The United States Supreme Court and Public Opinion

The United States Supreme Court is a one of a kind American organization. It is remarkable in light of the fact that, dissimilar to the people serving in the official and the administrative parts of government, the nine judges serving at the most significant level of the United States Supreme Court are protected in huge manners from the open they are pledged to serve. Most fundamentally, the judges are given lifetime terms following assignment and affirmation. In contrast to presidents or individuals from Congress, for instance, the judges don't need to persevere through beginning open races or get ready for re-appointment campaigns.In impact, from numerous points of view, the individuals from the United States Supreme Court are protected from the open that they serve in exceptional and novel manners. This very protection, thus, has created furious discussions among lawful researchers, political researchers, and students of history with respect to the best possible portrayal of the c onnection between the United States Supreme Court and popular supposition and the results of various characterizations.This article will contend that the judges of the United States Supreme Court are not close to as confined as customary way of thinking and grant also much of the time expect, that general sentiment influences the judges in a horde of profoundly huge ways, and that receiving a majoritarian model better clarifies the United States Supreme Court just as better serving significant open strategy objectives.In request to help the contention that majoritarian structure is the best model, this paper will clarify why explanatory systems are particularly significant in this specific situation, the outcomes of the various methodologies, and why a majoritarian approach is the better system for breaking down and examining the connection between the United States Supreme Court and popular conclusion. B. Why Analytical Frameworks MatterThis banter is especially significant in ligh t of the fact that these judges, serving forever terms, are raised to the United States Supreme Court because of political choices as opposed to scholarly legitimacy or the ownership of an impartially objective legal way of thinking. Without a doubt, it is generally concurred by researchers that Judges and researchers propagate the fantasy of legitimacy. The truth, in any case, is that each arrangement is political.Merit contends with other political contemplations, similar to individual and ideological similarity, with the powers of help or resistance in Congress and the White House, and with requests for delegate arrangements on the bases of topography, religion, race, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. (O'Brien 33) It is this political association that makes the connection between the United States Supreme Court and the American populace such a significant issue.This is on the grounds that specific suspicions may urge extraordinary interests to seek after political arrangements t o the Supreme Court with an end goal to evade general supposition. For those whom buy in to the countermajoritarian way of thinking, which holds that the Supreme Court is to a great extent resistant to general assessment and barely affected by popular supposition, the conviction is that once an assigned equity is affirmed that the person in question will have the option to give decisions unhindered by the weights of general sentiment (Davis 4).As an outcome, this methodology energizes profoundly political arrangements in light of the fact that there is a conviction that minority interests can be progressed or in any case shielded by an open foundation protected from popular feeling; this, thus, urges possible judges to cease from communicating their mind or their conclusions actually so as to limit political problems.One researcher has depicted this impairing of a candidate’s justifies along these lines: â€Å"A imaginary talk of arrangements has in this way rose: a chosen o ne's backers present his defense in the ideologically impartial language of legitimacy, as though the up-and-comer's perspectives made little difference to his selection,† (Greenberg, n. p. ) That planned judges of the United States Supreme Court are constrained to take part in a â€Å"fictive discourse† is both upsetting and in opposition to the American perfect of open and free discourse.The affirmation fight including Robert Bork was illustrative of this sort of political fight; to be sure, instead of concentrating on Bork’s scholarly capacities or benefits the affirmation hearings lapsed into maybe the most disagreeable affirmation fight in present day history. In reality, as one driving researcher of the Bork procedures has noted, featuring the previously mentioned risks related with the countermajoritarian framework,Because barely any learned onlookers addressed Judge Bork's expert capabilities, restriction to Bork immediately centered around his legal way of thinking. The attention on belief system raised a urgent issue regarding whether it was appropriate for the Senate to dismiss for ideological reasons an in any case qualified chosen one. (Vieira, and Gross vii)On the other hand, for those whom buy in to the majoritarian way of thinking, an undeniably compelling way to deal with the connection between the United States Supreme Court and popular feeling, the conviction is that the judges are not protected from general supposition and that popular conclusion influences the judges personally regarding the kinds of cases they decide to choose every year (O'Brien 165), what lawful supports that judges decide to depend on when choosing especially combative cases (Waltenburg, and Swinford 242), and whether to maintain or topple longstanding legitimate points of reference (Norrander, and Wilcox 707).Such presumptions, that general sentiment does make a difference and that it makes a difference fundamentally, have a few noteworthy ramifica tions in the event that they are valid. To begin with, choosing governmental issues over legitimacy when concluding whom to name to the United States Supreme Court might be exaggerated; all the more explicitly, judges will eventually be more touchy to general conclusion than the political partnerships that earned them the designation in the first place.They will, all things considered, be liberated of the need to support the political coalitions after affirmation because of their lifetime residency while they will consistently be decided by popular sentiment. An a valid example was the Republican assignment of Warren Burger. He was known to have been a traditionalist with a severe development way to deal with the understanding of the United States Constitution. To put it plainly, from a countermajoritarian perspective, Burger had appeared to be a phenomenally protected political decision for the United States Supreme Court.The reality, in any case, was that as the fifteenth Chief Ju stice of the United States Supreme Court, Burger started to decide in manners that stunned his underlying supporters. Instead of disregarding popular sentiment, as his supporters needed on issues, for example, race, he has since gotten known as one of the more extremist Chief Judges throughout the entire existence of the United States Supreme Court. The countermajoritarian way of thinking can't represent such a move in legal conduct, and this is a significant defect in this specific systematic framework.Burger is vastly improved comprehended, similar to the United States Supreme Court all the more for the most part, by utilizing a majoritarian structure that represents general feeling notwithstanding hidden political unions or political ways of thinking. Second, in the event that these suspicions are valid, at that point popular assessment matters. That implies that examining the United States Supreme Court in confinement, as opposed to related to other related social factors, for e xample, general assessment, is an imperfect approach.The better logical system is the majoritarian approach which, however a minority approach, achieves two significant destinations. At first, by representing and investigating all the more cautiously the connection between popular conclusion and the United States Supreme Court, courts like Burger’s can be better comprehended and better clarified; furthermore, the majoritarian approach legitimizes general feeling as a piece of the national discussion concerning legitimate issues of open premium as opposed to binding these issues to nine far off judges in a secretive ivory tower.If one of the principle elements of the judges is to shield the authenticity of the American constitution, a report thought about and intended to secure the open for the most part, at that point sound strategy requests open support and impact. There are two primary inquiries to be settled. To begin with, does the countermajoritarian or the majoritarian system better clarify how the United States Supreme Court capacities? Second, and identified with the primary issue, which model better adds to the authenticity of the United States Supreme Court and its legitimate decisions.C. Principle Questions 1. Countermajoritarian or Majoritarian: A Threshold Issue Although the United States Supreme Court is one of the most intensely contemplated American foundations, there stay huge contrasts of feeling with respect to the idea of the connection between the Supreme Court and popular conclusion. One of the more central discussions among lawful researchers, political specialists, and history specialists focuses on whether the United States Supreme Court is generally a countermajoritarian foundation or a majoritarian institution.This banter has significant ramifications. Those that accept that the countermajoritarian model best portrays the real capacity and activity of the United States Supreme Court additionally will in general view the Suprem e Court as being to a great extent protected from popular feeling; then again those that accept that the majoritarian system best describes the Supreme Court will in general accept that general assessment, to some surviving, influences the capacity, tasks, and a definitive lawful choices of the Supreme Court.How one purposes this discussion, accordingly, inescapably influences American law; undoubtedly, â€Å"Much sacred talk is predicated on the presumption that the United States Supreme Court is a counter-majoritarian organization, and regulating speculations supporting the activity of legal survey are seen, by a few, as having to accommodat

STRATEGIC PLAN CRITIQUE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Key PLAN CRITIQUE - Essay Example The company’s key arrangement is defined to address the present dangers/issues concerning the business just as the organization all in all, for example, its more vulnerable nearness in the person to person communication fragment, low coordination of the wide scope of administrations gave, specialized obstructions bringing about obsolete connections, arrange tricks, ecological issues and so forth. These issues are suitably handled by the organization the board by utilizing its interior qualities of labor, scholarly skill and boundless prominence to use its image esteem and augment consumer loyalty simultaneously working intimately with the company’s vision, crucial qualities. This vital arranging process is essential for all associations as it encourages them in distinguishing the different dangers and openings in the business just as furnishes them with sufficient information about its inward qualities and shortcomings to address such issues presented by the large scale financial condition. This paper talks about the different issues, issues just as dangers concerning the business just as the organization in general and evaluates the key arranging process recognized by the administration to address those issues. The Pedigree Grooming and Boarding Company situated in New Mexico, is committed to offering some benefit based administrations to the canine show contenders. The different issues concerning the organization as of now, remembers the change for possession, monetary misery of the clients, high rivalry, valuing arrangements and relative freshness of the new proprietor in this field. These issues are expected to be tended to by receiving new evaluating strategies, growing its administration line, worker advancement through thorough preparing, and setting reachable yet serious targets. This vital arrangement is planned fittingly that tries to focus on the most essential parts of the business and is in accordance with the general objectives, vision and mission of the

