The Debate For Democracy During The Middle East - 1013 Words

In the debate for democracy in the middle east, many scholars suggest that Islamists are the main obstacle to overcome. By the last decade, Islamist parties and candidates have engaged in elections throughout in about eight Arab countries with almost modest results. Thus, Islamist may have a heavy degree of support among most of the consitunets who agree with anti-regime sentiments. At the same time, ruling elites also give overwhelming support to maintain security and other privileges. There are regimes in which elites claim Islam as a basis for the regime while excluding all other islamist groups from political participation. For Instance, The king in Saudi Arabi is the leader, the imam of the Saudi-Wahabi community, and subordinate only to the shari’a. This is an institutional challenge that these regions face, and need to comprehend in order to have a smooth democratic transition. Some islamist groups still persist, with making domestic conflict within society, like the Muslim Brotherhood. Another variable that may contribute to instutuinal challenges to democratize, is the overarching existence of a credible threat. Given the essence surrounding the Arab-Israel conflict within the regions, some researchers have suggested the force of the regions authoritarianism to the threat posed by Israel and its Arab neighbors with large military forces. Certain researchers who do agree with this explanation forget to account for the fact that for the different robustness of ArabShow MoreRelatedReanalyze the Relationship of the West and Islamic Civilization Future1142 Words   |  5 Pagesthesis has been in center of debates for many years. Moreover, his prediction that main conflicts in near future is between the West (the United States and allies) versus Islamic Civilization has triggered controversy among International Relations scholars. This paper tries to analyze three main supportive arguments from Huntington thesis in the West v. Islam conflict. Democracy System v. Islamic Laws Samuel P. Huntington stated that Muslims unable to accept democracy because of the nature of IslamicRead MoreIraq and Democracy Essay711 Words   |  3 PagesIraq and Democracy Systems based on guaranteed freedoms, the rule of law, and peaceful electoral transitions are obviously desirable for all. Todays debate over bringing democracy to the Muslim Middle East often centers on whether the region is ready for democracy (Newsom). A number of problems the US has to face during transferring democratic essentials seems to just increase: ongoing fights in whole Iraq, a lack of governmental structure, a shortage of charismaticRead MoreThe Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Pape, Bloom, and Horowitz 1429 Words   |  6 Pages(2003) defines terrorism in his article â€Å"The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism† (343). The goal of this article by Pape is to discuss suicide terrorism and how it â€Å"follows a strategic logic, one specifically designed to coerce modern liberal democracies to make significant territorial concessions† (343). Similar to Pape, Bloom (2004) and Horowitz (2010) also delve into the exponential increase of suicide terrorism and why it occurs. Although Pape, Bloom, and Horowitz concur that suicide terrorismRead MoreAn Informative Comparison Between The Constitution Of The United States And That Of Israel1567 Words   |  7 Pagesrights, government power and structure, and how this may affect the allied relationship with the United states. There is a rather controversial debate regarding the importance of such an ally which brings into question the benefits of large sums of financial aid sent to Israel on a yearly basis. While the United States continues the quest for worldwide democracy, many argue that funding Israel is essential for maintaining a positive relationship. However, there is a growing number of people who believeRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of President’s Address To The Nation Post 9/111668 Words   |  7 PagesRhetorical analysis assignment: President’s Address to the Nation Since the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration has been calling every citizens and every nations to support his Middle East policy. Nonetheless, the U.S. has been involved in the middle-east struggle for more than half of the century, wars were waged and citizens were killed. Yet, political struggles and ideological conflicts are now worse than they were under Clinton’s presidency. As â€Å"President’s Address to the Nation† is a speechRead MoreReligion And Politics : The Middle East Essay1007 Words   |  5 PagesReligion and Politics Religion plays a central role in Middle Eastern politics, in part because political struggles have for centuries been understood as religious conflicts and in part because of the intimate ties of the three Abrahamic faiths in the region. The middle east is the birthplace of the world’s three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The fact that religion and politics have a long history in the Middle East does not mean that religion is always, or even most ofRead MoreAmerica s Strategic Thinkers Who Think Asia Essay1619 Words   |  7 Pagesopinion that â€Å"the US’s strategic thinkers who think Asia is more important than the Middle East, are said to be not understanding the situation of the States in today’s international context, and the affections onto its interests. Considering the importance of the Middle East to Asia will be the focus of this paper, in which the writer agreed with the assumption. Moreover, there will be reasons why the Middle East is ‘still’ more important than Asia, along with comparison for each. And by the endRead MoreThe Good Society By Alan Draper And Ansil Ramsay1206 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernance†. They had a very Classical Liberal ideology behind their defection of what a society should be, and that very much reflects what the West believes the rest o f the world should be. There is also the debate about which one leads to the other, and that is a chicken or the egg debate, but Draper and Ramsay believed that if the society believes this way, then the government will be reflective of the society, and there is pretty much only one correct way to go about it. They had a narrow definitionRead MoreEssay about elections and democracy1559 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿QUESTION 1; 1. Do you think elections can be a good measure of democracy? Discuss this statement in relation to elections recently held in African countries you are familiar with. INTRODUCTION The year 2011 experienced serious levels of political activities in Africa such as political upheavals, middle-east uprisings and elections in many countries. Most Islamic nations rose against their long-ruling leaders, hence saw the ousted of Egyptian Hosni Mubarak and the killing of MuamarRead MoreMiddle Eastern Women Rights in Islamic Society1419 Words   |  6 PagesWomen Rights of the Middle East â€Å"Life is full of unhappiness and most of it caused by women (Harik and Marston 11)†. For women in the Middle East life is faced with great and unequal odds, as their human rights are limited, due to Islamic beliefs and that of patriarchy. From their daily actions at home to their physical appearance, Middle Eastern women are portrayed as quiet, faceless women veiled from head to toe. While this image is just another stereotype, women in the middle do face many obstacles

