The Use of Polls to Analyze Public Opinion in Politics Essay -- Explor

The Use of Polls to Analyze Public Opinion in Politics Public opinion is defined in the text as â€Å"the distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues† (Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry 150). On paper, it sounds so simple; in reality it is much more difficult to determine. The most common method for ascertaining and consolidating public opinion has been through the widespread use of polls. Their popularity has steadily increased over the years. One reason is that they provide an accurate, reliable representation of the opinions of an entire population and supply decision-makers with valuable insight that may be used to determine a future course of action. However, not all polls are created equal. Polls are conducted by various organizations, businesses, corporations and public officials in an effort to determine the public’s stand on issues ranging from the terribly controversial to the completely trivial. Regardless of subject matter, there are basic principles of polling that g reatly affect their quality and reliability. â€Å"Commandment #1† on everyone’s list states the necessity of a randomly selected sample of a population. This ensures that all those whose opinion the poll attempts to represent shall have an exactly equal chance of being interviewed. Telephone interviews conducted on a sample size of 1,000 – 2,000 people called from a list of random, computer-generated phone numbers are all typical components of a good poll. Some of these components can be altered without critically affecting the overall quality of the poll. For example, good polls can be conducted on a sampling as small as 700 – 1,000 people; the decrease in size causes an increase in error margin, but not by much. ... ...n, Princeton, â€Å"How Polls are Conducted†, http://www.gallup.com/poll/faq.asp, pp. 1 – 7. (The Gallup article is a secondary source cited from: Frank Newport, Lydia Saad, and David Moore, Where America Stands, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997). Benjamin Ginsberg, â€Å"Polling and the Transformation of Public Opinion†. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 124 – 137. Charles Kenney, â€Å"They’ve Got Your Number†. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 114 – 123. Larry Sabato and Glenn Simpson, â€Å"When Push Comes to Poll†. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 139 – 145.

Black lives matter the history and existence of racial inequality in the united states Essay