4 Tips For Overcoming Obstacles

4 Tips For Overcoming Obstacles Whatever goals you are pursuing, you have come across and will continue coming across obstacles. This is normal. In fact, it is so normal that if you’re not facing obstacles, then it’s probably because you are stagnant.And while a majority are complaining about obstacles hindering them from being successful, some are just overcoming them and succeeding.Those who are succeeding are not any better than those complaining. But if the result of their encounters with obstacles bring them success, then there must be something the complainers can do to also succeed.You have heard that obstacles are there to be overcome. That they are opportunities in disguise. But the opportunities could be so disguised that you doubt their very existence. If this is you, then relax and know that this article is for you.Whether you are in business or desire to overcome some personal obstacles, read on and you will get a new perspective to life.COMMON OBSTACLES IN LIFEIf you have had both victories and fa ilures dealing with obstacles, then you will also benefit from this article. At the end of it, you will know just how to make the victories more consistent.First, let’s look at some of the common obstacles. Although the list can be very long, you will realize that some obstacles actually are a result of these listed here.FearFear is not just an obstacle but an enemy. A very real enemy. This obstacle can be the only one in your life but still easily manage to keep you from your goals. Fear resides deep inside you and poses a great risk to your success.Fear makes you unable to start any project because of very many reasons. These reasons are rarely true. As much as they may be factual, the whole idea is never true because fear never gives you all the necessary information.To keep you under its control, fear will only tell you what will work against you so that you believe it and settle for less. This is one big reason why there are so many people with grand business ideas which neve r see the light of day. The ideas remain in their minds.Fear comes in many forms. The fear of not making enough profit; fear of not being able to pay your bills on time; fear of failure; fear of being embarrassed when you fail; fear of being labeled a loser etc.But did you know that there will always be something to be afraid of?Fear mainly comes from your natural desire for security. You need assurance about paying bills, having food, having a home and many other things which make you comfortable. For you to be comfortable, you need to be sure what tomorrow holds.That is why uncertainty makes you fearful. For example, when you hear of new technology being introduced at work, you are afraid of getting laid off.Ask the entrepreneurs and they will tell you. Listen to the successful business leaders and they will confirm it. You will never know all that tomorrow holds. That means you will always be anxious about something.Will your sales rise or drop? Will your competitor’s business be more profitable than yours? Will your best employees be lured by your competitor and leave you? All these are very real possibilities. Real and reasonable fears. But are you supposed to give them all the attention they seek?If you give in to fear, you will get crippled and never move. You will be too afraid to work on that great business idea afraid that it may never amount to anything. Too afraid to start that promising relationship afraid of a heartbreak.You may also be afraid of sharing an opinion during a meeting fearing that it may sound stupid. Unknown to you, it may be the idea that gets your company that coveted contract. This may get you the project manager’s position and ultimately the promotion you have always been dreaming of.Memories of past mistakesNo-one under the sun is perfect. No matter how learned or experienced. We all learn as we continue on the journey of life. Those who succeed are the ones who learn and implement the lessons.Learning is simply the acquir ing of knowledge. This may come in the form of official schooling or practical experiences. When you apply this knowledge in life situations, then you are said to be wise because you skillfully avoid many unnecessary mistakes.All the same, you can never avoid all mistakes. In fact, despite your wisdom, you will very likely make some big mistakes just like everyone else. But what is your response afterwards?Your fall may have caused you a lot of pain. Be it emotional, physical or psychological, the overall effect may have been huge. It may have been something you did and now regret or something you failed to do and the consequences still follow you. Such cases may bring about self-loathing.Painful memories can make you unable to move and stand as a big obstacle in your way. It might be that any time you try stepping out, you automatically remember something and get pulled back.Such situations require counseling. Talking to a counselor will help you handle the situation so you can hea l and live life normally.Wrong attitudeAttitudes are perspectives or ways of thinking that have been developed over time. Just as there is positive and negative thinking, there is a right and wrong attitude. The right attitude goes hand in hand with positive thinking and the wrong attitude with negative thinking.When you have the wrong attitude towards something, you become unable to put the necessary effort required to gain any benefit from it. Instead of seeing any opportunity, you will only see the problem. Yet these problems will only be getting worse because you cannot provide a solution.A wrong attitude will make you magnify problems which are actually very small. You will see all the things which are wrong in a situation and nothing good in it. This perspective will keep you from attempting to change the situation.According to you, there is simply too much that needs to be done that it can’t be done by one person. Especially not you because you apparently can’t do anythin g about it.Surprisingly enough, you will still see the need for something to be done. You may even speak out about the situation in an effort to get people to do something about it. In doing so, you fail to realize that you are giving away your power to make the necessary changes.An example of this can be seen in the communities where the environment is not as clean as it should be. In some areas, the government has a responsibility in keeping the environment clean. However, what happens if for some reason that doesn’t happen?Some people will let the situation become worse. At the same time, others will be littering the environment since there are people who should be handling it. These are the same people who will be complaining loudest as the problem worsens. How far will such people go towards success?Watch the below video to know how big a difference a positive attitude can make. Self-doubtAre you aware of your strengths? Self-doubt is the doubt of your personal abilities. You may be well skilled in something but since you haven’t acknowledged your abilities, you don’t think they amount to much.Everyone is born with certain abilities. Referred to as talents or gifts, these enable you to learn some skills faster or perform tasks with less effort compared to others. For example, you may be talented in singing and some friends have mentioned it to you.This natural ability can make it easy for you to outperform others in a competition. If starting a singing career, it may enable you rise to the top faster than others. But if you don’t acknowledge its existence or haven’t learned its value, you will not be able to take advantage of it.One of the causes of self-doubt is low self-esteem. Low self-esteem causes you to have low self-confidence thus preventing you from going for what you want to achieve.Lack of self-disciplineSelf-discipline is one of the building blocks of success. Hard work is necessary but without self-discipline, the journey towards su ccess will be quite short. Self-discipline produces consistency and this is what results in diligence.Lacking in self-discipline will make you have a series of “on and off” moments. You will wake up early one day and do what needs to be done. But the following day, you will wake up late and do very little or nothing at all.Lacking in self-discipline is what makes you plan your day and start off well but fail to complete the tasks you planned to work on.Lack of self-discipline can cause a lot of frustrations as you see the victory right ahead of you but are unable to experience it. You may have wanted to achieve some goals by a certain time and was sure it was reasonably possible. But lacking self-discipline will ensure you never achieve them.PerfectionismGood, better, best. Or should it be good, great, perfect?You may have to decide as this could be a personal preference. All the same, if you choose to go by “good, great, perfect,” then know that you may fall into a trap whi ch many have fallen into.The word perfect refers to a situation where everything is 100% or more, above the normal expectation of good. This can never be attained and all pursuit of it is in vain. Perfectionism is a very dangerous lie.Even science and all technology can never get you there. That is why there is not even one type of computer that can do all things. There has to be one type for specific work and even then, it still has shortcomings. A perfect computer can only exist in imagination.It may have to be of unlimited storage, faster than lightning in processing, always knowing what the user wants without being told and doing it (AI machines have to be taught) etc. Apply this to your personal life and you will know that you are not perfect therefore can never do a perfect job.You can never have a perfect plan, a perfect team, a perfect financial state, a perfect anything. Situations are also never perfect and if you wait for the perfect time so as to do something, you will n ever do it.Why? The perfect situation will never exist.“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.”  Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NIV)Analysis paralysisThis is closely related to perfectionism. In fact, it is the result of it.Analysis paralysis is where you analyze the situation over and over again in an effort to make the perfect decision. Obviously, as you do this, time is never waiting for you. And before you realize it, you have lost the opportunity that you had.This is a problem when it comes to decision making. For anything to be done, there has to be a decision made.Whether consciously or unconsciously, you make decisions. Unfortunately, you can get trapped in an unending cycle of gathering facts, analyzing them and reviewing the analysis. All this in pursuit of the best solution.Result?Stagnation in life.The people you admire as big and successful business owners have learned the importance of making decisions quickly. There are times when you will need to make decisions with no information at all. Yet you will have to trust that you made the right one.In such cases, you decide, then work to make the decision the right one.The connection with perfectionism is that it is the search for the perfect decision that makes you over-analyze the situation you are in. You want to have all the information so that you can make the best or perfect decision. The decision which will ensure things flow perfectly. You don’t want any hitches.If you realize that you have been having a problem making decisions quickly, then know that your problem is perfectionism. If your problem is perfectionism, then your root problem is low self-confidence.If you lack self-confidence, you will be unable to trust your ability to make good decisions. You will always want to have the perfect decision so that you can defend yourself against any question regarding the decision you made.You therefore want the perfect decision to be the source of your con fidence.This set up is a sure recipe for disaster at a personal level. Since you will never be able to make a perfect decision, you will anxiously be wondering what people think of your decision.Unfortunately, even the perfect decision, if at all it exists, will still be questioned. This is because people are different and they think differently. Your “perfect” is not everyone’s “perfect.” So quit pursuing perfectionism and save yourself from the agony of analysis paralysis.Take courage in knowing that the path to success is full of uncertainties which have to be dealt with as they come.TIPS FOR OVERCOMING OBSTACLESThese and many other obstacles in life are not permanent walls which block you from success. In fact, even walls can come down. One such wall was the Berlin wall.Remember what we said about having the wrong attitude? If you have the right attitude, you will see obstacles as important and even necessary for life. You will appreciate their presence because they bu ild you. They increase your capacity to overcome more.That is why those who are in high positions will normally have gone through more obstacles than those below them. They hold those positions as captains who can steer the ship through the storms which are sure to come.As you read the below tips, encourage yourself knowing that you are learning how to become better. Apply these tips in your life by starting small. As you develop more mental muscle, you will just naturally climb up the ladder of successâ€"with very little conscious struggle.Identify and understand the obstacleIf you really want to be successful in anything, then you better realize that you will be fighting. This fight is usually to a large extent in your mind. It is with your mind that you decide to do something. And it is still with your mind that you muster the courage and effort to do what you decided.Since you cannot fight an enemy you don’t know, or worse still, can’t see, the first step is to identify and understand your enemy. This is your obstacle. The thing standing between you and your goals. Identifying your obstacle is not just seeing it but understanding it.“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Sun Tzu, The Art of WarYou have to be a bit analytical here, not too much though. If you hit a wall, sit down and ask yourself some questions. What exactly is standing in my way? Is it usually there? Did I do something or fail to do something thus causing it to be there?Have I ever heard about this obstacle? What do I know about it? Have other people overcome it? Did they go through it or around it?After you have this knowledge, it is then time to plan.What do you have?You plan based on the resources you have. You don’t have everything needed for a fightâ €"and you never will.The greatest stories are of those people who had little resources but utilized them well enough to overcome great challenges. Wouldn’t you like your story to be like theirs?Your resources are the things that work for you and not against you. These are your strengths. If you are running a business, then you might include in this list the strengths of your employees. In case you haven’t gotten to that level, don’t worry, you have something that your competitors don’t.If your obstacle is a business competitor, then in the first step, you should have managed to research and know what makes him good. In this step, you are now finding out what makes (or can make) you better.What do your friends say you are good at? If you have had any clients so far, what have they praised you for? Superior quality products? Timely delivery? Great customer service? Lower prices (without compromising your margins)?What were you praised for in school? Convincing power? Eloquence in speech?If you are struggling to get answers, you can engage a friend or family member. Just ask them to be sincere. If you however take some time and do this alone, you will gain better insight into yourself.You will know that you are really well equipped.After you have this information, check how you can implement your strengths against the strengths of the obstacle you’re facing. There will always be a way that something can be brought down even with little strength. Do not be in a hurry or feel like you are taking too much time.Watch the below video to learn how you can utilize your strengths. Of course, time is an important factor to consider. However, if you rush through without properly understanding the situation and planning well, you will soon be back to the drawing board. Nothing wrong with that, except that if it happens often, you are bound to get frustrated.Having listed as many strengths as possible, including those seemingly too small and of little significance, plan on how to tackle the obstacle from multiple angles. And this is where we get to the interesting part. This is the fun part.Change the environmentThere is nothing as good and fun as playing a game according to your rules. You are sure to win.To change the environment means you are changing the game plan to flow in a manner that favors you.For example, you may be dealing with a business competitor who has more financial muscle than you. If your strengths are timely delivery and great customer service, use those two to tackle the competition. You can go about them like this:Approach clients from a perspective of building a relationship. Make the client see you as a friend. He should be able to trust you as this is the foundation on which big brands are built. That is why a brand can sell expensive products but people still buy; make mistakes but people are still buying.Great customer service is centered on making the customer trust you. Make customers trust that you have their co ncerns close to your heart. Then let them know that this is the basis on which you have developed your products or services.After this, promise timely delivery and make sure you don’t fail on that.Feel free to attack the obstacle from another angle at the same time. That can be cheaper prices. As long as you don’t go below your margins, you can lower prices.Lower prices can also be a great strategy in business. If you have lower profits from selling one product but end up selling many pieces, then cumulatively, your profits rise.This strategy of changing the environment is not limited to business operations only. It also works at a personal level. As long as you have your list of strengths and have understood the obstacle ahead of you, you are good to go.For example, you may be trying to get into a relationship but your obstacle is shyness.What are your strengths? Have you been told you have a great voice? Have you been complimented on your height or beauty? Are you good in cert ain games?If you can sing, then start by joining a karaoke club. If you play sports, join a sports club. When you are in an environment where you flourish easily, your confidence gets built up and you are able to outdo obstacles.Keep everything flowing within the boundaries of your strengths. You will soon realize that the obstacles which stood ahead of you actually helped you. You ended up knowing that you have more that you initially thought you had.Be diligentRemember the need for discipline? It will not be very helpful for you to change the environment but not sustain it. Diligence is necessary for this.This is where many people tend to start failing because this stage is not as much fun as the previous one. There is little adrenaline running unless you make it your goal to always venture out to conquer more ground.Before you do that however, it is critical that you become completely in control of the obstacle you faced. If it is one that could be moved as a result of your chang ing the environment, then you can proceed. If it is one that needs to be managed at all times, then you have to plan accordingly.Diligence speaks of consistency. Consistency in doing what you are doing in the way you are doing it. If it is working, then stick to it. In the course of time, analyze any changes in both the internal and external environments to see whether you need to change tack.Also, as you develop and become better, consider improving your operations to become more efficient. For example, as much as you have strengths working for you, you may need to implement automated solutions in some areas.Strengths can also be improved. You can enroll for classes. You can research and learn online to see how other people are doing things. You will always need to be more knowledgeable so as to stay ahead of your obstacles.This ensures that obstacles coming your way will never surprise you. You will also be equipped enough to know that you can handle them thus avoid unnecessary st ress.All in all, ensure that you always operate as per the strengths you have. This is what will keep you from sliding back to the challenging phase you were in.CONCLUSIONAfter reading these tips, go ahead and implement them. Then you will realize that obstacles are nothing but stepping stones on your way to success.

