Part A: One page government summary Due Thursday April 22
Summarize the political history of that nation (has it ever been colonized? Involved in international or civil wars, etc?)
Describe the structrue of power and decision making in that nation (checks and balances, crime and punishment, party systems, etc.)
Who is presently in charge in that nation? What have been his/ her achievements thus far?
How does this government compare to the others we have studied?
Include MLA citations of no fewer than 2 specific sources. I find www.cia.gov and www.bbc.co.uk particularly helpful.
The proper format for citing a website or online article is
Author last, First name (or publishing group), "Title of Article." Title of website.
Example: Francis, Bridgette "Is Britain a True Democracy?" Comparative Government Through Film Spring 2010 Blogsite.
Part B: Contemporary problems/ conflict component Due Tues April 27
For the final blog assignment of the second marking period you will summarize three articles on a political and/or human rights issue in a nation of your choice in a historical or modern context. The issue or event you select will ultimately shape the film/documentary trailer you will be working on next marking period, so be sure you are genuinely interested in the topic.
The articles selected for this assignment must reflect international perspectives (they must be from the media of at least TWO different nations.)
Questions you MUST answer in your summary include:
WHat are the roots of this problem/conflict?
Who is being most directly affected?
Who is responsible or being held responsible?
How are leaders and organizations working to alleviate this problem?
How does the structure of power in this nation contribute to or alleviate this problem?
Note: if you haven't completed the first part of this project, please select a nation and move forward with this assignment anyway. I'll be happy to help you chose one - just ask!
Some topics you might like to research include:
Effects and events of specific wars in your nation of study
Race based conflict and discrimination
Women’s suffrage/ voting rights
Universal suffrage/ voting rights
Impact of specific leaders and/ or dictators
Gender parity (difference) and/or discrimination
Labor issues, strikes, and unions
Genocide
Imperial rule and colonialism
Indigenous/ native rights
Terrorism
Health crises
Human trafficking (may be labor or sex work related)
Pollution, water and waste management
Poverty
Industrialization
Child rights issues (soldiers, labor, slavery, orphan crises, health crises, education and infanticide (killing of unwanted babies) are some issues you might chose to focus on)
For the purposes of this assignment you must Cite your THREE internet or printed articles in MLA format( http://www.easybib.com/ ) will format citations for you in MLA if you have the necessary information.
No fewer than 200 words - articles must be recent (last 5 years)
The Political history of France is that the nation has been colonized in roman times. France has always been a powerful nation ruling almost all of Europe. Due to the help of Napoleon. In modern times France is still recognized as a first world country. France is part of the United Nations and a very important country to the world today. France today is a socialist democratic country, which means trades and works well with other countries, France is known as one of the friendliest countries in the world similar to Canada's status. They were in involved with War World II which was the start of the united nations. In the French political System the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister the first and second highest authorities respectively is critical. It is not always the case that these two individuals come from the same political party or part of the political spectrum and, when they are of different political.Their "cohabitation" arrangement was the longest-lasting in the history of the Fifth Republic. The president of france as of now is Nicolas Sarkozy is now in charge and was elected in may 16 2007. France runs well with other countries because france has't really had any other wars since world war 2
ReplyDeleteMexico was under Spanish rule for almost three centuries. In 1821, Mexico was finally able to achieve its independence. After nearly ten years of a war, Spain finally acknowledged the independence of Mexico and let it free. After years of having its independence, the peso was severely devalued in 1994. This caused Mexico to undergo one of the worst economic recessions in over half a century. For years Mexico struggled to escape this economic crisis that had developed as a result of the devaluing of the peso. The county had been thought to be making an impressive recovery until the world financial crisis of 2008. This economic crisis has meant things for the county such as low wages, minimum job advancement, and unemployment for a large percentage of the country. Because of these financial hardships, the 2000 Mexican elections marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that the government party was defeated by an opposing candidate-Vicente Fox of the National Action Party. In 2006 Felipe Calderon was elected the new president of Mexico. In the past 10 years Mexico has seen two different presidents and is expected to have a new one in the elections of 2012. This means that the system of government isn’t completely working out. The Mexican system of government has three branches (legislative, judicial, executive). Compared to other governments we have studied, the Mexican government is similar to the U.S. with their system of Checks and balances but different from England, India, and Iran with their three branches. However this government may not be as effective as some of the other ones as Mexico is a country with multiple severe problems. Therefore the government system of Mexico does not completely work out.