â€Å"Hands up. Don’t shoot.†[1] This is a refrain shouted by #BlackLivesMatter activists throughout the United States. #BlackLivesMatter is a movement that gained national momentum in 2014 after acts of police brutality resulting in the death of black Americans such as Mike Brown and Eric Garner. In both of these cases, the respective police officers involved were not indicted for the death of American citizens.[2] This prompted the reaction: â€Å"black lives matter†; the livelihood of black people should and must be as important as that of white people. Throughout history, people of African descent in the United States have not equally enjoyed the same life and opportunities as other Americans due to racism, defined by public health scholars Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcia and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, and advantages others.†[ 3] In the early 1900s, multiple doctors brought attention to the disparity in the morbidity and mortality of diseases, many that result from poor living conditions, between black and white Americans. Lawrence Lee, a doctor writing in 1914, noted: â€Å"that tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases and still-births cause a death-rate of 917.9 per 100,000 against a rate of 354.7 for whites.†[4] In 1927, a movement in favor of eugenics took hold, beginning with the Buck v. Bell ruling.[5] This United States Supreme Court case gave doctors the authority to designate certain people more fit to breed than others and supported the procreation of the so-called â€Å"fit† and limited that of the â€Å"unfit† through means such as forced sterilization.[6] During this time, forty percent of the â€Å"unfit† people sterilized were non-white.[7] However, #BlackLivesMatter activists demonstrate that racist agendas that are viewed as history in truth have ongoing eff ects to this day that negatively impact the daily lives and public health of African Americans. Opponents use the social media hashtag #AllLivesMatter, expressing the view that all people deserve equal rights and access to basic necessities, regardless of race. #AllLivesMatter is distinct from the #BlackLivesMatter movement in that it does not acknowledge the past and present inequity in the quality of life between white Americans and those of African descent. #BlackLivesMatter has given voice to a historically oppressed class of people and opened a discussion on how the eugenics movement has compromised that of black Americans and how this can be corrected and how future racially-charged infractions can be prevented. The racialization of medicine has  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­had a significant role in the development of the eugenics movement. Garcia and Sharif define racism as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities† and claims that â€Å"racism as a social condition is a fundamental cause of health and illness.†[8] The eugenics movement is one that is founded on the racist ideology that was detrimental to the African American community. Negative eugenics was carried out through marriage restriction, forced sterilization, and confining the â€Å"feeble-minded† to colonies. The restriction of marriage through issuing marriage licenses was critical in the racist agenda of eugenics. It was illegal to have children outside of wedlock.[9] Virginia in particular banned inter-racial marriage. By doing so, Virginia politicians and eugenicists were intentionally preventing people from having mixed ra ce children, something they saw as undesirable.[10] #AllLivesMatter activists would argue that the eugenics movement was not focused on African Americans, as many of the victims of eugenics were white. In Buck v. Bell, a case heard by the United States Supreme Court that secured eugenic doctors’ ability to forcibly sterilize the feeble-minded, the defendant was Carrie Buck, a white woman.[11]   Proponents of #AllLivesMatter would note that eugenic doctors instead targeted individuals of lower socio-economic status. Some of the diagnostic criteria for detecting feeble-mindedness included â€Å"cold and clammy hands and excessive pallor or blushing.†[12] While many of the victims of the application of negative eugenics were of lower socioeconomic status, it cannot be ignored that the eugenics movement grew from calls to improve black public health in the early 1900’s. Advancements in germ theory allowed for doctors to understand that diseases are transmissible r egardless of race; as a result, doctors emphasized the need for sanitary living conditions for black Americans.[13] Historian Andrea Patterson claims that â€Å"public health measures were hijacked by eugenicists†[14] – rather than these public health measures benefitting blacks, they, in part, created an environment in which eugenicists had reason to believe that people of particular racial background were predisposed to certain illnesses. Although Buck v. Bell enabled the eugenics movement to impact people of all races, the racist political regimes that preceded it supported the development of eugenics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paternalism was a major contributing factor to eugenic’s establishment. In 1915, Doctor L. C. Allen posited that â€Å"the negro health problem is one of the â€Å"white man’s burdens,† and it is by no means the least of those burdens.†[15] It was his belief that the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality rates of diseases such as tuberculosis and syphilis among black Americans were the responsibility of the white population to resolve. Allen credited the strict supervision of slave owners over black slaves for the lack of illnesses related to an unclean living environment and sexually transmitted diseases while slavery was legal.[16] According to Allen, â€Å"freedom has not benefited his health, nor improved his morals,† where â€Å"he† refers to African Americans.[17] Without white slave owners to ensure that African Americans bathe, clean their living spaces, and do not engage in promi scuous sex, Allen claims that African Americans did not properly take care of themselves. His answer to this perceived problem is for white Americans to champion a public health reform by way of changing the educational curriculum for blacks. Allen’s proposed â€Å"industrial education† would consist of teaching African American children proper hygiene and cater to their future career prospects, which mainly consist of service or manual labor roles.[18] By singling out a minority group to be segregated for the purpose of a different education based on race, Allen’s â€Å"industrial education† plan would have been an institutionalized instance of structural racism. Black Americans would have been denied access to an equal education, and by virtue of that, they would be further limited to the jobs available to them. Although this plan did not come to fruition, the ideas behind it lingered. Eugenic doctors felt that it was for the betterment of all humankind to promote the procreation of those with what these doctors deemed desirable traits while simultaneously diminishing or altogether ceasing the procreation of the â€Å"unfit.