Web Application Development Techniques For Database Security

Web Application Development Techniques for Database Security Databases are a core component of many web applications. The number of web applications that use databases continues to increase each year, and the rate at which malicious users are hacking into databases is growing at an alarming rate. The hacker’s intent is to destroy data or steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and passwords. This produces a strong need to ensure the integrity of the data and secure the data from unintended access. As a web developer, there are many techniques that can be used to program security into a web application to lessen the likelihood of a malicious user being able to access confidential information. It is†¦show more content†¦These passwords should be a minimum of 10 alphanumeric characters. A strong password would be one that is short enough to remember, but long enough to make it difficult for others to guess. It takes much longer to randomly guess a long password than a short one. However, w eb developers must be careful about forcing users to create overly complex passwords because this often leads to unsafe practices such as writing down passwords, which then leaves an opportunity for malicious database infiltration. Also, never store passwords in a database in plain text. Any compromise to the database should not allow a user’s data to be put at risk, especially the passwords they use. To solve this problem, passwords and other important data should be encrypted before being stored. SQL Injection It is a common practice in web applications to allow users to enter information into web forms. This user input, unfortunately, opens up the possibility of SQL injection. SQL injection is the most common and well known web application vulnerability. SQL injections can happen when SQL statements are dynamically created when processing user input. It is not difficult for a malicious user to enter SQL directly into the input fields to dynamically change the SQL statement in order to obtain information from the database. The PHP code could look like this: $user_input = â€Å"Lucy ; DROP TABLE CUSTOMERS;--†; $query = â€Å"SELECT username, password FROM CUSTOMERS WHERE

Social Engineering Is A Powerful Tool Used By Cyber Criminals

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The Secret of Ella and Micha Prologue Free Essays

Ella I wonder if I can fly? With the wind and rain in my hair and my arms out to the side of me, it feels like it might be possible. Perhaps if I can get enough courage to jump off the thin ledge, I’ll soar away into the night, like a bird with powerful wings. Maybe then I could reunite with her. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret of Ella and Micha Prologue or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"What are you doing?† Micha says, his voice higher than normal. â€Å"Get down from there. You’re going to hurt yourself.† His aqua eyes pierce me through the rain and his hands are on the beams above his head, hesitant to climb out onto the ledge. â€Å"I don’t think I will,† I say. â€Å"I think I might be able to fly†¦ just like her.† â€Å"Your mom couldn’t fly.† He balances onto the railing and glances down at the murky water far below our feet. â€Å"What are you on?† â€Å"I took one of her old pills.† I tip my head back and bask my face in the rain. â€Å"I just wanted to see what it was like for her. Why she thought she was invincible.† He steps down on the beam with his arms spanned out to the side and his clunky boots slip on the wet metal. The lightning flashes above our heads and collides with the earth. â€Å"Your mother didn’t know better, but you do.† Bracing one hand on the metal wire above our heads, he extends his other hand toward me. â€Å"Now come over here. You’re scaring the shit out of me.† â€Å"I don’t know if I can,† I say softly, raising my head back up as I rotate to face him. â€Å"I’m not sure if I want to.† He dares a step closer and his thick eyelashes blink fiercely against the down pour. â€Å"Yes, you do. You’re stronger than that.† His hand begs me closer. â€Å"Please, just get over here.† Staring down at the black water, my body starts to drift. â€Å"I swear to God, Ella!† Micha shouts, his tone sharp, his muscles tense. â€Å"Give me your hand!† I snap out of my daze and tangle my fingers with his. His other hand captures my waist and he leads us swiftly back to the railing, lifting me over it. My feet settle onto the concrete of the bridge that is pooled with puddles. Lights on the beams illuminate the night and Micha’s car is parked in the middle of the bridge with the driver’s door open and the engine and headlights on. He hops over the railing and then his arms are around me, embracing me securely, like he’s afraid to let go. For a second, it feels okay, weightless and uncontrolled. I tuck my face into his chest, the wet fabric damp against my chilled skin. The scent of him takes me to a place I wish I could go back to – my childhood. Back when things weren’t as heavy because I was too immature to grasp the full reality of life. Micha pulls back and smoothes my wet hair out of my eyes. â€Å"Don’t you ever do that to me again. I can’t do this without you.† But he needs to figure out life without this perception of me, because I don’t know how long I can keep doing it without drowning. â€Å"Micha, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The look on his face silences my lips. He knows what I’m about to say – he always does. He is my best friend, my soul mate. In a perfect world, full of roses and sunshine we’d be together, but this world is full of broken homes, drunken fathers, and mothers who give up easily. â€Å"I’m sorry.† I cling to him as I say my final good-bye. â€Å"I didn’t want to think anymore. It was just too much and my mind wouldn’t slow down. But it’s alright now. I can think clearly again.† He cups my cheek, his thumb searing hot as he traces the pad lightly across my cheekbone. â€Å"Next time come to me – don’t just run. Please. I know things are hard right now, but it’ll get better. We’ve always made it through every single bad thing thrown at us.† Beads of water trickle in his eyelashes, along his cheeks, over his full lips. There’s a shift in the air, one I’ve felt coming for a long time. His lips part. â€Å"Ella, I love – â€Å" I crush my lips against his, hushing him and melting our bodies together. I allow his tongue to caress mine, letting him suck the rain from my bottom lip and savor the taste of me. We arc into each other, like we can’t get enough and heat flows through our drenched clothes, warming my skin. I could let it go on forever, but that would be wrong. The girl he thinks he loves needs to disappear. I don’t want tonight to be irreversible, so I pull away, breathing him in one last time. Then I walk away, leaving him on the bridge in the rain, along with the old Ella. How to cite The Secret of Ella and Micha Prologue, Essay examples