ReplyDeleteBryan Rivelli
ReplyDeleteF Block
4-21-10
Russia’s history begins with the East Slavs; the first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', took Christianity from the Byzantine Empire in the year 988, according to “Russia: A Country Study”, by Glenn E. Curtis. This adapting of Christianity began the combination of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next one thousand years. Kievan Rus' ultimately fell apart as a state, finally giving in to Mongol invaders in the 1230’s. During this time regional magnates from Novgorod and Pskov fought to take the cultural and political legacy of Kievan Rus'.
After the 13th century, Moscow slowly came to dominate the former cultural center. By the 18th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow had become a huge Russian Empire, stretching from Poland eastward to the Pacific Ocean. Growth towards the west helped Russia's awareness of its separation from the rest of Europe as well as helped shatter the isolation the expansion occurred. Many regimes in the 19th century were met with pressure of reform and repression. According to Jacob Wilkin’s “The Rise of Democracy in Pre-Revolutionary Russia: Political and Social Institutions under the Last Three Czars” Between the abolition of serfdom and the beginning of World War I in 1914, the Stolypin reforms, the constitution of 1906 and State Duma introduced many changes to the economy and politics of Russia, and yet the tsars were still not willing to relinquish autocratic rule, or share their power.
The Russian Revolution in 1917 was triggered by economic breakdown, war, and discontent with the autocratic government. It first brought a bunch of liberals and some socialists to power, but their failed policies led to the takeover of power by the Communist Bolsheviks on October 25. Between 1922 and 1991, the history of Russia is simultaneous with the history of the Soviet Union; an ideologically based state which was roughly related to the Russian Empire before the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. However, by the late 1980s, with the weaknesses of its economic and political structures becoming obsolete, the Communist leaders embarked on major reforms, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
From the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, came the Russian Federation. Upon gaining its independence, Russia was recognized as the legal successor to the Soviet Union on the international stage. Russia had lost its superpower status as it faced serious challenges in its efforts to forge a new post-Soviet political and economic system. Even today Russia shares many continuities of political culture and social structure with its tsarist and Soviet past.
Chile's Constitution was approved in September 1980. In September 2005, a law was passed by President Ricardo Lagos for several constitutional amendment changes. These included eliminating the positions of appointed senators and senators for life, granting the President authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces, and reducing the presidential term from six to four years. In the end of the electoral process, President Piñera and the new members of Congress then took office on March 11, 2010. Chile has a bicameral Congress. Deputies are elected every 4 years, and Senators serve 8-year terms. Chile's congressional elections are governed by a unique binomial system that rewards coalition slates. Each coalition can run two candidates for the two Senate and two Deputy Seats apportioned to each electoral district. Chile's judiciary is independent and includes a court of appeal, a system of military courts, a constitutional tribunal, and the Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, Chile has been involved in conflicts with other countries. Under Spanish colonial rule, northern and central Chile was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The south remained under the control of the Araucaria’s almost until the nineteenth century. Independence was first declared in 1810. At that time, central Chile was controlled by a small, upper class of Creoles. Most of them owned large estates. There was a period of internal instability and trouble followed, which led to the restoration of Spanish rule in 1814. Argentinean and Chilean forces under Jose de San Martin and Bernardo O'Higgins managed to defeat and drive out the Spanish army and restore Chile's independence in 1818. O'Higgins became Chile's first president. Chile defeated Bolivia and Peru in a war in 1879-1883 for the control of the Atacama Desert and its rich mineral deposits. In the course of this war, Chilean troops occupied Lima, which is the capital of Peru. Chile then won the disputed territory. Bolivia lost its outlet to the open sea and Peru the Tarapaca district.
