Wednesday, January 29, 2020
The Rhetorical Presidency Essay Example for Free
The Rhetorical Presidency Essay Jeffrey Tulis received his B.A. degree from Bates College, an M.A. from Brown, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. In 1996, he received the Presidents Associates Teaching Excellence Award.  He is currently writing a book on the problem of institutional deference, and he is co-editor of the Johns Hopkins Series in Constitutional Thought. His thoughts in The Rhetorical Presidency are profound and worthy of discussion in any college setting. His central claim concerns how the office of the president of the United States has changed from its conception created by our forefathers, especially in speech making. Presidential speeches were given to Congress, for the most part, and if there were speeches made to the public they were usually of a supportive nature bolstering courage concerning whatever might be facing the country at the time. It wasn’t until after the civil war that public speech making became routine for the president.   We will cover that change from what the presidency used to be, and what it has become today by reviewing Tulis’ book The Rhetorical Presidency.            A political leader who gains power by appealing to people’s emotions and prejudices rather than their rationality is a fair description of where our understanding of the presidency is today. It is interesting to note, however, that early legislation had been passed to thwart this very thing. The fear, as Tulis explains it, of a demagogue during ‘normal’ times would be hard to control. It would not be so terrible in war time, but if the president were to gain too much influence over the people under his leadership, it would be difficult to control the outcome. To elicit people’s emotional and prejudicial biases on an issue is very close to what we are experiencing today. Never has America been in such a turmoil concerning leadership as it is in this present era. More nation-wide polls concerning the ‘ratings’ of the president have been taken during the last two presidents than in all the history of America. If fact, if we are to believe these polls, Clinton, who was elected by the narrowest margin of any president, and Bush never scored very high in public opinion.            The founders of our country feared a popular president for this very reason, and instigated legislation so that decision making on a nation-wide level could not be done by one man. Tulis describes it thusly, â€Å"demagoguery, republicanism, independence of the executive, and [the] separation of powers[1]†. On the same page he also states, â€Å"for most federalists, ‘demagogue’ and ‘popular leader’ were synonyms, and nearly all references to popular leaders in their writings are pejorative.† In one sense, I can see the dilemma, but sometimes, as Americans who can actually think for themselves, it would not be difficult to determine a correct course of action. Our forefathers were not ignorant of this fact, and I believe there are still enough Americans with the same frame of mind to thwart an attempt to gain power by appealing to people’s emotions and prejudices. A good example is Bush’s approval rating among the general public which wavers in the 30-40 percentile range.            One of the issues Tulis addresses is the use of speeches to gain the approval of the people in a given project affecting the United States. One such project was the advent of the railroad. It was during this era that presidential speeches went from mainly speaking to Congress to addressing the general public. He also points out that this increase of speeches to the public was the precursor for â€Å"popular leadership†and the very thing the forefathers were trying to avoid in the presidency of the United States. Many of these speeches were simple ‘thank you’ remarks at public appearances where other speakers were featured prominently[2].            One exception Tulis draws attention to is during Andrew Johnson’s administration. The impeachment charges he faced were partly due to his â€Å"popular rhetoric violating virtually all of the nineteenth-century norms encompassed by the doctrine[3]†.  Influenced by the time era, he was made the butt of jokes and political cartoons that mocked him as a weak man. Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, however, is described by Tulis as a â€Å"series of rhetorical campaigns to secure passage of legislation to regulate the railroads[4]†. He truly believed that what he was doing was in support of the founding fathers and was an answer to the problems Congress was facing at the time.  To Roosevelt, the railroad problem was a crisis that required the temporary aid of a popular leader. He felt after this issue was resolved things would return to normal again, at least as far as the presidency was concerned. However, the role of demagogue was moved to permanence by Wilson, who was convinced that this separation of powers was the main cause of deficient leadership in America, and until it was changed America would not become the super power she capable of being.            