Essay on The current war in Afghanistan and why it must end

War has been one of the most constant occurrences in Americas history. According to the Congressional Research Service [1], US armed forces have been offensively deployed for all but 24 of the last 213 years. Yet, of these engagements, no war has lasted longer than the current war in Afghanistan. The length of this commitment has not matched the results. Conventional American forces must be withdrawn from Afghanistan because they are only exacerbating the problem, and the fight with the Taliban isnt going anywhere. 1,848 servicemen and women have sacrificed their lives for this country in Afghanistan; more than 2,300 have been injured. Over 90,000 US military personnel are still on the ground there [2]. The war has so far cost over $480†¦show more content†¦Most recently, on April 10th, the top US and NATO commander, Gen. David Petraeus, told reporters that, There is no question that al-Qaeda has had a presence in Afghanistan and continues to have a presence - generally assessed at less than 100 or so. [5] The goal of our deployment in Afghanistan that has been repeatedly announced by the White House and the Pentagon is to prevent a return to power of the Taliban and with it the restoration of a safe-haven for al-Qaeda. Shortly after he took office, President Barack Obama announced a â€Å"surge† of more than 30,000 fresh troops into Afghanistan. In making the announcement he set clear objectives, which he reiterated in his June 22nd speech to the nation: â€Å"To refocus on al-Qaeda; reverse the Talibans momentum; and train Afghan Security Forces to defend their own country.† [6] The first piece of that, as Gen. Petraeus and others repeatedly admit, has been secured. Thus our presence, according to the commander-in-chief, is designed to â€Å"reverse the Taliban’s momentum† and to train Afghan forces to maintain that fight against the Taliban. In this regard, our presence in Afghanistan does us no good anymore – we gain no advantage from being there. As the former British Ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, told the Guardian, â€Å"for every dead Pashtun warrior, there will be 10 pledged to revenge.† [7] Killing Taliban fighters is pointless. Even though we have increased theShow MoreRelatedIs The Loyalty Toward His Own Country?886 Words   |  4 PagesDuring this time, he had involve actively in Falkland War, the Balkans War in Bosnia and also in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since he had a lot of experience in battlefield, he knows well the full horror of war. As a loyal citizen, he should accept the offer from XYZ to create a new radar but there is an obstacle that make him think twice. The thing is his feeling toward UK’s military. He feel that UK’s current military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is completely unjustified. As mention in Channel4.comRead MoreThe Military Of The Army Today1283 Words   |  6 Pagesidentity as trustworthy Army professionals. Running head: Desertion in time of peace and conflict 3 Desertion in time of peace and conflict The purpose of this paper is to bring awareness of the current situation that thousands of soldiers are facing. The current military operational tempo demanded by our nation enemy (ISIS/ISIL) has caused increased deployment cycles among our troops, in the same way creating a lot of stress on the force and family. Desertion is one way thousandsRead MoreBias in the Media Essay1549 Words   |  7 Pages Everyday millions of Americans plop down in front of their TVs to get their daily intake of news and current events of what happened that day. Sadly, most of the news and facts they are getting have been altered somehow by someone at the news corporation or by the reporters themselves. In the numerous news sources that cover world evens daily there are certain viewpoints that are thrust into the public’s face. This highly opinionated and biased news coverage has been present since there wasRead MoreEssay about Recent Economy of Afghanistan1504 Words   |  7 Pagestheir servant Ali’s son Hassan. Growing up together in Afghanistan during times of peace, they are split up due to unruly events, and the Soviet raid. Leaving behind all their belongings, Amir and Baba escape to America while the place they called home is devastated as the Taliban take over and establish their own regime. Throughout the story, Hosseini’s writings depict the abrupt change in conditions experienced by the people of Afghanistan, as the cruel demeanor of this terrorist group’s reignRead More`` Questing For Monsters `` By John Mueller, An American Political Scientist Essay1592 Words   |  7 Pageswhich resulted in the U.S. spending money and troops to fight wars they should have never been involved in. In the Communist invasion of Korea in the summer of 1950, Stalin believed North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung when he said he was â€Å"absolutely certain of success.