Like the other governments studied in class, Chile’s constitution is indeed similar, particularly to the United States. Like the United States, the Chilean citizens are born free with rights. The constitution of Chile states that “It is of the State's responsibility to protect the national security, to give protection to the population and to the family, to promote the harmonic integration of all the sectors of the Nation and to assure the right of the people to have to participate with the equality of opportunities in life in this Nation“. Basically, The Chilean people are granted with their rights, which of course, have certain limitations to better the society and to avoid any extreme catastrophes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
interKnowledge Corp, “Chile”, Geographia.com, April 21, 2010
CIA WORLD FACTBOOK, “ Chile”, February 3, 2010
Alexei Barrionuevo and Liz Robbins, “1.5 Million Displaced After Chile Quake”,
NYTimes.com, February 27, 2010
Daniela Estrada, “War Over Seeds”, IPSNews.net, September 3, 2009
Rolando Santos, Brian Byrnes and Patty Lane, “More than 2 million affected by earthquake Chile's president says”,CNNWorld.com, February 27, 2010
A main problem in Mexico right now, which I spoke about in part a of my project is drug cartels, and the violence that they inflict on the people of Mexico. The president of Mexico, Felipe Caldron, has been trying to stop the spread of drugs since 2006 when he became president, but in turn it caused more violence. Caldron sent out more than thirty thousand soldiers across Mexico to try to get the drug related violence under control. He even got rid of member of the police department that he felt were corrupt, but his efforts didn’t work because the violence escalates as the days go on. The member of the drug cartel are trying to send messages to the government, and they are being bold they killed head police commanders. They even went as far to throw grenades into crowds of innocent people to prove their point. Although, innocent people are affected by the violence the main source of it is between rival drug cartels. They are fighting to keep their territories, and to make the most money because they are taking each others business.
ReplyDeleteMany people in Mexico are trying to flee the country along with their families to avoid being killed. This is leading to a lot of illegal immigration. Mexicans are crossing the boarder into the United States by way of Texas. This is also a dangerous journey because many of these people are killed by drug cartels along the way. Even though the president has good intensions on stopping the people of the drug cartels it is practically impossible. These people are to extreme and set in their ways for anyone to stop them. Since the drug cartels have started the death rate in Mexico has progressively spiked. The Council on Foreign Relations has recently tried to set up a guest worker program between the United States and Mexico, which will allow Mexicans to come to the United States for work related purposes and eventually become a legal citizen. “Under the new strategy, officials said, American and Mexican agencies would work together to refocus border enforcement efforts away from building a better wall to creating systems that would allow goods and people to be screened before they reach the crossing points,” an excerpt from an article from the CFR. Reestablishing old laws or ideas can be a good way to help solve the issues that Mexico is going through right now. Maybe they didn’t work in the past, but now they are under new circumstances. Also with new people enforcing the laws maybe they will actually be followed through with.
Work Sited List:
•Archibold, Randal C. "Mexican Drug Trafficking News - Breaking World Drug Trafficking in Mexico News - The New York Times." Times Topics. 26 Apr. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. .
•"BBC NEWS | Americas | Drug Violence: Views from Mexico." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. .
•"Mexico's Spreading Drug Violence." Council on Foreign Relations. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. .
Darlene Akanmu
ReplyDeleteComparative government Through Film
Part B: Contemporary problems/conflict component
In the world there are many problems that affect not only citizens of one country but many countries. One major problem that 21 countries suffer from is poverty. Nigeria is apart of that 21. There are many problems that can be blamed for the high poverty level in Nigeria, such as the shortage of fuel. The shortage of fuel has lead to over tens of thousands of people having lost their jobs. The major causes of poverty in Nigeria are unemployment, inflation,recurrent fuel scarcity, which is also leading to the increase in AIDS and malnutrition. Moreover, high food prices, de-industrialization and high infant and maternal mortality rates indicate that poverty is still in Nigeria despite the GDP figures.
