Friday Current Event 1/31/13

This upcoming friday is the last day that former first lady, Hillary Clinton, will be in the position of Secretary of State. She was first put into position in 2009, and from her starting year to her resigning she has set different accomplishments. The moment she signed in she was the first former first lady to achieve a cabinet position. She went across the globe being part of democratic revolutions in Africa, the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti, and the end of the war in Iraq. John Kerry will be sworn-in Friday, and will attempt to fill in the shoes of someone who set a high mark for "tireless efforts", as Kerry said.

http://www.voanews.com/content/clinton-kerry-secretary-state/1594905.html

Human Psyche

Are humans good or bad by nature? No, humans are not naturally bad hearted. A human that follows the path of the bad hearted is that way because of it's surroundings. Generally the reason a human is bad hearted is because of the teachings of their parents. Some teachings of the parents is right in their culture, but is bad to different cultures. If bad is meant as in the human does not follow rules, then yes. Humans naturally do not know the rules, because they do not know what the rules are. In the absence of them knowing the rules they are taught what the rule is, and how to obey it. Most humans after being taught certain rules obey them, and others do not.

Top Ten (Seven) List of Ways To Gain Power

1.) Common set of laws; laws that apply to everyone (Draco) Incorrect

2.) Have state officials to enforce the laws; police system (Philip Augustus; bailiffs) Correct

3.) Court system; centralized justice (Edward I) Incorrect

4.) Tax collection by central government (Philip Augustus) Correct

5.) Standing army, loyal to king (William The Conquerer) Incorrect

6.) Get nobles to be part of the central government (Edward I) Free be; Correct

7.) Religion approval (Alfred The Great; church prayed to be saved from northerners, Alfred defeats northerners) Incorrect

Reading Quiz

#1 Q: What type of government does the United States have? Explain. A: The United States has democracy for their system of government. A democracy is a type of government in which the people have a say in different events such as elections for a leader, or the passing of laws. The people in the United States have these sort of rights, so that makes the government of the U.S. a democracy.

#2 Q:What type of government did the Romans turn to in times of crisis? A: During times of crisis the Romans turned to a Dictatorship.

#3 Q: Who were the Plebeians? A: The Plebeians were farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up a majority of the population of people struggling for power in the early republic of Rome.

#4: Q: Some people call the U.S. an Oligarchy. Explain why. A: A reason why some people would think that the United States government is an Oligarchy is because different presidents that have come into power have been related, and one common trate of an Oligarchy is to have families pass down power to each other. Another reason would be that small groups of people with government power in the U.S. are very wealthy, which is another trait of government officials in an Oligarchy.

#5 Q: Read the following excerpt from Acts 25:22-29. We can infer that one of the laws the Roman's had was... A: We can infer from the excerpt that one of the laws of the Roman's is that a Roman citizen cannot be punished without trial.

Term Definitions

1. Bureaucracy; A group of officials that make laws, regulations, and functions of their institution. (non-elected officials)
2. Aristocracy; A form of government where specifically chosen people are the rulers, and these  people must meet certain criteria in order to rule.
3. Constitutionalism; A form of government where the belief is that the authority of the government is limited by fundamental law.
4. Autocracy; A system of government ruled by one person who has all power. Whatever the one leader says is final, and will be put into action. The only limitation to his/her power is the threat of being taken over the by people.
5. Monarchy; A form of government where everything ruled by a monarch is ruled by only the one individual (monarch).
6. Dictatorship; A branch of autocratic government ruled by a dictator. A dictatorship can also be ruled by a clique (a closely associated group of people).
7. Totalitarianism; A form of government where the state has total control over the people and makes the decisions.
8. Absolutism; Absolutism has many different forms, but in whatever form it's in the ruler's power is absolute. Everything they say or do cannot be overturned. 
9. Democracy; A form of government in which the people have a say in changes made to the country or area of rule. The people vote on different events like elections, the making of laws, etc.
10. Oligarchy; A government system where the power is in the hands of a small group of people. These people have different criteria in which they are able to rule. Power is usually passed down by families, generation to generation. 

Good Leadership

Leadership is a skill that only few have the ability to perfect. It takes certain traits in order to be labeled as a good leader. A personality trait that someone would need to be a good leader is a positive attitude. Being in a good mood around their followers will keep them working, and keeps them happy too. Leaders' moods reflect onto those who follow them. Leaders also need to have a good style. If the C.E.O. of a company were to walk into a meeting in ripped jeans and a v-neck, no one would take him/her seriously throughout the meeting. Looking professional helps keep the title of a leader. Another  trait that makes someone a leader is having the ability to make sure that they have the power. Letting other people tell a leader what to do and having other people criticize their leadership skills makes them look less powerful. These are just three examples of traits that people would need in order to be a leader.

Function of Government

The main function of a government is to establish standardization. An example of standardization is how a charger for a MacBook Air will charge any other MacBook Air, because they're all standardized.