† However, Stalin made it clear the USSR would not be footing the bill for a war in Korea if Sung was wrong, and he was. Once the United States sided with the South Koreans, the war became a fiasco instead of the quick, easy, and cheap spreadRead MoreEssay On The Federal Budget1072 Words   |  5 Pages77 % of gross domestic product (GDP) making it the highest public debt since World War II. The 2018 federal budget estimated impact is the deficit will increase to 79.8% GDP by 2027 adding an adding $10 billion to the public debt. (Policy Basics, 2017). The Congressional Budget Office projects this deficit to continue to grow sharply increasing long-term debt to 150% GDP by 2047 unless there are changes to current laws. (Lewis, M., 2016). These figures are staggering for a country that is consideredRead MoreAgainst Gun Rights: An Argumentative Essay1628 Words   |  7 Pagesand maybe some terrorists will use these guns to kill in order to be in power. There are lots of persons, corporations and bureaucrats and those who advocate gun rights who are in total agreement with free flow of arms. This paper sets out to show why this is very dangerous. Those who do not agree with these propositions would find ample material to question their views. Thus in length the hypothesis that is sought to be proved is: Free availability of arms and arming nations that are troubled willRead MoreAfghanistan s Geography : Afghanistan1527 Words   |  7 PagesAfghanistan’s Geography: Afghanistan is a country that is rich in history and war. Going back to early human civilization, many empires resided in this country. This country’s history is so vast some experts say that the relics and artifacts are just a grand as the artifacts from Egypt. â€Å"Lying along important trade routes connecting southern and eastern Asia to Europe and the Middle East, Afghanistan has long been a prize sought by empire builders, and for millennia great armies have attempted toRead MoreCause Of Terrorism1005 Words   |  5 PagesTerrorism has become a much more relevant occurrence in the 21st century. Although there is no one exact cause of these radical actions, it is certain that it revolves around the human brain in a psychological manner. It must be stopped, or at least slowed down, because it is occurring more often than it has ever been on the history of this Earth. Incidents related to terrorism haven’t only increased in number but also in size in these last two decades. The incidents have gotten worse and worse toRead MoreTerrorism Is A Global Issue1462 Words   |  6 Pagesmad at France for their deep involvement in the Syrian civil war, which is a conflict between its long-serving controlling government, and those seeking to get them out of office. The people that commit terrorism do so willingly, so that they can please their leader who is trying to get political or religious gain for their cause. The Middle East is the global region that has many countries with high levels of terrorism. Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria are 3 of the top 5 countries with the highest levels

Stop Bullying free essay sample

Stop Bullying! What defines bullying? What makes it so wrong and how can we minimize the outcome of it. Schools can do so much to stop buylling happening right in front of there eyes. Why is it not being recognized like it should to finally put a stop to it all? Schools should enforce no bullying policy. Any student who commits cyber or verbal bullying should be suspended from school. Schools should talk to there students about bullying and explain to them why its wrong. I mean come on students arent dumb they no its wrong. But how to stop it from happening it the main concern for high schools to bring down suicide rates and drop out rates. It is important for students who commit cyber bullying to be suspended from school and to be blocked off the site from where they committed the crime. Not only is it emotional for the students that the cyber bullying was committed but it is also a emotional process to go threw. We will write a custom essay sample on Stop Bullying or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For someone who cyber bullies is just going to do it again and again getting away with it every time. This will take a stand to all kids who get bullied online to put a end to it all. It is becoming more of a issue among teens and the school should take this into consideration on how to stop it from happening. If students were to know it they were to get caught bullying someone else then they would be suspended. It would be a tactic to minimize bullying cyber and verbal. Have students form groups to make a pact to stop bullying. For students to know how badly it can affect another student and to what extremes it can go to, from depression to even suicide. Who are we in this world to bully another for what there skin color is or how they dress. If we know its wrong then why do we allow students to keep getting away with it? How many lives is it going to take for us to make a stand and say no more. I went to my local high school and walked around for about a hour and just observed. Now in just that hour I saw 3 kids talking trash about others and 5 actually doing it in front of the person. What probably made me upset the most is how some students saw this happening and didn’t say anything while others looked shocked but kept there words to themselves. Now as I could see there were teachers around but weren’t close enough to hear what was going on. Another altercation I witnessed a teacher did hear and see what was happening. All that teacher did was say to go to class and stop. Now is that really enough? Will that stop that student from bullying others in the future? Not likely. The school needs to take in affect how it can affect a students life who is being bullied all the time. They could drop out, commit suicide or even hurt others. Is that what the school is willing to risk, when they could try to put a stop to it all by punishing the ones who are committing the bullying. Is that not only fair? Why should the whole school suffer just from the wrongs of a few others? As far as im concerned school needs to put a stop to bullying. Not only would it benefit the school with less drop out rates but could also save someone’s future or life. To all students in high school don’t be a bully. Stand up and put a stop to it, if you see it help others and defend your peers. To students who are the bully need punishment to know if they continue they will be suspended from school. Parents and school faculty need to get together and pass this agreement with the school board. This issue needs to be addressed and dealt with. For how many futures and lives are we going to put at risk for something we could have done to stop it. Its time to take a stand for everyone who has been bullied or will be bullied in the future. Schools will put a stop to this and put a end to kids bullying others. If a few schools who decided to put a stop to bullying wont others see that and follow there lead? This isint something your just doing for you school, but for all the kids who have to be in fear knowing there gonna be bullied day by day. Lets put a stop to this, lets tell them hey no need to be scared. Let the kids who are being bullied enjoy school like any other student. This will be a start to a new beginning, a new hope to others and a ending to constant fear.