Wilson believed â€Å"The need for more energy in the political system is greater than the risk incurred through the possibility of demagoguery[5]†. Even though Wilson was the only president to receive a doctoral degree (political science), and in spite of his published work, Constitutional Government in the United States, many were, and are, convinced that America can once again return to the leadership that was the very foundation of our nation as prescribed by our forefathers.  The fact that he represented one thing to the people and something quite different to Congress cost him his credibility, and his wavering in rhetoric was what eventually caused his failure as a president.            â€Å"The founder’s solution was to proscribe popular rhetoric always, hoping it would still be around if it was needed. Wilson’s solution was to prescribe it always, hoping that it would not be abused[6]†. Abuse is the best description for it today. Creating crises or pseudo-crises is what seems to be the norm for our political leaders. Some still argue whether or not there were actually weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and further, many fear where this type of thinking will lead. As we learned from Lyndon Johnson’s â€Å"War on Poverty†rhetoric can get the nation into trouble. When he declared â€Å"war†on poverty, he did so as a popular appeal to help those less fortunate people who were in desperate need of help. It was the approach to the solution that caused it to fail. Instead of addressing Congress with the need, and allowing them to produce legislation to support the idea, he made his appeal to the people, who were sympathetic to his cause, but because the proper channels were not followed, his idea was doomed to failure.            Tulis ends his book with the concluding thoughts of reeducating Americans to the real purpose behind the office of presidency, and urges people to understand that a rhetorical president in ‘normal’ times is too risky for a balanced democracy. His suggestions concerning the office of the president returning to what the forefathers intended is the strongest message he offers. How America is going to do this, however, is quite another story. Is the office of the President dangerously close to becoming a dictatorship? I doubt it, but it is quite clear, as Tulis points out, that too much media attention leaves America with the feeling that the office of the President is becoming more like that of a king. Bibliography Tulis, Jeffrey K. 1987 The Rhetorical Presidency.  Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University                   Press.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Nursing and Biomedical Research :: Health Care, Nurses
With unparalleled technological advancement, nursing and bio-medical research, and the present healthcare environment, nurses must be cognisant of their professional and personal views of ethics. Ethics are standards of behaviour, developed as a result of ones concept of right and wrong (Judson & Harrison, 2010), and are intended to influence the actions of healthcare professionals. Ethical principles help guide the decision-making process among healthcare workers in complicated situations. [Therefore] we cannot understand nursing unless we also understand ethics (Gallagher & Wainwright, 2005) There are many different ethical theories which can mainly be divided into three groups. These are Duty based, Goal based and Rights based theories. Deontology is a duty based ethical theory. This means that a moral person must always do their duty and must perform them â€Å"without exception, whatever the consequences†(Seedhouse, 2001). However, this theory has limitations and objections because it does not allow for conflict between duties, flexibility or compromises and these are all essential for health work. (Seedhouse, 2001) Goal based theories such as Utilitarianism, believe that what is morally right is determined by the good that is produced as the consequence of the action. The acts that achieved this were defined as â€Å"good†and those that produce â€Å"pain†were bad. (Rumbold, 2000) An objection with Utilitarianism is that because it is only concerned with the consequences, then even if an action was taken that was intentionally bad, it would still be ethically right if the eventual consequences were favourable. (Seedhouse, 2001) Dunbar (2003) states that there are four main ethical principles, these are beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy. The principle of beneficence is to do good for patients and to put their needs before your own (Rumbold, 1999 p217) and with beneficence comes the principle of non-maleficence meaning to do no harm. Rumbold (1999, p222) describes how in many nursing duties nurses have to â€Å"do harm†to our patients but only when it is alongside beneficence and the long-term goal is to do good by the patient. In not giving a patient assistance to eat their meals we are acting in a manner that these principles don’t support as there is no good that could arise from this. Beneficence is considered to be the caring ethic, as it guides us to work in the best interests of the patient but at the same time for the benefit of other patients, considering their rights to justice and fairness with their care (Kennedy, 2004).