Wiley’s Approach to Formulaic Writing free essay sample

In their quest to find a simple way to assure students have the writing skills they need, teachers are tempted to use formulaic writing. Having a method to rely on seems to be a win -win situation for teachers and students as well. In his article â€Å" The Popularity of Formulaic Writing (and Why We Need to Resist)† Mark Wiley is trying to analyze to what extent teaching writing, as a formula will affect the writing process. Wiley is emphasizing that the tendency towards formulaic writing comes from the increasing pressure on schools to rise the test scores, and based on statistics, essays that comply the formula received high scores on test and advanced placement exams. Although the article was written 12 years ago, the topic is still current considering the recent teachers strike in Chicago. Similar to a more than a decade ago, among problems such as budget deficits, school closures and teacher layoffs, the Chicago teachers also object to their performance and jobs being tied to standardized tests. Wiley’s article is analyzing the formulaic approach in writing and he is specifically addressing the Schaffer Method. He describes the Schaffer approach to teaching writing in great details. He continues by presenting the strengths of Schaffer formula and also the downside of the formulaic writing. He concludes that Schaffer method should be used as a strategy but resisting the formulaic. His analyze about the method seems to be very persuasive. Wiley is right about the fact that the success of Schaffer’s method suppress important aspects of writing process essential to student’s future development. Schaffer’s method should be taught as a segment of the writing process, a tool that can be accessed when necessary rather than the only tool available. Because in a school setting, the writing teachers are the decision makers in regards to what writing method will be adopted, they are Wileys primary audience. His position as the composition coordinator, makes Wiley a trusted authority. Also being an English teacher, help readers identify with the writer. He connects and creates credibility with his audience in several ways. Besides being knowledgeable about the subject, he demonstrates fairness and courtesy to alternative views. He analyzes the issue considering the advantages as well as the limitations in using Schaffers method. Wiley uses specific examples in order to give his argument presence and emotional resonance. â€Å"I understand what teachers are up against, particularly in urban schools: resources are scarce, buildings are in disrepair, classrooms are overcrowded, and scores of new teachers are needed; yet too many of these teachers are poorly prepared to teach writing(61). In other words, he involve his audience on one hand by empathizing with them, and on the other hand highlighting that too many of these teachers are not prepared to teach writing, thus, their tendency to favor a formulaic method. The increased pressure on schools to rise test scores and make sure high school students are ready for college, and because too many teachers are looking for quick fixes, determined Wiley to write the article (61). Although the article was published in 2000, similar issues seem to bother the teachers today. According with Salon Media Group in March, â€Å"education researchers from 16 universities sent a letter to Emanuel and the head of the Chicago Public Schools warning against such measures, pointing out among other things that such test-based teacher evaluations have been shown to be highly unreliable measures of teacher quality. Moreover, poverty, homelessness, crime and other social issues beyond the influence of teachers often influence standardized test results. And we know this type of teacher evaluation risks creating teachers who ‘teach to the test’ instead of the creative, dynamic teachers we need†. In other words the growing political pressure on schools to raise test scores that Wiley notice in his article appears to be at its peak. Although most of the audience will be supportive, considering the fact that Wiley is not against Schaffer formula as long as the method is part of a strategy, some will argue against it. One teacher I interviewed stubbornly resisted Schaffers approach and claimed she would never use it. Students first need to develop writing fluency she argued, not simply learn how to fill out a form(63). The essence of Wiley argument is that by using Schaffers’s method, students will learn how to follow directions on filing out a form. On the other side, Schaffers supporters will argue that by using the method, rapid improvements were made even for struggling students, and the simple format to follow will help them achieve some immediate success in their academic writing. Several high school teachers whom I have spoken with who have been using the Schaffer method generals saw rapid improvement in the writing of struggling students(63). Wiley is using counterexamples and counter testimony to rebut the opposing argument. He highlights that the teachers recognize that some students were bored with the method, and although they acknowledge that students need to move beyond Schaffer method in order to improve, they dont know what to do next. Throughout his essay Wiley is using as evidence data from personal experience, data from observation or field research and data from interviews. One of the specific evidence Wiley uses is Data from observation or field research. On one hand he is and English teacher, hence, he has a firsthand experience with Shafer’s method, on the other hand his position as the composition coordinator at a large metropolitan university gives him the opportunity to interact with other English teachers and get feedback about the method. â€Å" Given the growing political pressure on schools to raise test scores and make sure students graduate from high school prepared to do college level work, I am busier than ever visiting high schools and talking to teachers about teaching writing†(61). In making this comment Wiley emphasize his understanding of the matter. His comments throughout the essay direct the reader to see the issue from his perspective, suggesting to consider the bigger picture rather than the immediate benefits. â€Å" Formulaic writing of the kind Schaffer advocates forces premature closure on complicated interpretative issues and stifles ongoing exploration. (†¦) Yes, this definitely nonformulaic exploration takes time and can lead students to question their assumption and beliefs†(65). He agrees the nonformulaic approach is a longer process, but also underlines that this explorations facilitate growth in understanding and writhing ability (65). He notice that pro formulaic teachers loved the efficiency of Schaffer’s method, and also highlights that this approach should be used just to provide students a basic structure for writing. However, these interpretative comments emphasize his belief that the Schafer’s method should be used as a strategy rather than as a formula. Although he may have firsthand experience with the method, skeptics may argue that his personal experience is limited, and even though his position facilitates interaction with numerous teachers, there is no statistical evidence to validate his claim. Another specific evidence Wiley uses is data from interviews. He mentions that one of the teachers he interviewed will never use Schaffer’s method. He introduced the teacher’s quote by noting that students need to learn more than just how to fill out a form. He explains the quote and also makes interpretive comments highlighting his viewpoint about the method. Data from interviews can provide engaging personal stories thus enhancing the way the reader will receive the message. As limitations, critics might argue about the credibility of interview subjects, or the number of interviews not being sufficient for the matter. According to Willey argument, I would point out that the problem is not the formulaic writing but rather it is â€Å"the pedagogical blindness that formulaic writing leads to† (61). One of the benefits of Shaffer approach is that it makes the writing process accessible to everyone. On one hand it will make writing enjoyable for students that like the scientific approach. On the other hand some readers may challenge this view by insisting that having a formula to apply makes writing more of a science rather than humanities class. Although Shaffer’s approach does not restrict creativity, having a structure to follow will not encourage such creativity. Wiley approach to formulaic writing is very realistic, and his way of presenting the topic clarifies the questions on the best method to teach writing. As he puts it a more viable approach in teaching writing will be to â€Å"use formats as strategies but resisting the formulaic†(66). A strategy will use a formula but it will adapt it to a specific writing situation. In other words the formula will serve as a foundation to build the writing assignment rather than the writing assignment itself.

An Existentialist Reading of Catch-22 essays

An Existentialist Reading of Catch-22 essays Mankind has always been in search of something more meaningful than we can truly comprehend, when in actuality, there really isn't anything we can truly comprehend to begin with. Mankind is plummeting towards an unknown destiny of prosperity or devastation and there is truly nothing we can do or say to stop whatever occurrence awaits us. Joseph Heller brings us a little closer to our insane destiny with his novel Catch- 22 as he depicts grimly absurd scenes that are "all about a society that is fast going insane", according to John W. Aldridge. Characters cursed with savage physical desires and characters cursed with one-dimensional thoughts are the basic make-up of this extremely intricate novel. The reader is constantly aware of basic human desire, but then they're reminded of the absurdity and pointlessness of the world in which they desire. Heller highlights the essential nonsensicality of our existence through the use of absurd, and yet somehow depressingly realistic circumstances that force the reader into wondering why they go through so much trouble to exist in a world that most certainly has no point. Heller does an excellent job of highlighting the importance of basic human desires, and they play a pivotal role in this novel. Heller uses each of his characters to introduce a new desire and or physical need that humans experiences in all phases of their lives. Hungry Joe represents sexual desire, the Chaplain represents the desire for basic human companionship, Milo depicts the desire for success and money, and so on and so forth. Almost all of Heller's Characters are in search of something, they all want to feel something or be a part of something in order to feel connected to something. Yossarian is constantly falling in love because he needs to feel that connection to another human being. Yossarian needs to know that it is possible for two humans to connect in a way that ...

Rei Data Warehousing Research Paper Example

Rei Data Warehousing Research Paper Example Rei Data Warehousing Paper Rei Data Warehousing Paper 1. What is a data warehouse and why is REI building one? A data warehouse can be described as a â€Å"database that stores current and historical data of potential interest to decision makers throughout a company. The data originate in many core operational transaction systems, such as systems for sales, customer accounts, and manufacturing, and may include data from Web site transactions. 1† REI is building a data warehouse to improve the company and to meet the needs of the customers. REI’s data warehouse will allow the company to view current and past data on sales, products, and customer information. The data warehouse will allow for the company to get to know the customers better and help in seeing which products are selling. The data warehouse will allow REI to become closer to the consumer and tailor goods to the needs of the consumer. 2. What are some of the disadvantages of consumer cooperatives compared to ‘traditional firms’? Consumer cooperatives have some disadvantages in comparison to traditional firms. Consumer cooperatives require a high level of organization. Because the consumers are helping to make many decisions there are more legal responsibilities for the company. The company must listen to the consumers and also provide rules that the consumer cooperative must follow as a whole. While it is great for the consumers to be so involved, traditional firms have less of a hassle and don’t need to take so many extra steps when making decisions. 3. Describe some of the marketing strategies that REI’s data warehouse will allow them to use. Would these have been possible before the data warehouse was built? REI’s data warehouse will allow them to create more marketing strategies, specifically on their online shopping Website. With the use of the data warehouse, REI’s website will be able to recognize customers when they log on to the Website. By doing this, REI can tailor products or information to the customer each time they log on. If REI knows, â€Å"for example, that the member lives in Seattle and likes to hike, then REI can make recommendations about trails in the area. And they can suggest local environmental stewardship activities such as an REI-hosted trail maintenance project on National Trails Day. 2† Understanding customers in this way would probably not be possible without the data warehouse. The data warehouse is able to store all of this information about a customer and then allow REI to make the recommendations. The data warehouse is a vital part of this customer relationship that REI is trying to create. 4. What are some of the risks or concerns surrounding the creation of a data warehouse? There are definitely some risks and concerns surrounding the creation of a data warehouse. One risk would be security. Creating a data warehouse with customer information or credit card information needs to be protected. Any type of computer holding this data could be hacked into, so measures need to be taken to protect the data on various levels. Also, creating a data warehouse poses risk for employees simply having resistance. The employees who use the data will need to understand how the data is stored and how to use it properly. REI has probably used a method that the employees are trained on and are comfortable with. Employees will need to be willing to learn about the new data warehouse and how to properly use the data to create success. 5. Why do you think REI chose to work with IBM’s data warehouse technology? I think IBM is a well-known company that has experience and is willing to try new things. IBM worked very closely with REI to master the creation of a unique data warehouse that fits the needs and wants of REI’s vision. Some companies wouldn’t take the time to do that, but IBM was dedicated at helping REI achieve its goal. I think REI ultimately chose IBM because they knew it was the kind of company that truly cared and would deliver an excellent solution. Footnotes 1. Laudon, J. P. Laudon, K. C. (2010). Essentials of Management Information Systems. Page 170. 2. REI. Retrieved March 22, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://www-01. ibm. com/software/info/ Television/html/F759128C6694J62. html

'Teamwork is a method for organising activities in the workplace that Essay

'Teamwork is a method for organising activities in the workplace that offers undeniable advantages'. Discuss this statement - Essay Example The adoption of agriculture and the subsequent rise of farming communities likewise showed the importance of group work, when it comes to planting, irrigating and finally, harvesting the crops. Group work lightens the load as well as hastens the task completion when it is crucial to finish the work before adverse weather conditions set in, such as the coming of winter. Discussion This brief paper explores some of the theories involving teamwork in organizations and provides some examples to illustrate the importance of teamwork to group performance in achieving overall corporate strategy as one of its competitive tools. In this paper, teamwork is discussed within the context of a modern corporate organization. Previous ideas of teamwork entailed mostly primitive activities like hunting and planting, but in the modern setting, it is a teamwork that is anchored in an industrial setting in the post-Industrial Revolution period. In this context, teamwork ideas are anchored on mostly proj ect-based work but it also has other varied applications which are discussed as the paper progresses. Participative management, co-determination, worker representation in management teams, quality improvement circles, and small-group activities, are just some of the fine examples of teamwork (Kandula 124). Organizing activities around teamwork in a corporate setting offers advantages that cannot be attained by someone working individually; some distinct advantages are: Employee involvement – people become more committed when they are involved in the business, when they are consulted, and given a chance to share their inputs. Organizational success is better assured when all people get involved, rather than just a select few or elites. A good way to involve people is to make them join a team for an equitable participation. Conducive to new ideas – people can become more creative when they are exposed to various ideas, suggestions, and comments of other people within a t eam setting. Although it is sometimes the originality and brilliance of one individual which can make a difference, it is more often the case that an exchange of good ideas in a team that produces the most brilliant insights because data, information, knowledge, and wisdom are shared together. Enhances communications and relationships – the nature of group work requires all people within the team to work together, share their ideas, and communicate frequently such that in the process, they become more interdependent and thereby build stronger relationships. Organizational performance is enhanced when there is effectiveness in good teamwork. Improvements in quality levels – whether it is a product or a service an organization is selling, teamwork raises the level of quality because people supplement and complement each other when quality consciousness is embedded in each employee as a team concept. Raises the learning process – teamwork promotes the learning proc ess in socializing, when people are doing a common task assigned to them, and given a group objective. The idea is an entire organization learns in the process, not just the individuals (Marquardt 52). Reinforces individual strengths – most work today is multi-disciplinary in nature, so no one person can be expected to do it all alone. Teamwork can likewise mitigate weaknesses, enables more rapid adaptation to changes, and saves resources by doing more with less. Various theories have