According to thetidenews.com, "75% of Nigerians live below the poverty line." The government is being held responsible for not creating more job opportunities and for creating new bank reforms that have put many out of work. In addition, the electricity and energy crisis is to blame. Manufacturing companies that usually have the power to engage in massive employment, had to close shops due to lack of electricity and energy that is spread throughout Nigeria.
According to Poverty Destroying Nigeria by Cameron Lockard, "Governments kept social safety nets intact (at least through 2009), and massive efforts by the international community to limit economic contraction and contagion have paid off." It has been stated by many Nigerians that since the election of Olusegon Obansanjo in 1999.
Furthermore, the response of world leaders is scarce. Nigerians are becoming apart of "bad" statistics. 10% of Nigerians have AIDS in Africa and 8% in the whole world. Therefore, the Human Development Index, which was developed by the UN, questions is Nigeria is developed, developing or underdeveloped. According to the HDI, Nigeria is a developing country;however, it is rich in culture.
In conclusion, there are various plans/future plans to alleviate poverty. Certain plans such as, putting money to build refineries to export useable fuel. This will allow the government to develop the underdeveloped sides of the economy. Nevertheless, constructing a strong foundation in their economy will be the key to constructed successful economic development.
Bibliography
Lockard, Cameron. "Poverty Destroying Nigeria." Helium. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. .
Aminu, Ayodele. "Nigeria: W'Bank, IMF Predict 50% Drop in Poverty." THISDAY. 24 Apr. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. .
OMEIZA-MICHAEL, SUNNIE. "Measuring Poverty in Nigeria." Businessday. 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. .
Vanessa Cucuzza
ReplyDeleteAustralia is in a shortage of health workers. With the population rising, there are higher demands on the national health care system. Leaving Australia struggling to fill the demands of health professionals. Such as nurses, dieticians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, speech pathologists, and doctors and dentists. This all taking part in mostly in the regional and rural areas of Australia.
This issue of Australia's health crisis is a result in decades of neglect and inadequate services. In these areas, there is high unemployment, poor housing, education, discrimination, and lack of empowerment are all of which had lead to this situation. It has been found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders do not have the full benefits from mainstream health care systems, in which other Australian's do so. Also this is a result of being located out of reach of some communities or medical attention.
Within this situation many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are being affected. Indigenous men and women die up to seventeen years earlier than other Australian's. The children are dying at almost double the rate of non-Indigenous children. Many people suffer chronis diseases which can be prevented, and have been eliminated else where. These people are in urgent need up a primary healthcare.
The people/ individuals are working together to resolve this problem but putting together campains to inform others about this issue. There are many campains such as "Close the Gap" and pages on facebook. There are places to pledge and help the people of Australia's healthcare system. World leader's are responding to this issue by outlining ways to address the situation. Such as the Social Justice Commissioner of the then Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. Also Achieving their health equality relies on investing in health education, improvment in their nutrition, maternal and child health, and the prevention and management of diseases. the Structure of power in Australia alleviates this issue because they are Federal Parliamentary Democracy, and they like to hear they voice of the people.
1.Australia's Indigenous Health Crisis In-depth | Oxfam Australia." Home | Oxfam Australia. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. .
2."CSU News - Features - Addressing the Rural Health Crisis." CSU News - Latest News. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. .
3."China–Australia Training on Psychosocial Crisis Intervention: Response to the Earthquake Disaster in Sichuan; Australasian Psychiatry - 17(1):Pages 51-55 - Informa Healthcare." Australasian Psychiatry. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. .