Macbeth Diary Entries free essay sample

I am weary and suspective of Macbeth as he questions much of my movement with Fleance that afternoon. I really feel something amiss. Maybe it is just Macbeths insecurity for all i know. It is late and Fleance is waiting for me in the woods. I must go now. Macbeth and I just had just came back from a battle. A great one indeed. We had came ashore and were proceeding back to Forres when we came upon this desserted and gloomy heath where we were most shcoked to be greeted by three witches that had long beards strecthing from their ragged cloaks. I was uncertain what gender they were, but i knew something was wrong. At first sight, the three creatures greeted Macbeth Thane of Glamis. They then started chanting prophesis that concerned Macbeth and me. The first witch chanted,All hail,Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Glamis followed by the next All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Cawdor and the last of which chanted All hail, Macbeth ,that shalt be king hereafter! Hail they chanted three times together and continued prophesising. We will write a custom essay sample on Macbeth Diary Entries or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lesser then Macbeth, and greater. the first witch chanted. Continued the second Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings ,though thou be none So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo. Chanted the last of witch. I was overwhelmed by suspision when i heard those prophesies whilst Macbeth was, I should say rather engrosed and interested in their prophesies. Macbeth wanted them to stay but in a blink of an eye, they suddenly disappeared into thin air. Macbeth was furious. Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me moreMacbeth Was truely interested in these creatures prophesy, but i just got a bad feeling about this. Dear Diary, The news my cousin brought filled me with an unimaginable grief. My family, brought to the graves by such feeble means, so defenceless and alone while I was off in England arguing with Malcolm about my loyalty, which how dare he question it! Only a monster would kill innocent children and women, there was no reason for it! How can they live with themselves? As I write I am miles away from Fife for how could I stay when that atrocity happened in the place where I would have rested? I can never forgive myself for what happened that day, that fateful day which has brought me nothing but pain. I lay in my bed last night feeling alone and confused. My thoughts were in flux; I had ranged between crushing, overwhelming depression, during which I had shed countless tears onto my blankets, and anger so volatile I got up to put on my armour and immediately head to Fife (thrice), in hopes of catching the perpetrator only to remember my family, take off my armour, and lay back down. My wife would not have liked me to be dwelling on avenging their deaths but it is the only thing my mind has been set on. I have thought of killing myself, taking away the pain but I cannot do that! What would people think? I have no heir to my title or wealth, they would think I killed my family myself! Then I think of that assassin and him off gallivanting killing more innocent people and breaking other peoples hearts and I know hes got to be finished. If I ever find out who has killed my loved ones, I will be the death of them or they be the death of me. Macduff I am writing this entry, sitting at a desk in Scone. I have recently witnessed my dear friend Macbeth crowned King of Scotland. I am still in shock after the strange happenings of the past few days, so I am not yet overcome with neither joy nor grief. I should be happy for Macbeth, yet I feel that something inside me will not allow me to be so. These events, I fear, have not happened by chance, but that something evil, something supernatural is at work. Macbeth and I felt immense pride, on that fateful day as we rode, victorious, over the moor. We had just defeated the ghastly Norwegians, though by uncivilized means. Macbeth rightly said So foul; and fair a day I have not seen. Not far into our journey, we came upon three weird sisters. They all hailed Macbeth Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king hereafter. True, he was Thane of Glamis, but we were puzzled, to say the least, about the other two statements. As I was intrigued, I questioned them about my future. In reply, they told me that my sons would me kings, and that I would be Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. This confuses me greatly, for had they not just said that Macbeth would be king? Of course, I chose not to believe these instruments of darkness. Amazingly, minutes after the sisters had vanished, Macbeth was announced Thane of Cawdor. We were both quite taken aback, for the beings had foretold that very thing. I think our minds both raced towards the third prediction, All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! I believe that Macbeth began to think about how to make the third prophecy a reality. We spoke no more about it. Surprisingly, Malcolm was named Duncans successor, though Macbeth was firm favourite in my mind, at least.

The Original Bill of Rights Had 12 Amendments, Not 10

The Original Bill of Rights Had 12 Amendments, Not 10 How many amendments are in the Bill of Rights? If you answered ten, you are right. But if you visit the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, you will see that the original copy of the Bill of Rights sent to states for ratification had twelve amendments. Fast Facts The  Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution.The Bill of Rights establishes specific restrictions and prohibitions on the powers of the  federal government.The Bill of Rights was created in response to demands from several states for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties already considered  natural rights, such as the rights to speak and worship freely.The Bill of Rights, originally in the form of 12 amendments was submitted to the legislatures of the states for their consideration on September 28, 1789, and was ratified by the required three-fourths (then 11) states in the form of 10 amendments on December 15, 1791. What is the Bill of Rights? The Bill of Rights is actually the popular name for a joint resolution passed by the first U.S. Congress on September 25, 1789. The resolution proposed the first set of amendments to the Constitution. Then as now, the process of amending the Constitution required the resolution to be ratified or approved by at least three-fourths the states. Unlike the ten amendments we know and cherish today as the Bill of Rights, the resolution sent to the states for ratification in 1789 proposed twelve amendments.When the votes of the 11 states were finally counted on December 15, 1791, only the last 10 of the 12 amendments had been ratified. Thus, the original third amendment, establishing freedom of speech, press, assembly, petition, and the right to a fair and speedy trial became todays First Amendment. Imagine 6,000 Members of Congress Rather than establishing rights and freedoms, the first amendment as voted on by the states in the original Bill of Rights proposed a ratio by which to determine the number of people to be represented by each member of the House of Representatives. The original first amendment (not ratified) read: After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor less than one Representative for every forty thousand persons, until the number of Representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons. Had the amendment been ratified, the number of members of the House of Representatives could by now be over 6,000, compared to the present 435. As apportioned by the latest  Census, each member of the House currently represents about 650,000 people. The Original Second Amendment was About Money, not Guns The original second amendment as voted on, but rejected by the states in 1789, addressed congressional pay, rather than the right of the people to possess firearms. The original second amendment (not ratified) read: No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened. Though not ratified at the time, the original second amendment finally made its way into the Constitution in 1992, ratified as the 27th Amendment, a full 203 years after it was first proposed. And So the Third Became the First As a result of the failure of the states to ratify the original first and second amendments in 1791, the original third amendment became a part of the Constitution as the First Amendment we cherish today.   Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Background Delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 considered but defeated a proposal to include a bill of rights in the initial version of the Constitution. This resulted in a  heated debate during the ratification process.The Federalists, who supported the Constitution as written, felt a bill of rights was not needed because the Constitution intentionally limited the powers of the federal government to interfere with the rights of the states, most of which had already adopted bills of rights. The Anti-Federalists, who opposed the Constitution, argued in favor of the Bill of Rights, believing that the central government could not exist or function without a clearly established list of rights guaranteed to the people. (See: The Federalist Papers)Some of the states hesitated to ratify the Constitution without a bill of rights. During the ratification process, the people and the state legislatures called for the first Congress serving under the new Constitution in 1789 to consider an d put forward a bill of rights. According to the National Archives, the then 11 states began the process of ratifying the Bill of Rights by holding a referendum, asking its voters to approve or reject each of the 12 proposed amendments. Ratification of any amendment by at least three-quarters of the states meant acceptance of that amendment. Six weeks after receiving the Bill of Rights resolution, North Carolina ratified the Constitution. (North Carolina had resisted ratifying the Constitution because it did not guarantee individual rights.) During this process, Vermont became the first state to join the Union after the Constitution was ratified, and Rhode Island (the lone holdout) also joined. Each state tallied its votes and forwarded the results to Congress. Sources and Further Reference â€Å"The Charters of Freedom: The Bill of Rights.† Washington, DC. National Archives and Records Administration.â€Å"James Madison’s Proposed Amendments to the Constitution, June 8, 1789.† Washington, DC. National Archives and Records Administration.Lloyd, Gordon. â€Å"Introduction to the Constitutional Convention.† Teaching American History.