Charles Ludlam. Ridiculous Theatre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Charles Ludlam. Ridiculous Theatre - Essay Example On his death in 1987 The New York Times said that he was "one of the most innovative and prolific artists in the theater avant-garde" (Kaufman, 1), but Charles Ludlam was not so easily categorized as the gender-bending, sex and drug-filled plays of the Theater of the Ridiculous would suggest. He was more complex than appears at first glance, and one of his most successful plays, Bluebeard, does not involve cross-dressing. This paper will examine how Ludlam created the Theatre of the Ridiculous through his writing and performing and how, in a paradoxical fashion, he also moved beyond such easy genre-definitions into his own unique form of theatre. Ludlam was openly gay before it was easy to be so, even within the theatre, and yet he dismissed the idea of a "gay community" in famous San Francisco comments (Kaufman, 1). In the same way, he invented a particular kind of theatre, but steadfastly refused to be limited by it. Ludlam was born and raised on Long Island and discovered his penchant and talent for acting in high school. He wore his hair long during he Fifties, before it was fashionable to do so and was even more-or-less openly gay at the same time. Thus started his life-long tendency to buck conventional standards and be a complete individual. His acting was regarded as so ludicrous as a teenager that some amateur companies refused to cast him, not because of a lack of talent, but because he had too much talent and was perceived as being potentially damaging to other actors (Kaufman, 3). This was a tendency that meant that he essentially had to create his own theatre on graduating from Hofstra University with a degree in Theatre in 1964. Camille might be regarded as "quintessential Ludlam because it has elements of so many different theatrical references" (Busch, 1) As Busch continues, the play is, in one sense at least, a compendium of Ludlam's huge theatre knowledge, with references to Wilde and Ibsen, among others. This bricoleur type of writing style - taking material from wherever the playwright feels there will be valuable material without considering whether it makes a logical whole, is the essential element of Ludlam's craft. In a sense this type of playwriting, and the performance that comes from it, has its origins deep in the history of theatre. From Aristophanes' commentary on his contemporary politics and the Tragedies of the day (Brockett, 12) to Commedia Del Arte, and to much of performance art there is a long tradition within theatre of piecing together a work from the "garbage of popular culture and recycling it into something rather golden and perhaps garish" (Busch, 1). By "garbage" there is no attempt to apply a qualitative value to the material, but rather to suggest that on their own, these odd allusions to specific moments, performances, sections of plays and even specific words would amount to little. It is within the context of a rounded performance that they become something of value. In Camille Ludlam takes a well-known story and uses it for his

A Critique Of Mills Harm Principle Philosophy Essay

A Critique Of Mills Harm Principle Philosophy Essay In this essay, I will be writing a critique on Mills harm principle. Evaluate its criticisms and explain why its positive influence far outweighs the negative ones in a society which its citizens are free to dictate their notions. In his Autobiography of 1873, John Stuart Mill described On Liberty as a kind of philosophic textbook of a single truth (Mill (1989 edn), p.189) and rather than speak in terms of rights, some may claim a right not to be harmed, Mill said only Harm (or the threat of Harm) is a sufficient justification for exercising power over another. Mill further qualified his Principle by adding that it wouldnt be a sufficient condition to exercise power over someone simply for their own good and he does permit some exemptions to the Harm Principle. So he allows coercion in an economic context, like when a more efficient and presumably more profitable company Harms a competitor by seizing an increase in market share. Another exemptions are of the incompetent, the retarded, the ignorant, children, all those below the age of consent. They may all be coerced; in short all those not competent are exempt and Mill allows for coercion by the judiciary. So for example the type of legal coercion which punishes murder by imprisonment is exempt. However probably the most controversial exemption in, On Liberty is Mills reference to backward states of society, Mill refers to barbarians and says We may leave out of consideration those backward states of society in which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage. (Mill, John Stuart. Stefan Collini (ed.), On Liberty and Other Writings, (2000 edn), p.13.) Mill is referring here to societies so backward theyd hardly be capable of understanding the Harm Principle let alone responsibly applying it. The implication here is that society needs to recognize concepts like free discussion before it can achieve that level of education and understanding which enables it to benefit from The Harm Principle. Yet when considered in its totality his Principle is anything but simple, because On Liberty is concerned with, Isaiah Berlins later defined concept of Negative Liberty that is, freedom from interference. To quote Berlin, the freedom of which I speak is opportunity for action, rather than action itself. If, although I enjoy the right to walk through open doors, I prefer not to do so, but sit still and vegetate, I am not thereby rendered less free. Freedom is the opportunity to act, not action itself. (Berlin (1969), p.xlii). Some significant criticisms of, Mills Harm Principle have been expressed over the years. I intend to consider the three leading arguments, 1. VAGUENESS. In other words what exactly does Mill mean when he uses the word Harm? Its notable that no definition of Harm is to be found in, On Liberty, granted Mill gives us some exemptions, but no more than that and accordingly Mills use of the word Harm is often considered imprecise. Its this very lack preciseness (vagueness) that prompts us to wonder if there could be a point at which acts of offence become acts of Harm. Without an adequate definition of Harm it becomes difficult to derive to a meaningful definition of Offence and without that judgments of rightness or wrongness are in danger of becoming blurred. In a book by the philosopher Joel Feinberg entitled, Offence to Others, he discusses a thought experiment whereby the reader is assumed to be a passenger on a crowded bus. Its possible to leave the bus of course, but that would be inconvenient and theres not another seat to move to and theres also no prospect of leaving ones seat to stand. Feinberg relates a set of examples, each more offensive than its predecessor, which take place in full view of the passengers. He starts innocently enough with comparatively mild examples like horrible smells, migraine inducing lights, intolerable noises and so on. In the next section which is headed, Disgust and Revulsion, he outlines even more revolting examples; people eating live insects, each others vomit and so on. Further on Feinberg talks of sex acts on the bus, both heterosexual and homosexual. He goes on to suggest increasingly more offensive examples, cataloguing in all 31 distinct illustrations. It emerges that some actions, although of fensive, can be tolerated in public whilst others may be so intolerable as to be better conducted in private. During our earliest years we learn to be conscious of concepts such as yours and mine (that is your sandwich but this is my sandwich) and its from these formative years that our notions of property as well ideas like property rights and obligations derive. Mine has a deeply personal value ascribed to it, encompassing not only physical things (like sandwiches) but also more abstract things, like personal space. An invasion of mine can invariably bring with it an almost instinctual reaction and Suppose someone, in an effort to signal friendliness, stands that bit too close or the person in the next seat plays their walkman that little bit too loud. We can feel aggrieved perhaps even angry? We often describe the other person as, invading our space. A proportion of the public space has become deeply personal. In other words, something about that public space has become mine. In this respect then we often hear somebody say that what someone is doing is, so unnecessary. By that she means i ts unnecessary for an activity to be conducted in public, because it could just as well be carried on in private. It may well be then that offensive public displays should be prohibited by law but still be allowed in private. When one tries to draw a line between Offensive Acts and Harmful ones its not unusual to be faced with a dilemma. Suppose someone is running, naked, along a street that could be interpreted by some onlookers as an Offensive Act, it might even be considered a Harmful Act towards children. In a similarly vein it may be that someone could find the idea of a homosexual relationship, even if behind closed doors, more offensive than an intimate heterosexual liaison which takes place in public. So, just as before, it seems that some things are judged offensive if conducted in public but may well be condoned in private. On Liberty makes it clear that in order to tolerate what Mill calls experiments in living, the toleration of some things, in private, is necessary. For example, some things which are objectionable to this generation may well be acceptable to the next. To him experimentation is a necessary attribute to drive society forward. Mill makes it clear that its by experiments in living that society progresses, an open-minded society would tolerate geniuses because, as Mill maintains, to prohibit everything but the norm would have the effect of stifling innovation and experiments in living'. Thus, a follower of Mills Harm Principle allows offensiveness but modifies the distinction to say that, if offensiveness is conducted in private with each participant having full knowledge of consequences and outcome and each being fully and freely aware of what theyre doing, then the Harm Principle would be complied with. Others however take a different view. Lord Devlin however admits no distinction between public and private actions. He maintains, see Dworkin Ronald (ed.) (1977) The Philosophy of Law, Oxford University Press, pp76-77, that private morality if widely adopted can become public morality. He considers that just as treasonable acts, plotted in private, can eventually adversely affect society so immoral acts, conducted in private, can become similarly antisocial. For Devlin the test of rightness is not linked to Utilitarian Theory at all. He famously refers to The Man on the Clapham Omnibus, his test being the feelings of intolerance, indignation and disgust of a reasonable man. But there are difficulties with relying on what an ordinary person would find morally acceptable. Presumably, in the heyday of the Taliban, if we had asked the reasonable man on a Kabul omnibus whether or not there should be a law barring female children from attending school, his feelings of intolerance, indignation and disgust would be a sufficient justification to allow the introduction of such a law. H. L. A. Hart, Professor of Jurisprudence at Oxford University, differs from Devlins reasonable man view holding it better to adopt a rational person test. (Ibid, pp83-88). A reasonable person is neither required to have reasons for, nor to justify, moral beliefs. Instead they depend upon convictions of what is and isnt morally acceptable. Its apparent then that, despite an intuitive appeal, Devlins approach fails to fully refute Mills Harm Principle. 2. NO MAN IS AN ISLAND. Mills implicit assumption that its possible to undertake an action in such a way that it wont affect anyone else is called into question here. Of course, its quite possible to do something which only appears wholly self regarding. Suppose I enjoy rock climbing. I may believe that my climbing, if solitary, could harm no one but myself, even if I should suffer a fatal accident. In such circumstances I wouldnt, on the face of it, be causing Harm to another but should I have a climbing partner she may well be Harmed by my demise, even though not in any way responsible for my misfortune. And even if I made certain that I and only I climbed, in the event of a fatal accident, grieving relations could be harmed. There could well be a similar Harmful effect suffered by members of a mountain rescue team that recovers my body and so forth. Therefore some might say I should be stopped from participating in dangerous hobbies because of a risk of possible Harmful effects an accident to myself may have upon others. If, being aware of the dangers of passive smoking, I smoke cigarettes heavily but only in my own home, taking care not to impose the effects of my smoking upon others, it could be said that I stand to harm no one but myself and so Mills Principle would then apply because I could be persuaded of the danger to my health but coercion shouldnt be used. But if my risk of a serious smoking related disease puts an unfair burden upon an already overstretched asset, perhaps even reducing the resources available to other people with serious illness. For this reason Mills implied assumption that some actions regard the perpetrator alone has been questioned. Fitzjames Stephen held that, by far the most important part of our conduct regards both us and others (Fitzjames Stephen (1967 edn), p66). This view is held by many of Mills critics. Nonetheless its implausible to assert that every self-regarding act has a Harmful effect upon others. 3. LIBERTY AND UTILITARIANISM. A foundation of On Liberty is Mills professed Utilitarianism, where each persons individuality and happiness is the objective of a civilised society. But because Mills Utilitarianism has its emphasis on consequences of action, some have questioned whether its correct to assume the Harm Principle is truly Utilitarian and so Mills Utilitarianism is often termed a consequentialist theory. Happiness, according to Mill, is not as simple as Jeremy Benthams idea, where he thought of happiness as, a blissful state of mind. Mill believed happiness to be something more complicated; he thought the sum of human happiness was better served by the preservation of as wide a range of negative liberties as possible. Its been argued though that many of the negative freedoms put forward by Mill were ultimately incompatible with his Utilitarianism because the Utilitarian aim of maximum happiness gives way to other considerations. But this view misses the fact that far from abandoning Utilitarianism, Mill argues that The Harm Principle and Utilitarianism can go hand in hand, so to speak. He certainly holds that there should be complete freedom of thought and discussion. Almost a third of, On Liberty is devoted to these vital freedoms yet, as a consequence of his thoughts about experiments in living he also makes the case for individuality and individual freedoms. Mill holds that the very concept of Negative Freedom allows for a choice between good and evil, for the freedom to choose between overall happiness and the gratification of individual desire. In other words people are free to accept or refuse an opportunity. As Mill said, The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs or impede their efforts to obtain it. (Mill, John Stuart. Stefan Collini (ed.), On Liberty and Other Writings, (2000 edn), p.16.) In the section of On Liberty entitled, On Liberty, as one of the elements of well-being. (ibid, p68) Mill maintains that the fact of human diversity is itself an argument for liberty. He argues that imposing one way of life upon every member of a society would be as disastrous as treating a cactus and an orchid in the same fashion. Mill says (putting aside some exceptional circumstance, such as monastic institutions) that human beings differ so much from each other that it would make no sense at all to expect each one to conform to a single model of a good life. Mill differentiates private interests, where no intervention is permitted, and public interests where, to maximize general happiness, intervention is allowed. For example, there are certain things like murder and fraud which a civilized society could not tolerate and against which it would have to protect itself but that same society should still encompass within it private interests of freedom and liberty. Its clear then tha t Mill adopts a utilitarian philosophy when addressing matters of public interest, but its a subtler form of utilitarianism which weve come to know as Indirect Utilitarian. While a direct utilitarian believes that any action which promotes general happiness is good, an indirect utilitarian would follow a more understated interpretation, holding that individuals should not simply be left to maximize happiness for themselves and its this indirect utilitarianism which Mill assumes throughout, On Liberty. He says, I regard utility as the ultimate appeal to all ethical questions; but it must be utility in the largest sense, grounded on the permanent interests of a man as a progressive being (Ibid, p.14) CONCLUSION In, Thinking from A to Z, Nigel Warburton reminds us that a Socratic Fallacy is: The mistaken belief that if you cant define a general term precisely you wont be in any position to identify particular instances of it. Warburton. Nigel. Thinking from A to Z. Routledge (2nd edn. 2000), p.120 The vagueness objection is a Socratic Fallacy, because whilst a concise definition of the word Harm isnt to be found in, On Liberty the following argument is sound: Premise 1. Minor objections should be set aside if an idea withstands the test of time. Premise 2. On Liberty has withstood the test of time. Conclusion. On Liberty should have minor objections set aside. To insist that Mills Harm Principle is specific at every eventuality is tantamount to asking for the impossible simply because the very concept of freedom (or liberty) carries within it an element of vagueness. The most a person reading, On Liberty with charity could reasonably expect is a Harm Principle with illustrative examples, and where fitting, appropriate definitions. This essay has reviewed the major criticisms leveled at Mills deliberations. The question of Mills alleged vagueness has been addressed as well as the problems associated with deciding what is Harmful as against Offensive and its been argued that consenting adults, acting in private, are unlikely to harm anyone but themselves. With regard to the claim that Mill has neglected his utilitarian principles it has been argued that, On Liberty has remained true to Mills utilitarian ideals, accommodating the negative freedoms necessary for an individuals freedoms. Mills arguments favor through Utilitarian means a concept of negative liberty, making the point that its only when were given sufficient freedom to freely choose how to live our lives (follow the good, if you will) that were most likely to maximize happiness. He says that a diversity of lifestyles is necessary because it allows differing individuals to find their own fulfilling ways of living. Its useful to remind ourselves that, On Liberty was published in 1859 and that it was intended primarily for the general public, it certainly wasnt presented as a dissertation solely for the academic world. Reading, On Liberty one is struck by Mills feeling for humanity and by his concern for his fellow man. He goes to some lengths to point out that his Principle is intended to protect those less able or, as he said, those not in the maturity of their faculties. All in all, On Liberty gives a structure within which to discuss the question of how free a person should be to live life as they please. For us in the 21st century, On Liberty embodies truths of tolerance, liberty and accountability to which the best of our societies aspire to today. From Mills writings its clear that the Harm Principle is essentially sound and that Mill is still relevant after nearly one hundred and fifty years. For example the rise of religious fundamentalism often brings with it an intolerance of alternative views that runs counter to Mills ideals. By the same token, its not too difficult to find totalitarian regimes (be they left or right wing) whose subjects are required to repress their individuality in service of the common good. Its right that the last word be left to J. S. Mill. The mischief begins when, instead of calling for the activity and powers of individuals and bodies, it (The State) substitutes its own activity for theirs; when instead of informing, advising, and, upon occasion, denouncing, it makes them work in fetters, or bids them stand aside and does their work instead of them. (Mill, J. S. On Liberty and Other Writings, (2000 edn), p.115.) THE END

