. And even with this basis for their relationship, in the UN there are still cases of multilateralism as well as ambivalence toward it by the US. In most cases, the agendas in the UN are always in line with any future plans that the US might have and this enhances their relationship.

American Domination is portrayed by their actions especially when they do not abide by the set rules to the word. The UN was formed in 1945 after the Second World War with the objective of maintaining a stable and peaceful international society. Leaders of the world congregated to initiate its formation with the US leading the process represented by Franklin Delano Roosevelt who was America’s president then. The UN was meant to replace the League of Nations which by then was flawed and not implementing on its responsibilities. The United States has ever since then held a great influence economically, politically and through military influence worldwide therefore making it a vital arm of the United Nations. The US did not relate itself too closely with the multilateral rules however it has been among the leading nations in multilateralism in the previous century. To enhance this relationship, the US pioneered in most multilateral treaties and allowed the UN to situate most of their headquarters in the USA.

American regression was pioneered during the signing of the UN formation by the five permanent affiliates of the Security Council; USA, UN, France, Republic of China and the Soviet Union. Their strength in the relationship was shown in their actions when they started retreating from commitments it had with the UN and still they were not eliminated. The US in many instances has turned its back against the United Nations. For instance, Jesse Helms the former chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee stated in his speech toward the United Nations Security Council that no institution had the power or jurisdiction to be a judge of the foreign policies and decisions of national security of the United States. This was a major turn proving that however much affiliated they were to the UN they still had power over it and however faded it is they had the UN in their pockets. This is because in the formation of the UN it was given the obligation to preside over matters that would result to international or foreign issues. Despite its initial support of the objective of international rule of law after the merge by the five powers of the world, the US still defaulted under the rule of President Bush when he sent a letter to the UN’s secretary general to suspend their obligation toward the Rome Statute signed by former President Clinton. Also, the US is among the two countries who have not yet endorsed the Rights of Child UN Convention as well as the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. For whatever reason the United States is holding back on such key issues we are yet to find out.

However, after the regression period, the US started showing their support to the UN with the aim to earn back their loyalty. The most recent event of American resurgence is president Obama’s effort to re-establish a viable working relationship with the UN. An attempt of ramification is underway and people are on edge waiting to see if such a great power will subject itself to the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction. Even with the US not having sanctioned the conventions it has used several processes to punish states that have not acted in line with the US Standards in fields like human rights and the enforcement of drugs in the country. For instance, the Helms-Burton sanction that penalizes all foreigners from engaging in business activities with any of the states considered rogue by the United States. This attempt shows the United States’ effort toward resurgence. The United States being the most powerful nation in the world it has it has preserved global order.

Even with the United States taking advantage of their position in the United Nation’s rules and regulations by acting outside the set rules in some instances, I believe it has served the better good and maintaining its position is one of the many reasons the UN is still intact. Having most resources also gives the UN a basis for implementation of human rights, economic development as well as international law and security toward the achievement of World Peace.

Works Cited

Meisler, Stanley. United Nations: A History. Groove Press, (2011). Print

United Nations. Basic Facts about the United Nations. United Nations, (2011). Print