†[19] The widespread belief that eugenics existed in order to improve the global gene pool is paternalistic. The socio-economic elite utilized their position of power to further their self-interested ideology at the expense of those below them, particularly African Americans. Mass incarceration of African Americans is a modern practice that in many ways is a continuation of eugenics. Victims of eugenic sterilization told their stories in a 2011 testimony in North Carolina arranged by The Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board. One such victim was Elaine Riddick, a black woman. Her son, Tony Riddick commented on the ongoing systemic racism in the United States, saying, â€Å"A young man nineteen years old, first time convicted, nonviolent offense, you give him fifteen to twenty years in prison. Now look at what happens, now he can no longer be a father, his mother loses a child.†[20] Though the testimony took place a few years before the #BlackLivesMatter movement gained momentum, these sentiments are the same as those felt by activists today. #BlackLivesMatter advocate and doctor Mary Basset argues in â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities† that â€Å"there is the great injustice in the daily violence experienced by young black men. But the tragedy of lives cut short is not accounted for entirely, or even mostly, by violence.†[21] Indeed, as Tony Riddick pointed out, systemic racism has cost many black Americans the ability to lead a productive life in society and often the ability to reproduce. In the mid-twentieth century, this took the form of the eugenics movement. People designated â€Å"feebleminded,† a categorization for the so-called unfit of society, were often sent to colonies to live out their lives and forcibly sterilized.[22] Though eugenics has been abolished, similar practices occur today. When a person is sentenced to a prison sentence that spans their prime reproductive years, they are segregated from the rest of society and are much less likely to raise a family.[23] Tony Riddick drew a comparison between eugenics and mass incarceration, likening each to genocide.[24] Flaws in today’s criminal justice system have allowed a form of racial genocide to perpetuate in the United States. A quick internet search of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter will bring up a sizable list of names that activists for the movement mourn as preventable deaths. Though many people know of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown, lesser-known but equally important people are added to the list of casualties regularly. One such person is Joyce Cornell, a fifty-year-old black woman who died in jail on July 22, 2015. Cornell was arrested for failing to pay court fines, a minor offense. Cornell experienced severe nausea and vomiting and was not granted medical treatment or water. She passed away one day later from dehydration.[25] These people, every black person who has lost their life early from preventable causes, represent a public health epidemic. Structural racism has decreased the life expectancy of black people living in the United States.[26] As Garcia and Sharif argue, it is necessary to â€Å"reshape our discourse† and consider racism a public health issue in order to begin to combat its effects.[27] It is vital that positive change happens for the betterment of our fellow Americans. This process begins with recognizing that racism exists and that #BlackLivesMatter.             Bibliography Allen, L. C., M.D. â€Å"THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM.† The American Journal of Public Health, 1914. Accessed February 8, 2016.    Bassett, Mary T., M.D., M.P.H. â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities.† The New England Journal of Medicine 372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085-087. Accessed March 11, 2016.    Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927.    Dorr, Gregory Michael. â€Å"STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded.† In Segregation’s Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia, 107-36. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008.    Garcà ­a, Jennifer Jee-Lyn, Ph.D., and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH. â€Å"Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health.† Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health 105, no. 8 (August 2015): E27-30. doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706.    Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011.    Hutchinson, Woods. â€Å"The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,.† The American Journal of Public Health 3 (1913): 238-42.    Knapp, Andrew, and Dave Munday. â€Å"Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail.† Post and Courier. February 24, 2016. Accessed April 21, 2016. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636.    Lee, Lawrence, M.D. â€Å"THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY.† The American Journal of Public Health 5 (1915): 207-10.    Patterson, Andrea. â€Å"Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South.†Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 529-59. doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [1] Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcà ­a, Ph.D. and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH, â€Å"Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health,†Ã‚  Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health105, no. 8 (August 2015): e27, doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706. [2] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [3] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [4] Lawrence Lee, M.D., â€Å"THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY.,†Ã‚  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 207. [5] Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927. [6] Woods Hutchinson, â€Å"The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,†Ã‚  AJPH  3 (1913): 238. [7] Gregory Michael Dorr, † STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded.,† in Segregation’s Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia(University of Virginia Press, 2008). [8] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [9] Dorr, 112 [10] Dorr, 111 [11] Dorr, 129 [12] Dorr, 113 [13] Andrea Patterson, â€Å"Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South,†Ã‚  Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 541, doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [14] Patterson, 529 [15] L. C. Allen, M.D., â€Å"THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM.,†Ã‚  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 194. [16] Allen, 195 [17] Allen, 194 [18] Allen, 200 [19] Hutchinson, 240 [20] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011, D-10 [21] Mary T. Bassett, M.D., M.P.H., â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities,†Ã‚  The New England Journal of Medicine  372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085, accessed March 11, 2016. [22] Dorr, 120 [23] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [24] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board, D-10. [25] Andrew Knapp and Dave Munday, â€Å"Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail,† Post and Courier, February 24, 2016, accessed April 21, 2016, http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636. [26] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [27] Garcia and Sharif, e27