Annotating (Glass Castle)

Annotating (Glass Castle) Glass Castle Did you notice anything unusual about Jeannette Walls portrayal of poverty, or homelessness? Even though they had bad times with food and other necessities, they still were happy as a family * When she was young, she viewed life as an adventure and when she got older and in West Virginia she started to see reality of her life and she didn’t want to be seen as the girl who lives in the beat up house and the family that didn’t always have food * She doesn’t let her situation of poverty be an excuse or a burden for not being successful and she knew she was going to push past it * It shows that the Walls’ lifestyle was a choice, when her she figures out her mom has had land worth a million dollars and she just wanted to live the way she was living When did Jeannette figure out that her life was not normal? * When film makers came to Welch and were making a documentary and she saw films about life in New York, she saw ther e was life outside the way they were living * When her dad was prostituting her out, her view of her father was changed * When she went over to a friend’s house they had a thermostat and she had never experience one before and this she realized there was much more like that and the way she was living wasn’t normal Do you think her parents were mentally ill?Her mom would stay in bed for days at a time and she would not even take care of her own kids and do nothing, she was probably in depression The dad was an alcoholic (when he tried to quit in Arizona he had withdrawal) and this was a mental illness He might have been molested by his mother, Erma-When Erma was molesting Brian and the children told their father he denied it and became very angry, probably trying to cover up what happened to him He also never wanted to go to West Virginia, he said it was because of pride but he was probably scared of going back to Erma Being molested by his would explain his alcoholism, his anger Annotating How do you know what is important enough to take notes on when you are reading? 1. Reveals some important detail about plot a. Exposition i. Time and Place of Setting, Setting Changes 1. Setting changes frequently in Glass Castle 2. Sometimes time is very difficult to figure out, in Glass Castle they were watching Water Gate which was in 70s, they lived in Lyndon B Johnson apartment building and he was president in late 60s ii. Introduces us to Main Characters iii. Hints at, or Suggests, the Conflict 3.When Jeannette went to hospital and her dad does the Skedaddle we know the problem is going to involve her dad or parents iv. Gives us necessary background info, Anything we need to Know what is Happening 4. We need to know these things for the story to make sense b. High-Point v. Every high point is like a mini climax in a story vi. The climax is the high point at the end c. Climax vii. The point where the Main Character, or Protagonist, Can win or lose, live or die, succeed or fail. d. Denouement (Resolution) viii. Happens the second we know which way the climax is going to go-win or lose, live or die, etc. ix.The Climax and Denouement happen in almost the exact same moment e. Conflict x. Conflict is most important element of plot xi. Internal 5. Glass Castle had a lot of internal conflict going on in Jeannette’s head xii. External – Most Movies or stories 6. Ex: Batman and Bane 2. When you come across special literary devices f. Foreshadowing xiii. Something earlier in the story that gives a hint to something that happens later in the story g. Symbol xiv. In Glass Castle the Glass Castle is a symbol of hope in the beginning but later it becomes disappointment and failure because they realize their dad was never going to build h. Irony xv.When something happens that is the exact opposite of what you expect i. Flashback xvi. The whole Glass Castle is a flashback because she is telling the story of her childhood 7. A memoir is one long series of flashbacks j. Juxtaposition xvii. Where you put two opposite scenes next to each other 8. Happens a lot in books 9. Ex: When Jeannette is living in a very high end apartment and her parents are living the streets and dumpster diving 3. When it reveals the importance of the title k. Sometimes it is obvious but others it is not xviii. Ex: In Glass Castle the first half of the book it was literally the house Rex was going to build and it represented hope and the future.Towards the end it represents disappointment in her father 4. Unfamiliar vocab words l. Circle and Look up and write definition by it xix. Ex: Hirsute-means harry or shaggy 5. When it reveals something important about a character m. New Character-Character List, Do every character and just put a little description on them with something specific what they said or did xx. Ex: Brian coming up with the idea of the catapult instead of saying Jeannette’s brother n. Mark when a character does or says something that is out-of-character, or not typical of them xxi. Ex: When Jeannette steals a watch from Mr. Becker (Eventually she brings it back) 6.Theme o. One of the main ideas or lessons that the writer is trying to teach us in a book xxii. Usually more than one them, even in short stories p. Made up of two parts xxiii. Subject matter xxiv. Author’s opinion 10. Ex: Glass Castle is about poverty and homelessness and Jeannette is trying to show us that poverty can be a choice 7. Highlight any phrases or sentences that you just like q. For whatever reason, funny, cool, just something you really like 8. Take note of anything that reflects your own personal experience, or some idea you’ve had or something you strongly believe Things Mr. Danforth Tests On Level 1 QuestionsLiteral questions that you can find in the text; concrete details you should be able to point to in the book. They are basic facts from the story (Where she worked for her first job in New York. Level 2 Questions Questions that require us to â€Å"read between the lines†-us making deductions on details or facts that are in the story and we are deducing a fact that is not written in the story. Means we come up with a fact, that is not written in the story, based up on one of two other facts in the story. Never printed in the book. Ex. : Why doesn’t Cinderella’s stepmother love her? Ex: Rex is sexually abused by his mother. He would never go back to West Virginia and also his mother, Erma molested her grandson as well.Ex: Rex is mentally ill based upon that he was molested by his mother and all the times he refused going back to West Virginia. She makes her clean all the time and gets all the really disgusting jobs and the other sisters don’t do any chores. She treats her differently because she is not her real daughter, she is her step daughter. She is jealous of Cinderella and her beauty and her daughters are ugly and fat, or maybe she’s jealous just for herself because she is old and not as pretty as Cinderella. Level 3 Reasoning Ideas that connect the story to real life in the present. Deep thinking themes. Ex: Mental illness and homelessness in the Glass Castle