What Is a College Legacy What If Youre Not a Legacy

What Is a College Legacy What If You're Not a Legacy SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many high school students are curious about what it means to be a college legacy. Exactly who counts as a legacy? How much does it help you when it comes to admissions? And what if you’re not a legacy?In this article, we discuss what a college legacy is, which top schools favor legacies, and what you should do- regardless of whether or not you’re a legacy! What Is a College Legacy? Overview First off, what exactly is a college legacy? A legacy is someone who is related to an alumnus of a school- usually a child of a graduate. More distant relations (such as aunts, uncles, and cousins) rarely count. Grandparents sometimes, but not always, count. To take an example, if your mom graduated from Harvard College, you'd be considered a Harvard legacy. However, if your uncle graduated from Harvard Law School, you would not be considered a Harvard legacy.Basically,if one or both of your parents graduated from a school, you would be considered a legacy there. Note, though, that undergraduate admissions offices will be most interested if your parents went there for their undergraduate degrees. If your parents instead got professional degrees andnottheir undergraduate degreesfrom the school, it's less likely you'd be counted as a legacy during the undergraduate admissions process. Legacy status is valued by colleges mainly for economic and community-building reasons. The belief is that when schools admit children of alumni, those alumni will be more likely to stay involved with the school (such as by going to reunions, serving on committees, etc.) and donate money to it. Many schoolsalso believe that legacies will be very active alumni due to their family connection with the school. In short, colleges believe that admitting legacies is a way to not only keep alumni involved but also to ensure a new generation of active alumni. How Much Does Legacy Status Matter? Even though there are many perceived benefits to admitting legacies, legacies aren't even close to a majority of the student body at top schools. Furthermore, being a legacy is far from being a guarantor of admission at a top school. In most cases, being a legacy not going to magically transform a candidate’s chances of admission. If a student's standardized test scores and GPA are below a school’s averages and the student has no meaningful extracurricular involvement, being a legacy won’t guarantee admission. As a Harvard admissions officer once said, "Legacy can cure the sick, but it can’t raise the dead." Being a legacy is often referred to as a push, plus, or tie-breaker. If a candidate is on the bubble, being a legacy could tip him or her over the edge. In fact, here's what Harvard says about legacieson its admissions website: "Among a group of similarly distinguished applicants, the daughters and sons of Harvard College alumni/ae may receive an additionallook." In other words, being a legacy could be a tipping factor in admissions. That said,it’s still far from a guarantee of admission and won’t get an otherwise unimpressive candidate into a school. But this varies by school. Some schools value legacies more than others do, or give them more weight at different points in the admissions process. We’ll explore some of this variation soon. Examples of College Legacy Policies: Harvard, Penn, and MIT In this section, we’ll go over three examples of top schools to explore in what ways legacy status can (and won't) affect your admission chances. The schools we'll be looking at are as follows: Harvard University of Pennsylvania MIT We chose these examples because they reveal some of the sharp differences that can exist when it comes to legacy policies at top schools. Harvard College: "An Additional Look" Harvard is a school that values legacies, at least to a degree. As we mentioned above, Harvard says in their FAQ that the sons and daughters of Harvard alumni will get "an additional look" if the admissions committee can't decide between otherwise comparable candidates. But how much does this "extra look" matter? According to a class of 2021 survey, 17.5% of students at Harvard have at least one parent who is an alumnus. And according to a 2011 article in TheHarvard Crimson, legacies are admitted at a rate of 30%. Given that Harvard’s acceptance rate hovers just below 6%, this seems like more than just an "additional look"- it's actually a pretty big advantage! That said, children of Harvard alumni are more likely to have grown up with more money, gone to better schools, and received superior college counseling,meaning that their legacy status more likely inadvertently caused them to get in rather than acting as the deciding factor. This also helps to explain the huge disparity between the 30% admit rate for legacies and the 6% overall admit rate. All in all, if you’re a Harvard legacy, expect this "additional look" to be a factor in your favor if, based on your stats, you'd already be competitive at Harvard. Penn: Legacy Matters, but Matters More When You Apply Early The University of Pennsylvania notes on its admissions website, "An applicant’s affiliation with Penn, either by being children or grandchildren of alumni, is given the most consideration through Early Decision." We get two pieces of information here. First, at Penn, having a grandparent who is an alum will grant you legacy status, where Harvard seems to only care if your parents went there. But also, if you’re a legacy, you’ll get the biggest boost if you apply early (note that at Penn, early admission is binding). Legacies get a pretty significant admission boost at Penn. According to an article published in their alumni magazine, legacies get into Penn at a rate higher than 40%. That’s four times the overall admission rate of 10%! (For the class of 2021, 16% are legacies.) Furthermore, alumni get additional admissions resources. Here's what the article above says about this: "Other admissions resources for alumni include monthly 'First Friday Drop-In Hours,' which are information sessions especially for alumni, faculty, and staff and their children held on campus, and the 'Inside Penn Admissions' page, www.admissions.upenn.edu/inside." Even though legacies are particularly favored during early decision at Penn, between the additional resources for alumni and that high admit rate, being a legacy seems to be a significant plus. MIT: "We Don't Do Legacy" In contrast to Harvard and Penn, being a legacy will not help you a bit at MIT. This makes MIT unusual among other top schools, as explained in post by MIT Admissions that sharply criticizes legacy admissions: "It is, indeed, unusual for a school like MIT to have no preference for legacies.But one of the things that makes MIT special is the fact that it is meritocratic to its cultural core.