Monday, January 13, 2020
Bestbuy’s Strategy Essay
According to the case, BestBuy is trying to create a competitive advantage in three areas: customer-centricity, employment policies, and exclusive branding. After studying the VRIO framework, I have found that BestBuy’s three areas of strategy do fit into the VRIO framework. BestBuy believes that an effective strategy is a commitment to customer-centricity. A business that implements customer-centricity caters to specific customer needs and behaviors. According to the book, BestBuy wants to steer away from a product-centered marketing approach to a more customer-oriented marketing approach which will have them asking what problems its customers are facing, and then providing solutions. Furthermore, BestBuy wants to segment its customers into four different profiles: Upscale Suburban, Urban Trendsetter, Empty Nesters, and Middle America. In different regions around the U. S. you will find these diverse groups. BestBuy has been able to utilize the rare attribute of the VRIO framework with its ability to serve the needs of the predominant customer segment in a given region. BestBuy is unlike any company in the consumer electronic industry because as the book mentions, â€Å"Nearly all companies claim to be customer oriented, but being customer centric required a radical reorganization and shift in employee mindset. †BestBuy has reformatted the physical space in its stores and related products have been bundled together to meet the needs of certain segments. Store teams have also been trying to answer the following questions: What kind of traffic do we have coming in our stores today, how effectively are we selling to the people in the stores, what does our customer information look like, what segments do we have coming in, and what kind of market share do we have for those segments? To answer those questions BestBuy has been investing in the right tools so that the field knows what to focus on. BestBuy has taken customer interest a step further, and so far it has given them a rare advantage. BestBuy has also done a good job of organizing its employment policies to capture value. According to the book, BestBuy has set up an employee listening program that uses open communication to better understand the needs of its workers. This program has done a great job of exploiting the company’s capabilities because it is implementing tools such as annual company-wide surveys, a virtual discussion board, and one-on-one dialogue sessions. BestBuy is capturing value because they are listening to their employees and discerning information that was previously unknown to management. The final area that BestBuy is focusing its strategy on is exclusive brands. This last area is very important to BestBuy because it is valuable, rare, and costly to imitate. BestBuy currently owns these private labels: Insignia, Dynex, Init, Rocketfish, and Geek Squad. As far as background goes, Insignia produces TVs, monitors, home-theater systems, and portable video/ audio players. Dynex produces storage media, data and power cables, webcams, and office supplies. Init produces media storage, equipment bags, totes and furniture for home theaters. Rocketfish is a top notch producer of cables that are mostly used for TVs. And most famously, Geek Squad provides computer repair and installation services. BestBuy realizes that they cannot solely rely on these small private labels to create, on their own, enough revenue to stay in business. But nevertheless, these private labels are valuable because they add attractive features to the company. Most of the products offered by these small labels are accessories that add value to the more expensive products which in turn increase the profitability of BestBuy. In particular, I think Geek Squad is valuable because a lot of older people do not know how to set up the more complex electronics and often run into problems. Easy-to-setup installation and troubleshooting is a very attractive feature to most consumers. Along those same lines, these small labels are rare because their products are only being sold in BestBuy stores. If you’re a huge fan of Rocketfish cables or really appreciate the helpfulness of Geek Squad then you have to come to BestBuy to get you want. These private labels are also costly to imitate I imagine because it could be costly to implement and staff a repair and installation service in all of your stores like BestBuy has done with Geek Squad. Also, these private labels have a few unique products that could be hard to replicate. I know that Init has created some nice, high quality equipment bags and furniture for home theaters. I believe that after weighing the benefits of all three of these areas that BestBuy has indeed created a competitive advantage. In one way or another they have valuable, rare, costly to imitate, or are organized to capture value with their products and services. BestBuy’s business level strategy is to focus on its people through customer centricity and employment policies. The managers in both areas want to listen to the people and discern how to best appeal to them. Managers have planned to become customer centric by profiling its customers and then design the stores and provide products according to the profiles in the region. The cost driver associated is the cost of input factors because it requires a radical reorganization and shift in employee mindset. Stores need to be reformatted and related products need to be bundled. The main value driver for this focus has been customer service. BestBuy has excelled at customer service because they are able to identify customer needs and appeal to their wants because of the unique profiles that have been created. The main cost driver for employment policies has also been cost of input factors because I imagine it has been costly to implement the new annual company-wide surveys, a virtual discussion board, and one-on-one dialogue sessions. The main value driver for the employment policies is customer service. BestBuy has created distinctive techniques for company-wide communication that in turn provide better customer support. Managers now know what the consumers are thinking because the employees are able to share information with their superiors in an efficient way. The competition between BestBuy, Amazon, Apple, and Wal-Mart has been fierce over the last several years. BestBuy has found itself to still be at the top of consumer electronics in the minds of its customers with 40% of the votes. However, BestBuy comes in 11th place in the Top 15 most valuable retail brands. Furthermore, Apple has recently made a large push in the race by reaching $2. 