Compare the role of interest and pressure groups in the UK, France and Russia Essays

Compare the role of interest and pressure groups in the UK, France and Russia Essays Compare the role of interest and pressure groups in the UK, France and Russia Paper Compare the role of interest and pressure groups in the UK, France and Russia Paper Without the ability to access the government directly many outsider groups turn to protest politics or direct action to voice their opinion. The structure of the British political system, with its unitary state and limited separation of powers, is relatively closed, with restricted access available for pressure groups to obtain. However, within the UK, policies are generally formulated by governments after the relevant inside interest groups have been consulted. This has led to a large, but organised and formal array of interest and pressure groups within the country. In contrast, the French system of interest groups has traditionally mistrusted interest groups. The development of interest group activity was hampered by the elite conception of the proper role of the state. However, more recently new patterns of interest group behaviour has emerged, based around autonomous associational activity4 and a decline in protest politics. Unlike the UK, main economic and social groups are highly fragmented. For example, trade unions are not differentiated functionally under one umbrella organisation such as the TUC in the UK. The large organisations which are in place for unions are often internally divided creating more problems for the French system. Similarly, Russia is hindered by poorly organised and incoherent interest groups. Pressure groups with strong links to the Soviet-party state often perpetuate influence. Other groups are notoriously weak and find difficulty gaining support due to the restrictions placed on the media. Corporatism is a relationship between the state and interest groups in which major decisions on domestic matters emerge from discussion between the government and a few peak associations. 5 In return for their influence these favoured groups are expected to ensure the compliance of their members. Russian pressure groups are well known for internal influence and corruption of the government. The separation between public and private sectors, so central to the organisation of interests in the West, has not emerged in this democracy and this has led to an unnatural balance of power. Many private entrepreneurs compete for wealth which can be extracted from previously state-owned industries. Although Trade Unions have broad membership, they are co-opted by management and government and avoid direct links with non-governmental political parties. This means they are limited in their influence and can be quickly overruled by more influential players such as the financial industrial groups. The government allows tacit abuse of union power if it means they will gain support. In France there have been a limited number of examples of corporatism between unions and government. In agriculture a close relationship developed between the state and the FNSEA (National Organisation of Small Farmers.) French officials handed the organisation a set of selective incentives with which to consolidate support in the countryside. Despite the lack of trust in pressure groups from the French government there have been a number of examples of corporatism in the French system. Therefore it can be concluded there are still a few features of corporatism in France. In contrast the UK can be catagorised as one of the least corporatist countries. The problem lies more with individuals. Although large financial donations must be declared, there is no specific upper limit to the extent of a group or individuals generosity to a political party. Evidence of this was apparent in the run-up to the 1997 General Election, when the Labour party was offered i 1 million from Bernie Ecclestone, the Chief Executive of the FIA. Thus, when the issue of tobacco sponsorship legislation was addressed in the Commons after the election, it was little surprise that its abolition was set back five years. Apart from corruption and close government relations, pressure groups seek to gain support and influence by employing protest politics methods. Historically it is the trade unions who are likely to instigate direct action. France has a strong tradition of protest politics. There is a relatively small trade union movement in France and it is clearly focused on direct consultation with the administration, particularly since the strengthening of presidential government and the weakening of the National Assembly in the Fifth Republic of 1958. Although the trade union is now seen as a far more legitimate social actor6 than was previously the case in France, there is a decline in members of unions. At its high point in 1975, only 24 per cent of the French workforce belonged to a union, this fell to just 13 per cent in 19897. Regardless of this, the country does have a history of direct action, demonstrated by the rebellion of students and trade unionists during the political troubles of May 1968. Indeed, pressure politics has always moved readily to the streets in France, resulting in a reputation for mass demonstrations and public disruption. Similarly, there is a history of industrial action and protest politics in the UK. For example, the Countryside Alliance marches in 2002 and the General Strike in 1926. However, the amount of direct action is clearly less than that of France as the system of negotiation between the government and groups is fully integrated. The Russian system is known more for crime related to policy decisions rather than direct action from the public masses. The operation of the secret police (FSB) has created an atmosphere of fear within Russia and has made public marches and protests near impossible. Therefore although there is a history of disruption and unrest in Russia, characterised by the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, the current situation does not allow enough freedom for groups to voice their opinion in protest politics. Overall a number of similarities and differences can be identified in the pressure groups of the UK, France and Russia. These can be attributed to the different political and historical backgrounds of each of the countries. For example, it is impossible that the Russian system would be as democratically liberal at the UK after the previous authoritarian state. However, the current style of personal rather than institutional8 pressure politics does not look all together hopeful for the future in Russia. Similarly, the tradition of protest politics within France is unlikely to subside. Regardless of how the pressure groups within each country gain power, they all influence government. Their role in each country is of key importance to policy decisions. Therefore they are a very influential force for governments to deal with. Resources R. Elgie S. Griggs (2000) French Politics Debates and Controversies (London 2000) J. Forbes N. Hewlett (1994) Contemporary France (Essex 1994) R. Hague M. Harrop (2001) Comparative Government and Politics (Hampshire 2001) A. Heywood (2002) Politics 2nd Ed . (Hampshire 1997) W. Grant (2000) Pressure Groups and British Politics (London 2000) M. Olson (1982) The Rise and Decline of Nations (New Haven, Conn. : Yale University Press, 1982) J. Richardson (1993) Pressure Groups (New York 1993) S.White et al, (2001) Developments in Russian Politics 5 (London 2001) 1 A. Heywood (2002) Politics 2nd Ed . (Hampshire 1997), p272 2 M. Olson (1982) The Rise and Decline of Nations (New Haven, Conn. : Yale University Press, 1982), p78. 3A. Heywood (2002) Politics 2nd Ed . (Hampshire 1997), p422 4 R. Elgie S. Griggs (2000) French Politics Debates and Controversies (London 2000) p 147 5 R. Hague M. Harrop (2001) Comparative Government and Politics (Hampshire 2001) p 161 6 J. Forbes N. Hewlett (1994) Contemporary France (Essex 1994) p35 7 A. Heywood (2002) Politics 2nd Ed . (Hampshire 1997), p278.