Professional football and subculture Essay

Sports around the world are a large part of the Americans subculture. There are many professional sports that are very competitive throughout the world, but in my opinion professional football is the most competitive. There are also many different cultures, values and different ways sports have impacted my life and the people surrounded by us. First of all, throughout America we all have different values in either huskie football, high school football or professional football. The culture- values in different Americans throughout the world unites people of different race and backgrounds for every sport around the world. In football, fans come together to support and cheer on their favorite team. Some of us consider football as a â€Å"past time† while others see it as their profession and get paid millions of dollars each season. In professional football culture values plays a very important role. For example, last year’s super bowl season involved the New York Giants and New England Patriots which took place in Indianapolis, Indiana. With the majority of football fans watching Super Bowl Sunday there are a lot of money values that are involved. For example, all of the commercials, clothing, ticket sales, hotel reservations and gambling is a good way to add to the economy. Another subculture example, the way fans dress up for the game, different outfits, clothing and facial paintings all add different styles of value during Super Bowl Sunday. Football season has impacted my life a couple of different ways. First of all, it takes up a few hours of my time during my favorite teams’ game. Even though it takes a few hours out of my day on either Sunday or Monday it is still worth it. Secondly, having to spend time with family, friends, having a barbecue and drinking cold adult beverages is always a plus. Although professional football is considered very competitive sport among various teams we still have our own beliefs on how the game is played, how much we spend, what we wear, how we look and basically who we are surrounded by. At the end of the day, we are who we are and we all live differently around the world. Lower class, middle class or upper class, but we are still people with our own beliefs!

Charles Chocolate case Essay Example for Free

Charles Chocolate case Essay Traelene beals â€Å"9am Friday† First, a formal case analysis – This should be written in a business style format using short paragraphs and sentences, self-explanatory headings, and any figures/tables that would facilitate reading. Reports are to be no longer than 2000 words (excluding appendices Issues to be addressed – No measures of productivity or efficiaency in the plant- no way of telling if the plant was doing a good job. Difficult demand forcasting due to seasonality of sales. 2 new stores had ok type sales. Best clients of Wholesale sales changed focus on cheaper items and also own products. Sales agents could be fired with 90 days notice. Other parts of US haven’t heard of us. Of the 221 wholesale customers purchase just $1000 worth of products. Other 125 purchase between 1000 and 2000 per year. Sales agents, don’t know how to represent the all products. Speculating future orders from wholesale clients to customize boxes and logos-waste of capital. 60% of the total online/phone orders were from existing customers. Online sales haven’t grown – orders processed within 3-4 days. Why ship internationaly(only 5%)—Antartica Really Summer problem at Sandwich heaven – why did staff leave? How to get new staff in this tight labour market. Marketing service – old fashioned — Undefined Target market? Packaging ? (tourists publicatins, seasonal print media and radio spots) How to increase awareness without diluting the brand. Leverage on solid search engine raankings to promote online sales Basic website, reminder service to customers-good/bad? Sales agents dint provide links to top accounts. Companies revenues had grown because of Sandwich heaven(franchising) High reliability on tourism. Corporate gift marketing – 25% discount – market was good – Explore boston ? ice cream sales Increase retail penetration? Acquire a niche chocolate company? What about the tradiotnal brand name? Internal capacity? Relocate factory? Background Charles produced high-quality, hand wrapped chocolates, Portland creams. Best quality, many loyal customers across the world. Huge factory(24000 sq foot)-owned-. Only 75 retail and 35 production employees, 20 in management. Working hours 7am-4pm(each day). – Leverage long shelf life Wholesale production required early planning and online sales required late production†¦ Production planning was completed by data distortions arising from out-of stock and over stock issues. – out of stock-over production – killed the pricing – by discount pricing. Special orders put the whole order on a stand still Retail stores provided 50% of sales. – Wholesale had 30% of sales – Charles is just used as an add on product. Online and phone – online 4% of total sales. –phone is 6% of total sales—60% of all these orders were from regular orders.. Avg sales $138 by phone and $91 from website†¦High growth industry†¦ Sandwich heaven – 10% of sales – Industry High demand for organic/dark chocolate- anti oxidant properties. Charles Chocolate case. (2018, Oct 13).

