Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Populist Party, A Third Political Party That Originated In America

The Populist Party, a third political party that originated in America in the latter part of the nineteenth century, derived as a result of farmer discontent and economic distress. This was caused by the country's shift from an agricultural American life to one in which industrialists dominated the nation's development. The public felt as if they were being cheated by these robber barons, a term given to those who took advantage of the middle and lower classes by boldly stealing the fruits of their toils (Morgan, 30). These corporate tycoons' conduct was legal, however ethically dubious it was. Cornelius Vanderbilt, a well-known railroad baron, reportedly once said, Law! What do I care about the law? Hain't I got the power? (Morgan, 30) The change from agrarian to industrial had a profound effect on everyone's life. Ignatius Donnelly, a leader in the Populist Party wrote, We meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, political, and material ruin. Corruption dominate s the ballot-box, the Legislatures, the Congress, and touches even the ermine of the bench . . . A vast conspiracy against mankind has been organized (Tindall, 957). As a result of this significant transformation, along with several different perspectives of peoples' mores, several reform movements were commenced, such as prohibition, socialism, and the Greenback Labor Party. Each of these movements was launched by different coalitions in hopes of making a difference either for themselves or for the good of the country. The farmers, specifically, were unhappy for four particular reasons: physical problems, social and intellectual concerns, economic difficulties, and political frustrations. The physical concerns the climate of the time period. Following 1885, there was a large drought on the American prairie, thus causing this land to become known as the Dust Bowl. Furthermore, there were extreme blizzards resulting in innumerable deaths of cattle and livestock. Also, farms were very isolated causing the women and children to lead a life of solitude and boredom. They demanded change. In fact, the women were the ones to start libraries and other meeting places for themselves and their children. This isolation made schooling for children quite difficult. Most kids who lived on the farm did not receive a proper education, or one of any kind for that matter. Farmers' economic problems are more intricate. Events baffled the farmer. They believed that deflation was the cause of their problem. The farmers p roduced more at a lower price due to improved fertilizers and new machinery, yet was making less than previously. In fact, in 1894, growers received less income from 23 million acres of cotton than from nine million in 1873. The exorbitant prices of shipping their goods to markets worsened their situation. The railroads overcharged farmers so that they were able to grant large rebates to large industrialists to ensure the continuance of their business. These railroads united to form trusts that raised farmers' prices. One Kansan said in 1891: At the age of 52 years, after a long life of toil and self-denial, I find myself and family virtually paupers. With hundreds of hogs, scores of good horses, and a farm that rewarded the toil of our hands with 16,000 bushels of golden corn we are poorer by many dollars than we were years ago. What once seemed a neat little fortune and a house of refuge for our declining years, by a few turns of the monopolistic crank has been rendered valueless (Morgan, 157). Lastly, farmers are outraged at their own victimization by businessmen who utilize their wealth and influence to secure unfair fiscal advantages. As politicians increasingly paid more attention to industrial interests, the agrarians' resentment intensified. They recognized that their influence was dwindling. The politicians were ignoring them and their pleas for help. The Populist Party was the result of a movement that begun with the Granger movement, which was, in fact, a social movement. It organized various activities for women and children, established a mail-order program, and took an interest in education. The Grange united the farmers, who started to participate in politics through different independent third parties. As the Granger Movement fell apart, the Farmers' Alliance was established. This, unlike the Granger Movement, was a political movement. There were two