Vanessa Cucuzza
F: Block
Jackie King
ReplyDeleteIn 1933 the Nazi’s came to power in Germany and established a dictatorship, ending with a democracy the Weimar republic. After WW1, economic dislocation and destabalization of the economy was caused by war reparations, Weimar republic was always short of money. Ongoing political instability caused political crimes to sky rocket. In Germany today, concerns are mainly about abortion, genetic screening, health care and medical research. After being under a dictatorship for many years, Germany is now undergoing serious healthcare issues. Germany is home to 82 million people but the birth rate now is at 1.4%. Germany is now one of the most rapidly decreasing populations in the world. Many question if the decrease in birth has to do with the Nazi’s pure race policy years ago. The decrease in birth rates causes pensions from government to increase, less young people are working and less are around. Although the birth rate seems to be a problem, Germany is actually very stable when it come to life expectancy and diseases. Fewer than 500 people pass away from diseases like HIV/AIDS. The life expectancy in Germany is 79 years of age. Germany also faces challenges with sustaining long-term growth. Declining net immigration and low fertility rates cause more pressure on Germany’s social welfare system and governmental/structural reforms. The rise of the neo-nazis and the development of renewable energy is also an issue that Germany’s government is facing
1)Vogel, Scott. "In Berlin, Building a Future on a Troubled Past." The Washington Post [Washington] 5 Apr. 2009. Print.
2)"The German Health Care System." Web log post. Germany's Guide. Web. .
3)Moore, TRista. "Germany: Tensions at the Top." TIME 22 Mar. 2010. Web. .
article is from BBC-- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1288230.stm
ReplyDeleteBetween April and June 1994, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the space of 100 days. the Tutsis people were the main victims of the genocide and most of the dead were Tutsis. Most of those who perpetrated the violence were Hutus. The genocide started when the president of Rwanda Juvenal Habyarimana plane was shot down and he was killed. A french judge said that the man behind the shooting of the plane was current Rwanda president Paul Kagame. At the time of the shooting he was a leader of the Tutsis people. Kagame denies any accusations and says that it was actually Hutus extremist who had a plan to wipe out the Tutsis people and needed a reason to bring there plan to life. There has always been ethnic tension between the two groups dating back to colonial times. So the killing of the president was not the only reason the genocide happened it was just the straw that broke the camels back.
Ryan McLean
F-Block
Greece, also known as the Hellenic Republic, is located in Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. Once a huge civilization, the population is approximately 10,737,428 people, in addition to the thousands of Greek people living throughout the world. Greece is well known for its ancient history, rich culture, breath taking scenery, and high knowledge. The long political as well as the governmental developments and history has made Greece the nation it is today. Since ancient times, Hellenistic times, Byzantine times till modern day Greece, colonization, civil wars and international wars have taken place.
ReplyDeleteIn 1458, the Ottoman Empire invaded Greece and for 400 years the Greek people suffered. For 400 years, they were stripped of their independence, their rights and their dignity. As more and more rebellions occurred, nationalism was stimulated. On March 25, 1821, the Greeks rebelled and declared their independence. This revolution was fought until 1829, when full independence was finally achieved.
In World War I, Greece sided with the entente powers against the Central Powers. In the war’s aftermath, parts of Asia Minor were awarded to Greece. However, a military assault on Greek troops was organized by Turkish nationalists. As a result, over one million native Greeks of Turkey had to leave for Greece as a population exchange with thousands of Muslims living in the Greek state.
In World War II, Greece joined the Allies after Mussolini suddenly launched an attack on Greece from Italian-held Albania on October 28, 1940. This battle is known as the Greco-Italian War. With brilliant tactical skill as well as some struggle, Greek troops had repelled the invaders, marking the first Allied victory in World War II. When Greece was occupied by Nazi Germany, thousands of Greeks died in combat, in concentration camps, and of starvation.
The Greek Civil War was fought between 1944 and 1949 in Greece, between the Governmental forces of Greece and the Democratic Army of Greece. In the first phase, Marxist and non-Marxist resistance groups fought each other. In the second phase, the ascendant communists confronted the returning Greek government in exile, which had been formed under the Western Allies. In the third phase, guerilla forces controlled by the KKE (communist party of Greece) fought against the Greek government. As a result of the civil war, tourism grew, women’s suffrage was granted in 1952, Greece joined NATO in 1980, and Greece joined the European Union in 1981 and adopted the Euro as its currency in 2001.