* In fact, I think if we tried to move towards legacy admissions we might face an alumni revolt. There is only one way into (and out of) MIT, and that's the hard way. The people here value that." *Emphasis mine MIT prides itself on being as meritocratic as possible, so they don’t consider the legacy status of students applying.Even if both your parents graduated from MIT, it won’t help you get in! This makes for a more level playing field for students who apply to MIT, even though it’s still a very tough field to play on! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. The Top 25: Which Colleges Care About Legacy? We’ve seen some pretty different policies regarding legacy admissions at three top schools. So out of the top 25 schools (according toUS News), which ones place value on legacy students? As it turns out, most of them do. Only a small handful of top schools (including MIT) don’t value legacies. Get a complete breakdown of the top 25 below. Colleges That Value Legacies These are the colleges in the top 25 that grant at least some favoritism to legacies during the admissions process. This varies from just taking the information into account as part of a holistic application review to specifically reaching out to alumni families and providing them with additional resources. Brown Here's what a 2014 article in theBrown Daily Herald says about legacy: "Having a parent who attended Brown comes into play when applicants 'are essentially equivalent,' in which case admission officers 'will tilt toward the candidate whose parents attended the college,' Miller said. Admission officers give 'small'consideration to grandparent legacy status and 'almost no' weight to sibling legacy cases, he added." Again, we see that legacy status is a tilt or push in an applicant's favor. Carnegie Mellon Carnegie Mellon offers special events for legacies and their families, including preferential seating at graduation. Note that Carnegie Mellon uses a rather broad definition of legacies, defining them as "those students who have family members that also graduated from CMU, including parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and other known relatives"(bold emphasis mine). Columbia Columbia has a legacy policy that's similar to Harvard's: "When an applicant is extremely competitive and compares favorably with other similarly talented candidates, being the daughter or son of a Columbia University graduate (from any Columbia school or college) may be a slight advantage in the admission process." Cornell Here's what theCornell Daily Sunsays about legacies(bold emphasis mine): "According to statistics released by Cornell, 15 percent of Cornell’s entire undergraduate population is comprised of legacy students. This figure is higher than percentages at many of Cornell’s Ivy League counterparts." Dartmouth Dartmouth Alumni Magazine says the following about legacies (bold emphasis mine): "We give all legacy applicants at least one additional review in this process. The dramatic increase in selectivity that we’ve experienced makes the admissions process more competitive for everyone, but our legacy applicants are admitted at a rate that’s roughly two-and-a-half times greater than the overall rate of admission. It’s never easy to turn away the children of Dartmouth alumni." Duke Here is what the Duke alumni website says in regard to legacy (bold emphasis mine): "Alumni affiliation by no means ensures admission to Duke. However, the university recognizes that applicants from alumni families possess a meaningful connection to Duke and its traditions. Admissions officers give special consideration to these applicants, including an additional round of review." Emory Here's what Emory has to say about how it values legacies, as written on its alumni website: "The admission staff and Emory Alumni Association (EAA) work closely to document legacy applicants through the admission-review process. During the initial application review, an applicant's legacy status is noted on the review sheet and admission evaluators are instructed to consider the affiliation. In addition, during the committee-review process, there is a separate committee that does an additional review of legacy applicants. Finally, the deans of admission for Emory College and Oxford College closely monitor legacy decisions throughout the entire process. Note that legacies at Emory are those who are the children, grandchildren, and/or siblings of Emory graduates and/or currently enrolled students. Georgetown We called the admissions office and got this information about legacies: "In early action we don't review legacy; during regular decision we will....It's not a huge factor [but] it's something that we will notice as part of an overall holistic review process." In contrast to Penn, which gives most weight to legacies during early decision, if you apply to Georgetown, legacy status will only be considered under regular decision. Furthermore, here's what a 2017 article in Georgetown's newspaper The Hoya reported about legacy: "While the Office of Undergraduate Admissions does not actively recruit legacy students, it does consider family ties to the university when evaluating students of equal academic standing, and gives preference to students with legacy status in those cases." Harvard As discussed above, Harvard will give legacy applicants "an additional look" and admits them at a higher rate than it does non-legacy candidates. Johns Hopkins We spoke to the admissions staff at Johns Hopkins to ask about how legacy status will affect an application. Here was their response: "It doesn't make a difference if you apply early or regular; you need to make sure that you correctly note your legacy status on the application. We'll look at it [but] it's not going to have a lot of weight." Northwestern Here's what was written an email from Northwestern's admissions office: "During the application process we do take into consideration whether a student has a sibling, parent, or grandparent that graduated from Northwestern. However, it is important to note that no admission decision will ever be made solely based on legacy status. In other words, this is just one additional positivepiece of informationthat we look at, but will not be the deciding factor." Notre Dame Here's what an article published in Notre Dame's TheObserversaysabout legacies: "The number of admitted legacy children remains higher than at most elite colleges, Bishop said. Twenty-four percent of this year’s admitted class is a legacy compared to about 12 percent at most top 10 schools, he said, but this is because legacy applicants tend to be very qualified." Princeton Here's what a 2015 article in the Daily Princetonianreports about legacy: "The acceptance rate for alumni children and step-children has wavered without a specific trend between 35 and 42 percent since the Class of 2000, with