8 billion in sales in 2010 which puts them in third place behind BestBuy and Amazon. However, BestBuy is in last place according to share performance in 2010 and 2011. After looking at all of the different results and surveys I would say that BestBuy is right in the thick of things and battling for the top spot. Amazon may be more a valuable company but the consumers still view BestBuy as the leading consumer electronic company. One of the critical problems facing BestBuy is people coming into the store and testing the products and then leaving and buying the product elsewhere. I think that BestBuy’s strategy to become customer centered is a good strategy. Many of the same products are sold by multiple companies, but if BestBuy can appeal to the segments and profiles of people coming into their stores then they can get people to buy the products in their stores. Identifying the profiles of people coming in is the first step and then being able to bundle products and arrange displays in an appealing way is a good strategy. If BestBuy continues to value its consumers I think they will find a way to sustain a competitive. After all, people want to feel important and be given what they need and desire.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Hand Sanitizers vs. Soap and Water
Antibacterial hand sanitizers are marketed to the public as an effective way to wash ones hands when traditional soap and water are not available. These waterless products are particularly popular with parents of small children. Manufacturers of hand sanitizers claim that the sanitizers kill 99.9 percent of germs. Since you naturally use hand sanitizers to cleanse your hands, the assumption is that 99.9 percent of harmful germs are killed by the sanitizers. Research studies suggest that this is not the case. How Do Hand Sanitizers Work? Hand sanitizers work by stripping away the outer layer of oil on the skin. This usually prevents bacteria present in the body from coming to the surface of the hand. However, these bacteria that are normally present in the body are generally not the kinds of bacteria that will make us sick. In a review of the research, Barbara Almanza, an associate professor at Purdue University who teaches safe sanitation practices to workers, came to an interesting conclusion. She notes that the research shows that hand sanitizers do not significantly reduce the number of bacteria on the hand and in some cases may potentially increase the amount of bacteria. So the question arises, how can the manufacturers make the 99.9 percent claim? How Can Manufacturers Make the 99.9 Percent Claim? The manufacturers of the products test the products on bacteria-tainted inanimate surfaces, hence they are able to derive the claims of 99.9 percent of bacteria killed. If the products were fully tested on hands, there would no doubt be different results. Since there is inherent complexity in the human hand, testing hands would definitely be more difficult. Using surfaces with controlled variables is an easier way to obtain some type of consistency in the results. But, as we are all aware, everyday life is not as consistent. Hand Sanitizer vs. Hand Soap and Water Interestingly enough, the Food and Drug Administration, in regards to regulations concerning proper procedures for food services, recommends that hand sanitizers not be used in place of hand soap and water but only as an adjunct. Likewise, Almanza recommends that to properly sanitize the hands, soap and water should be used during hand washing. A hand sanitizer can not and should not take the place of proper cleansing procedures with soap and water. Hand sanitizers can be a useful alternative when the option of using soap and water is not available. An alcohol-based sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol should be used to ensure that germs are killed. Since hand sanitizers dont remove dirt and oils on hands, it is best to wipe your hands with a towel or napkin before applying the sanitizer. What About Antibacterial Soaps? Research on the use of consumer antibacterial soaps has shown that plain soaps are just as effective as antibacterial soaps in reducing bacteria related illnesses. In fact, using consumer antibacterial soap products may increase bacterial resistance to antibiotics in some bacteria. These conclusions only apply to consumer antibacterial soaps and not to those used in hospitals or other clinical areas. Other studies suggest that ultra-clean environments and the persistent use of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers may inhibit proper immune system development in children. This is because inflammatory systems require greater exposure to common germs for proper development. In September 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the marketing of over-the-counter antibacterial products that contain several ingredients including triclosan and triclocarban. Triclosan in antibacterial soaps and other products has been linked to the development of certain diseases. More on Hand Sanitizers vs. Soap and Water Hand Sanitizers No Substitute for Soap and Water - Purdue NewsTop Five Reasons to Wash Your Hands
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