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Teens Having Sex

Teens Having Sex Young women and teen girls trying to figure out the right age to have sex frequently want to know the answer to a related question: When do most teens have sex? When they see other teens having sex on TV and in films- and read about it in magazines and books- many get the wrong idea that everyone else is having sex except for them. Its an exaggerated image thats fed by depictions of sexually active teens in films like  Ladybird and TV shows like Mom, The United States of Tara, Riverdale, and 13 Reasons Why. The regular presence of pregnant teens in the media spotlight makes it seem as if most teens between ages 15 and 19 are having sex- and that this activity is commonplace. The truth? The majority of teens ages 15 to 19 are not having sex. In fact, only 46 percent of teens in this age group in the U.S. have had sex at least once. Worried parents and anxious teens can calm their anxiety by understanding that the medias obsession with teen sex is more a result of hype than a reflection of reality. Unlike some of the characters of Riverdale, who are having sex at 15, real-life teens who are actually sexually active tend to be older. The Guttmacher Institutes September 2017 report titled Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in the United States debunks this and other myths about teens sexual behavior. According to the Guttmacher study, On average, young people in the United States have sex for the first time at about age 17. And this is part of a trend: In recent years, teens are waiting longer and longer to have sex. In 2011–2013, about 13% of never-married females aged 15–19 and 18% of never-married males in that age group had had sex before age 15, compared with 19% and 21%, respectively, in 1995.   Despite the lingering stereotype that teen sex is all about casual hookups with no commitment between sexual partners, 73 percent of teen females report that the first time they had sex, they did so with a steady boyfriend, a fiancà ©, a husband, or a cohabiting partner. The news gets better. Teens who engage in sex are taking more responsibility for avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. From 2011 to 2013 over three-quarters (79 percent) of sexually active teen females used contraception when having sex for the first time. This represents a radical change in behavior from 1982, when only 48 percent of teen females used contraception the first time. Perhaps most importantly, this practice is sustained past that first encounter: In 2006–2010, 86% of females and 93% of males aged 15–19 reported having used contraceptives the last time they had sex. This increase in contraceptive use has paid off. In 2013, the adolescent pregnancy rate reached a record low...less than 5% of females [aged 15–19] became pregnant. This is a precipitous decline of around a third of the peak rate, which occurred in 1990. Theres one thing that reality TV shows and teen pregnancy dramas do get right: 75 percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned. Source Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in the United States. Guttmacher Institute, guttmacher.org. September 11, 2017.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Impacts of the Reform Party of Canada in the Federal Canada Essay

The Impacts of the Reform Party of Canada in the Federal Canada - Essay Example Such constituent political organs have great influence in the way things are done in the political setup of any federal state. It is important to highlight that federalism always thrive where democracy forms the core of the political structure and sovereignty (Bakvis and Grace, 28). The democratic rules form the core of the powers used by the national and provincial governments, thus creating a federation. This form of government has been majorly experienced in several nations worldwide. Some of the counties that have been governed through federalism include Australia, Brazil and Canada. In addition, the other countries in which federalism thrives include Colombia and India. The federalism in Canada majorly concerns the historical achievements that the federal Canada attained with regards to its system of government (Bakvis and Grace, 21). Canada is one of the federations that thrives on two systems of government. These include the national government, which is the federal government , as well as the provincial government. The provincial governments in Canada execute on matters pertaining to provincial administrations as detailed in the constitution. In Canada, there are clear-cut differences between the parliamentary federal systems and the provincial assemblies. These differences come in terms of areas of legislative authority. Those two federal systems of governments are absolutely independent of each other when it comes to execution of legislative duties. However, even though independence of the two legislative arms is evident, there are some of the sectors which are shared by these independent legal systems. Some of these sectors include agriculture and immigration sectors in Canada. However, it is quite prudent to note that majority of the sectors are encompassed within the federal jurisdiction (Bakvis and Grace, 37). For instance, the sector of foreign affairs and telecommunications are entirely within the federal jurisdiction. However, sectors like educa tion and health care are squarely dealt with within the provincial jurisdiction in Canada. The Reform Party of Canada is one of the federal political parties that thrived in Canada for a number of years. The party was established in the year 1987 due to several protests that formed part of the political on-goings in Canada in the late nineteenth century. The Reform Party of Canada arose under the strong influence of the people who were led by the populous leader named Preston Manning. Preston Manning led the party until March 25, the year 2000 when the party dissolved (Bakvis and Grace, 47). The major political motivations that were championed by the party include the need for democratic reforms. In addition, the movement was strongly opposed to the Progressive Conservative government that was headed by Brian Mulroney. This made the movement to gain a massive political backing by the people in the western parts of Canada. This made the party to start seeking for backing even from th e Eastern parts of Canada for the benefit of moving the nation forward. The party also gained political backing following the quest for equality that they championed following the discrimination of the people of Western Canada in favor of those from the eastern parts. There are several impacts that the Reform Party of Canada had on the Canadian federalism. It is of critical importance to acknowledge the role played by peace and equality amongst the citizens. It is in order to highlight that for a country to experience a balance in development, there should be a sense of equality amongst the people. As such, there should be no part of that country whose people are discriminated upon. Discrimination of individuals as