Platform †Its About Making Friends

Platform – Its About Making Friends Who you know and how far you can reach. Thats pretty much the definition of platform. But so many people are writing that the competition is fierce. And theres so much competition for entertainment that books arent everyones first choice. Which means putting a book on Amazon will not sell it. Someone told me their book was in Barnes Noble, and they were excited. I asked if they were in the stores, and they said, no, not that they knew of. But they were online at the website. Sorry, but everyone is there. Jane Friedman, publishing guru and previous editor of Writers Digest and Virginia Quarterly, states that your platform is measured in three ways: Ability to reach new readers Ability to engage existing readers Ability to mobilize super fans At a recent conference, I changed this to read: Ability to reach new friends Ability to engage existing friends Ability to mobilize super best friends When you stop and consider that you are asking people to invest money and loads of time reading your work, it gives you pause. How do you convince these strangers to buy your stuff? But if you consider them friends, the effort has a softer feel to it. But still, how do you find these friends? Create a newsletter that sounds like a letter to a friend. Be constantly available online to anyone interested in you or your work. Establish yourself on at least two social media sites and share yourself. Do not alienate folks. Be genuine. People know about me. I share myself with them. And slowly but surely, people are finding my books. . . because we became friends.

MGMT402 U4 IP Labor Laws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MGMT402 U4 IP Labor Laws - Research Paper Example This was a law formulated and passed in 1926 but later amended in 1936 that provides a legal framework for resolution of disputes through conflict resolution, mediation and bargaining instead of striking for the workers of railway and airlines. It also further extends to issues such as representation of employees and administration of contracts in places where the employees have representation by labor union (Twomey, 2012). The act has definitely improved the losses the railway and airlines organizations incur when the workers go on strike in protesting their work conditions or any other aspect of the work ethics and organizational culture. The mediation curbs the strike and ensures workers continue with their normal duties as negotiations and mediation continues. The relationship between the union and management has improved because of the National Mediation Board that is part of the labor law and which tries to maintain civility between the two parties for the sake of the workers. In short, the union puts its demands and the management retaliates by negotiating the terms and finally coming up with an agreement but in the end the workers benefit. This was an act passed in 1932 that ensured removal of legal barriers against the trade unions. The act other than barring the federal courts from issuing injunctions on unions following labor disputes, it also ensured that employers did not interfere with the rights of their workers to join trade unions. Prior to the act being enforced, employees upon employment were forced to sign contracts (yellow-dog contracts) that prohibited them from joining labor unions but this was prohibited by the courts (Cihon and Castagnera, 2013). The relationship between the union and management was sour as the management saw the union as an obstacle while the union viewed the management as out to