the Class of 2018 hitting a record low of 30.8 percent, according to the Princeton Profiles." Recall that Princeton's regular admission rate is just 7%, so this "low" of 30.8% is still quite high. Rice Here's what we received in an email from Rice's admissions office: "There is no specific benefit that is implemented across the board for the children of alumni. Often, legacy status is viewed favorably, but that is mainly a function of a student knowing about Rice-specific opportunities and being able to effectively communicate their interest in Rice through the supplement and visits to campus." Stanford Legacies are admitted at three times the rate of other applicants, according to an article in Stanford Magazine. Admission is also dependent on how engaged the alumni have been with the university. University of Chicago Here's what UChicago said on its Tumblr account in regard to legacy: "Legacy status is something that we can consider, but in a holistic admissions process, it is one of many many factors that will be a part of our decision-making process- and would not be something that could overcome an otherwise lackluster application." University of Pennsylvania As we discussed above, Pennfavors legacy applicants and offers extra services to legacy families. University of Southern California We called USC and spoke with an admissions representative who told us the following: "We certainly want to know you have a parent who graduated from USC ... that piece of information would certainly be of interest for us." USC only has a regular decision plan and an earlier deadline for scholarships (December 1). Legacy status will not factor at all into scholarship consideration. In addition, here's whata 2017 article on USC's undergraduate admission blog says about legacy: "Roughly 19 percent of the first-year students joining USC for the 2017-2018 school year are Scions. But, legacy status is, on its own, not going to be the deciding factor in the evaluation of a student’s application. There are many factors that we are considering when making our decisions, and legacy status is just one part of that." University of Virginia The University of Virginia has an admission liaison program set up to help children of alumni navigate the admissions process. This is noteworthy since UVA is a public university, and public universities are much less likely to notice and favor legacy ties. (The University of Michigan favors legacies as well.) Vanderbilt This is what Vanderbilt's FAQ pagehas to say about legacy: "The admissions office has received no mandate from the university administration to grant preference to the children or siblings of Vanderbilt alumni. When a student‘s record closely mirrors those of other students being offered admission, legacy status may be taken into consideration." Similar to Harvard's policy, legacy status could be a tipping factor if the admissions committee can't decide between two or more similar candidates. Washington University in St. Louis We contacted the admissions office at Washington University and received this reply: "We take into account that your family has ties to the university, however, we still evaluate each student on the merits of their own application." Yale Here's what a New York Times article has written about Yale's legacy policy: "'We turn away 80 percent of our legacies, and we feel it every day,' Mr. Brenzel said, adding that he rejected more offspring of the school’s Sterling donors than he accepted this year (Sterling donors are among the most generous contributors to Yale). He argued that legacies scored 20 points higher on the SAT than the rest of the class as a whole." Still, 20% of legacies getting in is still a much higher rate than the average admission rate at Yale, which currently hovers atjust 7%. Colleges That Do NOT Value Legacies These schools offer zero consideration or additional help to children of alumni in the admissions process. Caltech This is what a 2010 articlehad to say about Caltech's policies on legacies: "Throughout its history Caltech has never been interested in reaching out in any special way to alumni children, and according to one estimate, less than 2 percent of its current undergraduate students have a parent who attended the university. This compares with many other elite private colleges and universities where legacy students comprise as much as 10-15 percent of each entering class (at Notre Dame the figure is close to one-quarter)." Additionally, Caltech is often mentioned alongside MIT as a top research schoolwith no legacy preference. MIT As we discussed above, MIT grants no weight to legacy status during application review. UC Berkeley Like both Caltech and MIT,UC Berkeley does not consider legacy statusduring the undergraduate admissions process. UCLA UCLA is similar to Caltech and UC Berkeley in that it abolished legacy favoritism long agoand has no legacy policy currently in place. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. How to Maximize Your Admissions Chances, Legacy or Not Even though so many top (and mostly private) colleges favor legacies, it's important to remember that legacies are usually only 10-25% of the overall class- typically closer to 10% or 15%. The boost you'd get from being a legacy isn’t any bigger than the one you'd get from having an excellent SAT/ACT score or an intriguing "spike" in your application (which we’ll discuss below). The bottom line is to have the best application possible- legacy or not. With that in mind, here's how to deal with your legacy/non-legacy status when you apply to colleges: If You Are a Legacy †¦ First off, find out what your parents’ alma maters’ policies are regarding legacies. This could affect your admissions strategy. For example, if one of your parents went to Penn, you’re going to have to decide whether you want to take full advantage of your legacy status by applying early decision.Note, however, that applying early decision means you’re committing to go there if admitted (which you have a stronger chance of if you’re a legacy!). This brings me to my second point:don't apply to a school just because you’re a legacy. Colleges are looking for genuine interest in the school. True, you might be naturally interested in your parents’ alma maters since you likely heard a lot about them while growing up. But the final decision rests with you. If you’re only applying because you’re a legacy and don’t indicate your genuine excitement for the school, admissions offices will pick up on that. Furthermore, even if you do get in, you don’t want to end up at a school you’re not super excited about! Finally, remember that even with legacy admission rates between 20%and 50%, this still means many colleges are turning away more than half of legacies who apply.In other words, you’re not getting an automatic pass from admissions officers just by being a legacy. In the end, there