Banking Industry in Nigeria

Against the backdrop of the role of banks as financial intermediaries and their function as the engine of growth of the economy, this paper examines the extent to which the banking industry has helped to stimulate economic activities in Nigeria and what the prognosis looks like in the post-consolidation era.The paper notes that the banking industry in Nigeria witnessed a remarkable growth in terms of deposit base, number of branches, total asset and volume of loans and advances, especially since the de-regulation of the financial services sector in the last quarter of 1986. However, given the potentials of the market, banks need to do more, particularly in financing the real sector of the economy.It is argued that the consolidation programme is expected to have a positive effect on employment in the long-run, and that has drastically altered and redefined the nature of competition in the banking industry. Furthermore, it argues that mere size would no longer be a critical factor in t he customers’ choice of which bank to patronize. Rather, emphasis would shift to the ability to deliver superior value to customers. THE BANKING INDUSTRY AND THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY POST-CONSOLIDATION By DR. B.B. EBONG GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR/CHIEF EXECUTIVE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Banks facilitate economic growth in a variety of ways. In the first instance, they act as financial intermediaries between the surplus generating units and the deficit spending ones. This is a two-fold function involving the mobilisation of savings from the former group which are then channelled to the latter to support productive economic activities. This intermediary role is important in two respects.First, by pooling together savings that would have otherwise been fragmented, banks are able to achieve economies of scale with potential benefits for the users of such funds. Secondly, in the absence of banks, each person or business seeking credit facility would have had to individ ually look for those with such funds and negotiate with them directly. This is a cumbersome and timeconsuming process of double coincidence of wants. By matching the preferences of savers with those of borrowers therefore, banks help in overcoming such difficulties.It is pertinent to note that it is from this intermediation function that banks normally not only earn the bulk of their income by way of interest margin but also pay out returns to savers, compensating them for the opportunity cost of their money. It is important to bear this point in mind because, as we shall see later, if any bank is unable to recover the funds it lends out, its own existence as a going concern would be undermined rapidly and ultimately. This is to the extent that its ability to meet the withdrawal needs of depositors would be impaired.It is for this reason that the officials of any bank cannot afford to toy with the management of its risk assets. Towards ensuring that the funds they lend out are recov ered, banks have found it expedient to provide business advisory services to their customers. The essence of availing their clients these services is to assure themselves that the beneficiaries adopt modern management policies and practices in running the affairs of their respective companies which benefit from borrowed funds. The ultimate goal is to guarantee that these customers are in a position o service their loan obligations as and when due. This, in turn, would enable banks meet their obligations to depositors while also earning a narrow margin to ensure business continuity and corporate growth. Banks also play a pivotal role in an economy by providing a mechanism for producers/buyers and consumers/sellers to settle transactions between themselves. They do this not only within a country but also across national boundaries through a highly efficient and technologically enabled payments systems.In the process, banks encourage specialisation and division of labour, a major advan tage of which is the enhanced production and economic growth of the country. Furthermore, banks act as a conduit for the transmission of monetary policy. They provide a veritable platform when it comes to the implementation of monetary, credit, foreign exchange, and other financial sector policies of the government. Among other things, monetary policy is designed to influence the cost and availability of loanable funds with a view to promoting non-inflationary growth.The instruments available to the Central Bank to achieve this include open market operations (OMO), the cash reserve ratio (CRR), liquidity ratio (LR) and of course, moral suasion. The capacity of the banking industry to perform these functions effectively is, to a large extent, determined by the financial health of the individual institutions themselves and soundness and viability of the industry as a whole. For instance, where the majority of banks are adjudged to be weak and unhealthy, that will impair the ability of the industry to lubricate economic growth and vice versa.Against this background, the objective of this presentation is to examine the extent to which the banking industry has helped to stimulate economic activities in Nigeria and what the prognosis looks like in the post-consolidation era, come January 2006. To achieve its objective, this paper is organised into five parts. Following this introduction, we review the performance of the Nigerian banking industry between 2000 and 2004 in section II. The challenges facing the banking industry, which the current reform programme was designed to address, are highlighted in section III.In section IV, we present the prognosis and outlook during the post-consolidation era while section V contains the concluding remarks. 2. 0 THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGERIAN BANKING INDUSTRY IN 1990 – 2004 PERIOD. The banking industry in Nigeria has witnessed a remarkable growth, especially since the de-regulation of the financial services sector in t he last quarter of 1986. In terms of headcount for instance, the number of banks increased by about 154. 8% from 42 in 1986 to 107 in 1990. It further increased by about 12% to120 in 1992.By 2004, however, the number had reduced to 89. This was because, some banks had to be liquidated on account of their dwindling fortunes. The number of bank branches also rose from 1,394 in 1986 to 2,013 in 1990, 2,391 in1992 and by 2004 in spite of the reduction in number of banks, it had reached 3,100. This translates to an inter-temporal increases of 44%, 18. 8% and 29. 7%, respectively. Given this scenario, the pertinent question agitating the critical mind is the extent to which the expansion in the number of banks and their branch network had impacted on the economy.Another way to evaluate the performance of banks is to carefully examine the credits they granted, both in terms of volume, distribution by sectors, and the maturity profile. The data on banks’ credit to the economy are sho wn in table 2 below. Table 2: Banks’ Credits to the Economy, 1990 – 2004 Year Aggregate banks’ credit (Net) (N billion) 42. 58 49. 41 59. 25 125. 75 162. 83 194. 05 266. 44 Growth rate (%) Net Domestic Credit Target (%) 13. 5 10. 6 13. 2 17. 5 9. 4 11. 3 12. 0 Actual (%) 17. 1 45. 3 69. 1 91. 4 29. 2 7. -23. 4 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 16 19. 9 112. 2 29. 5 19. 2 37. 3 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 302. 31 378. 08 608. 44 807. 01 1,033. 64 1,302. 2 1,591. 2 2,078. 1 13. 5 25. 1 60. 1 32. 6 28. 1 26. 0 22. 2 30. 6 24. 8 24. 5 18. 3 27. 8 15. 8 57. 9 25. 7 24. 5 -2. 8 46. 8 30. 0 -25. 3 79. 9 64. 6 29. 1 12. 0 Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, (various years) As the figures show, the rate of growth of aggregate bank credit (net) to the domestic economy ranged from 13. % in 1997 to 112. 2% in 1993. However, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria, in its 2004 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, an ana lysis of the sectoral allocation of these credits revealed that the less productive sectors of the economy continued to be favoured. For instance, in 2003, those sectors comprising agriculture, solid minerals and manufacturing got only 40. 2% of the credits. The situation worsened in 2004 as this figure further declined to 37. 0%.The corollary of this is that, on average, it was more attractive for banks to lend to such sectors as distributive trade, especially import financing, because the risks associated with such lending were relatively lower. The turn around time was equally shorter. Furthermore, as shown in the last column of table 2, actual domestic credit (net) consistently deviated from target for most of the years for which data was shown. If we take the targets to be representative of societal preference, what this means is that the flow of credit for each of those years was far from what was socially desirable.The quality of these risk assets has worsened progressively s ince 2002 as the statistics in table 3 demonstrate graphically. Table 3: Asset Quality of Nigerian Banks, 1990 – 2004 Year Ratio of non-Performing Credit to total Credit (%) Ratio of non-Performing Credit to Shareholders’ Funds (%) 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 44. 10 39. 00 45. 00 41. 00 43. 00 32. 90 33. 90 25. 81 19. 35 21. 5 16. 9 21. 3 21. 6 23. 08 344. 00 222. 00 299. 00 380. 86 567. 70 496. 00 419. 80 253. 09 89. 20 92. 2 77. 1 85. 9 89. 105. 3 Source: Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Annual Report & Statement of Accounts, Various Issues The data in table 3 reveal that the ratio of non-performing credit to total credit declined from 45% in 1992 to 23. 08% in 2004. This means that of every N100. 00 lent out during these years, banks lost an average of N30. 60. These losses contributed in no small way to the erosion of shareholders’ funds as shown in the table. These bad accounts represented 567. 7%, 419. 8 % and 105. 3% of shareholders’ funds in 1994, 1996 and 2004, respectively.In deed, in the years 1990 to 1997, the shareholders’ funds had been impaired by non-performing risk assets in several multiples. The factors responsible for the poor quality of risk assets range from inadequate appraisal of credit proposals, unfavourable environmental factors that adversely affected the cash flow of the clients’ businesses to sheer unwillingness to repay credit facilities on the part of borrowers and the corresponding ineffectiveness of the rule of law to catch up with pathological loan defaulted some of whom moved round and ravaged one bank after the other.The deterioration in the quality of banks’ risk assets took its toll on the health of the industry as the outcome of the rating of all licensed banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria using the CAMEL parameters has shown. The result of that exercise, which is reproduced in table 4 below, has shown glaringly that th e performance of banks in the country has deteriorated since 2001. Table 4: Rating of Banks Using the CAMEL Parameters, 2001 – 2004 2001 No. of % of Banks Total Sound 10 11. 1 Satisfactory 63 70. Marginal 8 8. 9 Unsound 9 10. 0 Total 90 100. 0 Category 2002 No. of Banks 13 54 13 10 90 2003 No. of Banks 11 53 14 9 87 2004 No. of % of Banks Total 10 11. 5 51 58. 6 16 18. 4 10 11. 5 87 100. 0 % of Total 14. 4 60. 1 14. 4 11. 1 100. 0 % of Total 12. 6 60. 9 16. 1 10. 4 100. 0 Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, 2004 From the table above, it can be seen that the banks adjudged to be sound was consistently less than 15% of the total number for the four-year period.In addition, those whose performance was considered satisfactory represented as high as 70% of the total in 2001. By 2004, however, this group represented only 58. 6% of the total number of banks covered by the exercise. Apart from poor quality assets, other factors responsible for th is state of affairs include under-capitalisation, weak corporate governance practices, and the challenges of ethics and professionalism. It is these factors that the on-going reform agenda seeks to address with a view to totally overhauling the system.These issues are examined in more details in the next section. 3. 