Fin 352 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fin 352 - Essay Example Securitization is the pooling of various contractual debt types like commercial and residential mortgages and selling them in consolidation to various investors as pass-through securities, bonds or as collateralized mortgage obligation. Receivables are taken â€Å"off balance sheet† then replaced with equivalents in cash. This improves an originator’s balance sheet, securitization can thus enhance the managerial control over structure and size of a company’s balance sheet. Financial leverage refers to the techniques used to multiply either gains or losses. Many times it involves buying a lot of assets using borrowed funds in anticipation that the appreciation will be higher than the borrowing cost. In futures markets, leverage is having control over huge cash amounts for commodities that have comparatively small capital levels. In futures markets, price leveraging is common resulting in small changes in futures prices translating into huge gains or

Pearl Harbor Essay -- essays papers

Pearl Harbor After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States joined the Allies and became a crucial element to an Allied victory. Though strategy was initially aimed at crushing Hitler and the Nazis, Allied forces persevered for years on different continents, with different leaders, and with varied objectives. Eventually, anything was being said, done, or invented in order to lessen the strength of the opposing forces - not just Germany. Many of the Allies’ attacks, particularly those led and carried out by the Americans, became turning points which helped to determine victory. First and foremost, the Allies were intent on destroying the German war machine. Beginning in 1942, during some of America and Britain’s first collaborations, German cities and Nazi centers were bombed by Allied planes. This succesfully hampered war production and tangled communications for the Germans. Consequently, American General Dwight Eisenhower found it easier to invade Nazi-controlled French North Africa. From Africa, while the air attacks on Germany continued, the Allies invaded Sicily. Eventually, the Allies were able to push through to the Italian mainland and force Mussolini’s successor to surrender, only then having to clear the country of Germans through months of rigorous fighting. These events, because of American involvement and leadership, rapidly propelled the great war forward and helped to ultimately weaken the enemy. Having thus overwhelmed Germany...

History of state and federal prison Essay

Prisons, unlike jails, confine felons sentenced to longer then a year to serve their sentence within the facilities. They are operated by state governments but the Federal Bureau of Prisons also houses federal offenders in Federal penitentiaries. Since its establishment of prisons within the United States, over-crowding has always been a growing problem in both state and federal prisons. Since the beginning of the first state penitentiary in America, which was Walnut Street Jail led by Dr. Benjamin Rush in Philadelphia in 1790, officials and scholars have always been looking for more humane and reformed alternatives to punishments for criminals. Through the years state prisons have found ways of making the penitentiaries more humane and reformed through public work services and other forms of labor. In the 1930s, state prisons developed prison work camps in which inmates would be made to work various labor jobs as â€Å"slaves of the state†. Today prisons are much different where they do offer labor programs in some states, prisons are more for reforming the criminals through educational and religious programs. As well as work there is also the variety of security levels for prisons present today which are: Maximum-security prisons, Close high-security prisons, Medium-security prisons, Minimum-security prisons, and Open-security prisons. Most state prisons have multilevel prisons to house various levels of securities depending on the offender. State prisons aren’t the only one that has history throughout the years, as there is also Federal prison. Congress passed the â€Å"Three Prisons Act† in 1891, establishing the Federal Prison System implementing the first three prisons: USP Leavenworth, USP Atlanta, and USP McNeil Island. Throughout the years of federal prisons there have been various forms for federal prisons that house particular groups of offenders from juveniles, implemented in the 1920s, to reformatories for women. This moved to establish a more centralized way of doing administration and that was through the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 1930. Through the years, BOP has opened 16 institutions bring the total of federal prisons to 115 with a population of more than 211,310. State and Federal prisons may have their issues to work on as far as overcrowding and prisons conditions but the United States would not be where it is today without the help of our prison systems and it’s officials. References †¢ Federal Bureau of Prisons, (2010) retrieved from http://www.bop.gov/about/history/first_years.jsp †¢ Foster, B. (2006). Corrections: The fundamentals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Strong, Influential Women Like Elizabeth Cady Stanton And...

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