Today, Greece is a parliamentary Republic with 51 administrative districts. The Constitution was passed June 11, 1975 and was amended March 1986 and April 2001. Citizens must be 18 years of age to vote. The current chief of state is President Karolos Papoulias and the current head of government is Prime Minister Yeorgios Papandreou. The president is elected by parliament for a five-year term and is eligible for a second term. The Legislative Branch is a unicameral Parliament with 300 seats in which members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms. The Judicial Branch is divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts. There is a Supreme Judicial Court and a Special Supreme Tribunal. All judges are appointed by the president after consultation with a judicial council. These judges are appointed for life. Greece’s government is similar to one government studied in class and this government in the British government. Like the British government, Greece is a parliamentary republic. However, there are several differences. Greece’s parliament consists of only one house in which is fully elected, while Britain’s parliament is bicameral in which one part is elected (House of Commons) and the other is appointed (House of Lords).
Although Greece is presently suffering economically, its long political and cultural history has kept and will keep Greece well known throughout the world.
Aggeliki Tsetsakos
C Block
Part A
part A
ReplyDeleteLuke Opulski
The Taino Amerindians were native to the island of Hispaniola in 1492, when Columbus discovered the island, and were almost eradicated by Spanish settlers. The French came in the early 17th century, and Spain’s grasp on Hispaniola was lessened to the western third, which we will later know as Haiti. The French colony flourished due to heavy importation of african slaves. In the late 18th century nearly 500,000 slaves revolted under Toussaint L’Ouverture, making Haiti the first black republic to declare independence in 1804. Haiti has suffered much political violence throughout the years, being the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
The conventional long form name is the Republic of Haiti, and the government type is a republic. The legal system is based on Roman civil law system. The legal age at which a citizen gains suffrage is eighteen. May 2006 the most recent constitution was reinstated, after jumping from constitutional rule to unconstitutional rule. The government has three branches, executive, legislative, and judicial.
Prime Minister Jean-max Bellerive has been the head of government since november, 7th, 2006. President Rene Preval has been the chief of state since May, 14th, 2006. The president is elected by popular vote, and has a 5 year term, non consecutive. While the Prime minister is appointed by the president. The cabinet is chosen by the Prime minister, with assistance by the president.
The Bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate, of which has 30 members. Members of the senate serve 6 year terms, and are elected by popular vote. In accordance to the senate, the Chamber of Deputies, which has 99 seats, also is a part of the legislative branch. The representatives in the chamber of deputies also are elected by popular vote, and the term lasts four years.
Pakistan's government since 1956 is a parliamentary federal democratic republic. This began with the Constitution of Pakistan which was created in 1956. With this constitution, began the structure of Pakistan's future as a country. The President is the head of the armed forces and is elected through the electoral college system. The Prime Minister is the leader of leader of the largest political party within the country. Yousaf Raza Gilani is the current Prime Minister of Pakistan and was elected in 2008. Asif Ali Zardari is the current President of Pakistan and was elected in 2008 following the impeachment of the former president. Islam is the most practiced religion in Pakistan. Pakistan is a member of the United Nations. This type of government is closely related to the Iranian's form of government. Both governments having two separate leaders, performing two separate roles.
ReplyDelete-Brandon DiMatteo
In the audio clip “haitian children still without food” the severity of the earthquake becomes apparent. Many different nations are pitching in to help Haiti. In these articles, the USA is lending Haiti the national guard to help clean up after the destruction. While the UK is lending anti biotics and other drugs, as the greatest threat the Haitian people is secondary infection. Haiti is still in really poor condition, and one can inference from the title of audio clip, Haitian children are starving. Carel Pedre said that things are much better than they were, but they are nowhere near good.
ReplyDeleteBibliography:"Haitian children 'still without food'" 29 Apr. 2010 .
"UK shipment of drugs for 20,000 people lands in Haiti." 29 Apr. 2010 .
"US military to end Haiti quake mission in June." 29 Apr. 2010 .