Stages Leading to Fire setting in Children Essay

Stages Leading to Fire setting in Children - Essay Example The researcher states that psychologists have expressed considerable interests towards the child fire setters by coming up with the stages leading to the fire setting. According to Bartol and Bartol, the developmental stages are in three categories comprising of fire interest, fire play and fire setting. This implies that children like to experiment with fire due to fascination as they develop. The first step is the fire interest that arises due to fascination in the early years of development. The child would try to set fires at homes every day, making this a habit as they discover new tricks. It is evident that fire fascination starts at age three with almost one in every five children setting fires. In this regard, parents need to be cautious of the harmful situations that might cause damage or harm to the child and the nearby environment. The other phrase is the experimentation that occurs when the child gets older, normally between the ages of five and nine. In this level, the c hild investigates on how a fire starts and how it burns. However, the chances of the child being burnt or injured are common because of their vulnerability to the risks of fire. This is because of their inexperience to use or extinguish fire if it flares out of control. The age of ten years exposes children to the dangers of fire and they now understand its consequences. The fire setting stage is determined if a child continues to experiment upon passing the age of ten years.

Avis Europe Good Corporate Citizens of the Society Essay

Avis Europe Good Corporate Citizens of the Society - Essay Example The company is now enjoying around 16% market share in U.K. The company provides rental stations through three business formats such as corporate locations, agency location and franchise location. The Budget variety, belonging to Avis Europe in March 2003, provides for customers in above 1,000 places within 65 countries. These are contract-based firms with corporate offices in Austria and Switzerland, France and the UK.   Avis Europe aims to be the leading rental car company while maintaining very high ethical standards. Avis works on the Philosophy of ‘Kaizen’ or Continuous Improvement, which they coin by the phrase â€Å"We Try Harder†. A person named Warren Avis founded Avis Europe. He was a war pilot who after being discharged from US war force came out to design his car rental company. He thought of tapping the niche market of Airport Car Rental Service. The first airports the company tapped were Miami and Detroit. The success of the company can be traced from the fact that in about seven years it rose to the second position behind companies like Hertz and Lazard Freres. Keeping in mind the philosophy of continuous improvement their mission is to build a long-term relationship with stakeholders in the business. They also consider customer loyalty as the focus area. According to a survey report prepared by U.S research organization, Avis is one of the top companies from the vi ewpoint of customer loyalty. Retention of customers in a highly competitive market is always a difficult task. Therefore, they are very much focused on this. In terms of their vision, Avis Europe wants to establish themselves as good corporate citizens of the society. Gaining customer loyalty is their prime goal in this respect. They are also adopting many strategies to project themselves to the society as a good & responsible company. They are equally caring about their employees, suppliers, shareholders,  environment community and society.  

The Impact of Cosmetic Brands towards Female Consumers Perception and Literature review

The Impact of Cosmetic Brands towards Female Consumers Perception and Behaviour - Literature review Example will be discussed in the study, the country and the world at large has undergone rapid modernization and growth with women becoming more involved in society, as well as an increasingly powerful movement among the younger women towards the sue of cosmetics in coping with cultural and social changes. These trends tend to put more emphasis on female appearance, particularly among educated women, which informs the choice of respondents between the ages of eighteen and forty (Chorlton,1988). The research study will also seek to enrich current literature, while also providing additional information about women in UK society to the cosmetics sector and other retailing sectors, as well. The information produced by this study should be of value to marketers in the identification of opportunities, which will ensure improved resource-use efficiency, especially in relation to the perceptions and buying behavior of consumers, such as selling and promotional efforts, product features, consumer targeting, and market segmentation. On this basis, this research paper will seek to pursue several objectives: The strategy used by brands that are well known in introducing product categories to the market can be referred to as brand extension attitude (TusÃŒÅ'kej & Podnar ,2010). Many companies use the strategy as a way of strengthening their brand equity and making it more influential. According to Alav & Zeynali (2013), an effective strategy for brand extension should strengthen the image and name of its parent brand. Brand extension also influences the consumer’s perceptions and attitudes favorable towards the extended brand (Sundaram & Webster ,2009). According to Berger (2011), a successful brand image will enhance the consumer’s ability to identify needs that can be satisfied by the brand, while also differentiating it from competitors and improving the probability of the consumer purchasing the product. By maintaining a favorable brand image, companies and their products, will