0 CHALLENGES FACING THE BANKING INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA The current banking sector reform in Nigeria was designed to promote the viability, soundness and stability of the system to enable it adequately meet the aspirations of the economy in terms of accelerated economic growth and development. The reform agenda was motivated by the need to proactively put the Nigerian banking industry on the path of global competitiveness to enable it effectively respond to the challenges of globalisation.The overall objective is to guarantee that the economy and Nigerians do not remain fringe players in the context of a globalizing world. The major challenges that the reform was targeted at include inter alia, the following: Weak capital base. Most banks in Nigeria had a capital base that was less than US$10 million while the largest bank in the country had a capital base of about US$240 million. This compared unfavourably with the situation in Malaysia where the smallest bank had a capital base of US$526 million.The small size of most local banks, coupled with their high overheads and operating expenses, has negative implications for the cost of intermediation. It also meant that they could not effectively participate in big-ticket deals, especially within framework of the single obligor limit. The challenge of ethics and professionalism. In a bid to survive the stiff competition in the market, a number of operators had resorted to unethical and unprofessional practices. Strictly speaking, some even went into some businesses that could not be classified as banking.In appreciation of the enormity of the problems caused by the failure to adhere to professional and ethi cal standards, the Bankers’ Committee set up a sub-committee on â€Å"ethics and professionalism† to handle complaints and disputes arising from unwholesome and sharp practices. Poor corporate governance practices. There were several instances where Board members and management staff failed to uphold and promote the basic pillars of sound corporate governance because they were preoccupied with the attainment of narrowly defined interests. The symptoms of this included high turn over in the Board and management staff, inaccurate reporting and on-compliance with regulatory requirements. Gross insider abuses. One area where this was pronounced was the credit function. As a result, there were several cases of huge non-performing insider-related credits. Insolvency. The magnitude of non-performing risk assets was such that it had eroded the shareholders’ funds of a number of banks. For instance, according to the 2004 NDIC Annual Report, the ratio of non-performing cr edit to shareholders’ funds deteriorated from 90% in 2003 to 105% in 2004. This meant that the shareholders’ funds had been completely wiped out industry-wide by the non-performing credit portfolio.Over-reliance on public sector deposits. These deposits accounted for over 20% of total deposits in the system. In some institutions, such public sector funds represented more than 50% of total deposits. This was not a healthy situation from the viewpoint of effective planning and plan implementation, given the volatile nature of these deposits. On account of the huge reliance on public sector funds, a number of players did not pay adequate attention to small savers who normally constitute a major source of stable funds which should be channelled to finance the real sectors.Instead, they concentrated on a few high networth individuals, government parastatals and blue chip companies. It was in response to this situation coupled with the need to accord the small and medium ent erprises sub-sector the priority it deserves that the Bankers’ Committee came up with the Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Scheme (SMEEIS) with a view to redirecting credit flows to the sub-sector Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the foregoing captures the situation in the banking industry at the time the reform agenda for the sector was conceptualised and introduced.One has taken time to highlight the challenges that the industry was grappling with to enable us better appreciate the rationale for the reform in terms of what it is intended to achieve. Even though the consolidation programme has thirteen basic elements, it is those relating to the minimum capital base for banks and mergers and acquisitions that have received the most attention in the ensuing public discourse on the subject. In the light of this, it might be useful to enumerate these elements, more so that they are at the centre of this discussion.These planks of the reform programme are: Incre ase in the minimum capital base of banks from N2 billion to N25 billion with December 31, 2005 as deadline for compliance; Consolidation of banks through mergers and acquisitions; Phased withdrawal of public sector funds from banks, beginning from July, 2004; Adoption of a risk-focused and rule-based regulatory framework for the industry; Adoption of zero tolerance in the regulatory framework particularly in the area of information rendition/reporting. All returns by any bank must now be signed by the Managing Director;The automation of the process for rendition of returns by banks and other financial institutions through the electronic Financial Analysis and Surveillance System (e-FASS); Establishment of a hotline and confidential internet address to enable Nigerians wishing to share confidential information with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to do so; Strict enforcement of the contingency planning framework for systemic banking distress; The establishment of an Asset s Management Company as an important element of distress resolution;Promotion of the enforcement of dormant laws, especially those relating to the issuance of dud cheques and the law relating to the vicarious liabilities of the Board members of banks in cases of bank failure; Revision and updating of relevant laws, and drafting of new ones relating to the effective operations of the banking system; Closer collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the establishment of the Financial Intelligence Unit and the enforcement of the antimoney laundering and other economic crimes measures; andRehabilitation and effective management of the Mint to meet the security printing needs of Nigeria, including the banking system which constitutes over 90% of the Mint’s business. The likely impact of these measures on the banking industry and the economy are examined in the next section. 4. 0 ANTICIPATED IMPACT OF THE CONSOLIDATION PROGRAMME ON THE BANKING INDUSTRY AND T HE NIGERIAN ECONOMY In this section, we will attempt to paint a scenario regarding the probable impact of the consolidation programme on the banking industry and, hence, the economy.In doing so, it is important to reiterate that even though the reform agenda is targeted at the banking industry, its ultimate focus is the Nigerian economy. In view of this, and in order to put the discussion in proper perspective, we would like to begin this section with a brief review of the performance of the economy between 2000 and 2004 which data are presented in table 5 hereunder: Table 5: Nigeria, Selected Macroeconomic Indicators, 2000 – 2004 Indicator Real GDP Growth Rate (%) Oil Sector Non-Oil Sector Manufacturing Capacity Utilisation (%) Gross National Savings (% of GDP) Gross Fixed CapitalFormation (% of GDP) Inflation Rate (%) External Reserves (US $ million) 2000 5. 4 2001 4. 6 2002 3. 5 2003 10. 2 2004 6. 1 11. 3 2. 9 5. 2 4. 3 -5. 7 7. 9 23. 9 4. 5 3. 3 7. 5 36. 1 39. 6 44. 3 45. 6 45. 0 NA 11. 3 15. 6 13. 6 15. 3 7. 3 7. 2 9. 1 12. 0 16. 2 6. 9 9,910. 4 18. 9 10,415. 6 12. 9 7,681. 1 14. 0 7,467. 8 15. 0 16,955. 0 Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, 2004 The data in table 5 reveal that, in real terms, the rate of growth of domestic output ranged from 3. 5% to 10. 2% between year 2000 and 2004. The average annual growth rate for the period was 5. 6%, which falls far short of the 10% minimum that is required for the country to meet the targets set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Furthermore, the service sector and wholesale & retail trade still account for a disproportionate share of total output, considering our stage of economic development. On the other hand, the real productive sectors like agriculture and manufacturing are yet to assume their pride of place in the economy. As can be seen from the statistics, capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector was consistently below 50% throughout the five ye ars.Among other things, this is a reflection of the undue competition that local manufacturers have had to face from their relatively more mature and efficient overseas counterparts. These are not healthy developments from the viewpoint of a developing country that is desirous of achieving sustained economic growth. Given the low level of domestic output, coupled with the rising demand, it is not surprising that the authorities were not able to keep the inflation rate below double digit as intended.It is this parlous state of the economy that the banking sector reform was designed to address at the end of the day. The expectation is that the reform programme will impact positively on the banking industry and thus put the economy on the path of sustainable growth. While most analysts have expressed serious concerns regarding the adverse impact of the consolidation programme on the level of employment, the authorities at the Central Bank of Nigeria have allayed such fears.While acknow ledging that employment opportunities in the industry would shrink, at least in the short run, the management of the Bank is optimistic that the long-term positive effects of the reform programme on the labour market will be more far- reaching. The thrust of the argument is that at the end of the day, the consolidation programme will lead to a stronger and more robust banking industry that will adequately support the expansion of economic activities, especially in the real sectors of the economy. In this process of rejuvenating the economy, more job opportunities will be created.The consolidation programme will drastically alter and redefine the nature of competition in the banking industry. By significantly increasing the minimum capital base for banks, the policy has not only raised the barriers for new entrants, it has also reduced the number of banks in the system through the mergers and acquisitions. It will be recalled that hitherto, competition in the industry was essentially between those players that one may safely refer to as the â€Å"industry giants† on the one hand, and those popularly referred to as the new generation banks, on the other.Going forward, however, what we will witness is a battle for survival among the ensuing mega banks, all with extensive branch network. In the new dispensation, stability of individual institutions and, hence, safety of depositors’ funds is not likely to remain a major consideration in customers’ choice of which bank to patronise. Rather, emphasis will shift to the ability to deliver superior value to clients and stakeholders generally as well as the prices for bank products and services. As pointed out earlier, many banks in Nigeria had relied heavily on the public sector as a source of funds.Consequently, they did not aggressively explore available potentials in other market segments. This situation will, however, change with the withdrawal of public sector funds from the vaults of banks as part of the policy shift. We therefore expect that banks will focus more on those sectors that were hitherto underserved like the real, informal sectors, including the consumer market. They need to devise creative ways of effectively tapping into the opportunities in these market segments, both in terms of deposit mobilisation and the provision of credit facilities.Going forward therefore, banks are more likely to provide better support for sustained economic growth in Nigeria. The pressure to aggressively explore those market segments that were hitherto underserved will be reinforced by the desire on the part of the management of each bank to continue to generate attractive returns to shareholders. Currently, the average return on invested capital (ROIC) in the Nigerian banking industry is estimated at 38%. With the substantial increase in shareholders’ funds, however, each bank will need to generate a minimum of N9. billion in profit before tax in order to maintain the same rate of return. This is a daunting challenge that calls for creativity. To meet the challenge, banks will need to radically redefine their business models and strategies. The status of corporate governance in the banking industry is expected to improve remarkably following the change in ownership structure. This is because, even though poor governance practices cut across the industry, they were more pronounced in the privately owned institutions.Given the dilution of ownership in the new dispensation, the situation where individuals and their cronies had overbearing influence in the running and management of banks will become a thing of the past. Moreover, as public companies, each bank will now be subjected to a higher standard of governance in terms of information disclosure. 5. 0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION In this paper, we have examined the probable impact of the on-going banking sector reform on the Nigerian economy.In the process, we drew attention to the challenges facing opera tors in the banking industry that need to be addressed for the industry to make desired contributions to the orderly growth of the economy. These challenges encompass those of unethical and unprofessional behaviour, poor corporate governance practices, weak capital base, and over-dependence on public sector deposits. From the analysis, it is clear that the consolidation programme will impact positively on the economy for a number of reasons.First, the development is expected to have long-term beneficial effects on the level of employment considering that it will facilitate enhanced production in diverse sectors of the economy. The reform programme will also redefine the nature of competition in the banking industry such that each institution will have no choice but to assign priority to its capacity to deliver superior value to its clients, since this is what will ultimately make the difference between losers and winners. By denying anks access to public sector deposits, the reform will make it imperative for them to shift focus to those market segments that were largely unbanked and untapped hitherto. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the consolidation programme will have salutary effects on corporate governance practices in the industry. In concluding this discussion, it is important to reiterate that the realisation of these outcomes would depend on the effective implementation of the programme. In particular, it would depend on how the banks that have embraced mergers and acquisition handle the post integration challenges that will face them.Where these issues are nor properly handled, the anticipated synergy may become elusive.BIBLIOGRAPHY Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, (various issues. ) Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Annual Report and Accounts, (various issued) Statement of Mckinnon, R. I. (1973), Money and Capital in Economic Development Washington, D. C. : The Brookings Institution. Oboh, G. A. T. (2005), Sel ected Essays On Contemporary Issues In The Nigerian Banking System. Ibadan: University Press Plc.