is no substitute for a high SAT/ACT score, a strong GPA, and an overall compelling application. If You Are NOT a Legacy †¦ First of all, you can’t do anything to change your legacy or non-legacy status, so I recommend spending approximately zero minutes stressing about it. On a more serious note, though, don't forget that even at schools that favor legacies, legacies are never the majority in an incoming class. Rather, they usually account for between 10% and 25% of the undergraduate population. This means 75-90% of the students in a class are not legacies, so you’re in good company. At the end of the day, admissions officers are looking for top students. And though legacies are desirable, so are students with top scores, great grades, and impressive extracurriculars (a "spike," as we call it around here). Rather than worry about your lack of legacy status, focus on being as competitive as possible. That includes maximizing your SAT/ACT score! Tip the scales in your favor. Also, spend a good deal of time on your"Why this college?" essay. Most schools have spaceon their applications- whether it’s a short response or long essay- for you to explain what exactly it is that draws you to this college. Since you’re not a legacy, you won’t be able to talk about visiting the campus as a child or hearing your parents’ fond memories of the school- but that might be for the better. Make sure you have concrete, specific, and compelling reasons for why you want to go to this particular school, and state them clearly! Ultimately, an essay that discusses how excited you are to explore the computer science department and work with certain professors will likely look a lot better than a legacy’s essay about her fond childhood memories of visiting the main quad. At the end of the day, legacy status is a factor out of your control. That said, your GPA, SAT/ACT score, extracurricular activities, and essays are entirely within your control. So try to focus on those- and on being a strong applicant! Further Reading on College Legacy Legacy admissions is a pretty controversial topic at colleges, and we didn’t want to get embroiled in the debate, which is why we’re not taking a side in regard to whether legacy admissions are a good idea or not. Rather, our aim was tofocus on practical advice for you, given that the system is what it is. If you want to read more about legacy admissions, including how they work, how colleges benefit from them, and whether this system is good or bad, here are some articles to check out. First of all, I suggestlearning more about why some colleges value legacy ties so much. Next, get an in-depth look at the admissions process at Stanford and see how legacies seem to be favored. Also, learn about the other side- what happens when a legacy kid doesn’t get in? Finally, here is a study that found legacy applicants have vastly increased odds of admission. This studyhas been quoted in many op-eds against the practice, including those published inThe New York Times and The Harvard Crimson. What’s Next? Not a legacy? Not a problem. Read about how to make yourself a student that even Harvard and Stanford will fight over. Have you taken the SAT or ACT yet? Learnthe best time in your high school career to take the SAT (ACT version here). Thinking about an SAT/ACT retake? Learn the top nine ACT English strategies you should use as well asthe best methods and strategies for SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Consequences of Divorce for Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consequences of Divorce for Children - Essay Example Without touch, even physiological systems will not function properly since the human skin is the first to develop and is the largest and the neediest sense organ (Linn et al., 1997: 29). Children in divorce-wreaked abodes generally lack parental touch due to the distress that the hurt and separation caused both parents, who need time alone and go through a process of grief, especially for one party who felt cheated. Studies of adolescents found a positive correlation between drug abuse and home environments with having little or no touch (Huttmann, 1993:168). Similarly, amidst the fact that a mother's care is critical during infancy, infants need touch and care from their fathers too, and little or lack of it will result to "abnormal" bonding behavior, such as the high amount of incestuous behavior among stepfathers who never had the chance to bond with their stepdaughters as infants (Hamilton,1985: 10). Studies show that when fathers interact with their infants, those infants thrive and grow up securely surrounded by the love of two parents rather than just one. The rate of development of children who frequently stayed with their fathers rather than just their mothers is found to be high (ibid). On the contrary, infants who are seldom touched tend to develop slower and are passive (Linn, et al., 1997: 30). Hence, it is apparent that in homes where the parents decide for divorce, the child is usually deprived of the needed frequent touch from each parent, and since legal laws provide the custody of children to the mother, it is often the father's touch that is missed. Based on this discussion, when the most striking impact of divorce happens at the time when the child is in infancy stage, the parents' lack of attention due to the grief that divorce had caused results in slow physical, social, and even mental development for the child (ibid). Erikson describes children in their early childhood as experiencing a conflict between autonomy vs. shame and doubt. Autonomy develops as the child tries to develop his own will and tries to get what he wants, while shame and doubt are the result if the child chooses his own will and consequently disappoints his mother (Cordes, 1985: 33). However, Erikson clarifies that when the child chooses his own will, he does not disconnect from his mother but rather seeks a separate sense of self in order to relate to her in new ways (Stern, 1985: 10). It may be inferred that children at this stage are learning many things; thus, they become their own person. They are learning how to talk, walk, and go where they want. Piaget posits that children in this stage can understand that divorce is something bad, that somebody must be responsible for this, and the concept of guilt does not enter their minds (Jensen and Mckee, 2003). Hence, during this stage, divorce is not related to guilt. Children m ake judgments from their own viewpoints and cannot easily imagine that there are other judgments other than their own (ibid). Erikson posits that it is important that at this stage of the child, parents are firm but loving so that the child will not grow into a little Hitler if they are too permissive, or will not be deeply hurt if they always say no to everything he wants. If children do not sense that they have a will, then anything