Part A
ReplyDeleteIn Japan's recent history, the nation's political infrastructure has gone through a myriad of changes. In May of 1995, the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) held more elected local government seats than any other political party in Japan following the April 23 local elections. In April of 1996, fascists and organized crime worked hand in hand to continue the existence of social conditions as a large group of extremist-conservatives continued to grow. Then in October of that same year, activists who opposed the emperor system filed a civil suit against the police. One year later, in March, Nazism came to life again as a product of capitalism, and, in October 1998, conflict arose to change the human rights records so prisoners could have their rights. Additionally, lets not forget Japan's part in World War II in the Axis Powers along with Germany and Italy.
The Japanese government is described as a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy. The Japanese legal system is similar to the European civil law systems and is influenced by English-America. It's also similar to the US legal system because both have judicial review of legislative acts by the Supreme Court. The figurehead of Japan is the emperor (Emperor Akihito today). The emperor's duties include receiving foreign dignitaries, awarding decorations to Japanese citizens, convening the Diet (legislative), and officially appointing the Prime Minister as selected by the Diet. Otherwise, the Prime Minister (currently Yukio Hatoyama) takes charge of the nation's government and policies. Akihito aims to bring the Japanese imperial family closer to the Japanese people while PM Hatoyama aims to provide more financial assistance for families with children, do away with short-term working contracts, reduce the scale and influence of the bureaucracy, cut carbon dioxide emissions dramatically, and reconsider the security alliance with Washington.
Similar to the government structure of Iran, Japan is partially a parliamentary government. One difference, though, is that, the Supreme Leader of Iran seems to have more involvement in the government than the Emperor of Japan. Additionally, Japan is like India in the fact that the head of government in both countries are Prime Ministers.
Works cited:
- Szczepanski, Kallie "Emperor Akihito: What Does the Current Japanese Emperor Actually Do?" About.com: Asian History site. (No post date provided)
- "Akihito Biography" Biography Base site
- Central Intelligence Agency "Japan" CIA--The World Factbook. April 21, 2010.
- "Contemporary political history of Japan from 1994 to April 2001" World History Archives site. (No post date provided)
- Ryall, Julian "Yukio Hatoyama officially named Japanese PM" Telegraph.co.uk. Sept 16, 2009.
Michael Appelgate
F block
Part B
ReplyDeleteFor many years, Japanese leaders have been taking their first steps towards lowering carbon emissions of various nations, including those of their own. The dramatic rise in carbon emissions over the past few decades has caused drastic changes in our global climate, as well as erratic changes in the weather. Otherwise known as Global Warming, this climate change is caused by many things, such as deforestation, industrial pollution, and the use of fossil fuels. This issue affects every country in the world, especially cities within those countries that are close to sea level. According to Japan Sets New Emission Targets, the top carbon emitters in the world are Japan, India, Russia, China, and the US. One may say that these countries are responsible for Global Warming, but the countries in the Kyoto Pact, including Japan, India, and Russia, are responsible for only 29% of global emissions, so the blame isn't entirely on them. As for the US and China, they're the top two carbon emitters in the world, and they haven't agreed to be in the pact. Japanese leaders hope that if they reduce their emissions enough, China will join the pact. Back in 2001, Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan and Prime Minister Blair of Britain had some talks in London and agreed that it was still possible for them to persuade the US to join the pact. PM Koizumi tried his best but couldn't persuade President Bush of the US to join. Eight years later, New Prime Minister Aso is setting new emission targets to lead the fight against Global Warming, as well as incorporating technological advances to make their uses much greener. Aso, like Koizumi, tries to encourage the US President to change his mind.
Today, new Prime Minister Hatoyama is trying to achieve a balance between emission cuts and sheltering Japan's frail economy, which is in its worst recession since WWII. PM Hatoyama, as well as Aso and Koizumi, have been using their positions as Prime Ministers to make Japan and other nations greener without destroying its own economy. Hopefully, all the developed and highly developed nations of the world, along with Japan, will take their first steps towards a greener world.
Works cited:
- "US 'must re-engage in Kyoto'" BBC News site. July 2, 2001.
- Tabuchi, Hiroko "Japan Sets New Emission Targets" NY Times site. June 10, 2009.
- Kyodo News "Global warming measures watered down in draft bill" The Japan Times. Feb 28, 2010