342 – Support Positive Risk Taking For Individuals

Unit 4222-342 Support positive risk taking for individuals (HSC 3066) Outcome 1 Understand the importance of risk taking in everyday life : 1. Explain ways in which risk is an integral part of everyday life For many people risk is an accepted part of everyday life. Every day activities such as catching the bus, travelling on holiday, playing football, setting up home and starting a family all carry some element of risk. Risk plays a part in our health, safety, security, well-being, employment, education, daily activities, using resources and equipment and in community participation.But some adults, for example disabled people or older people, are often discouraged from taking risks. Traditionally they are not encouraged to take risks in areas such as budgeting, planning, employment and daily living skills. This may be either because of their perceived limitations or fear that they or others might be harmed. Everyone has a right to take risks and make decisions about their lives. There is a balance to be found between service user’s participation in everyday activities and your duty of care.Changes in social care and health policy mean that all adults are being actively encouraged to increase their independence by, for example, travelling independently, and by being fully involved in mainstream society through education, work and leisure. It is impossible ever to fully eliminate risk. It is however possible to minimise and prepare for risk by preventative action. To support people to live independently or to travel independently or take part in everyday activities means accepting that there are risks that cannot be avoided but can be minimised and prepared for.2. Explain why individuals may have been discouraged or prevented from taking risks.For disabled people, a move away from a medical model to a social model of disability now means that there is an emphasis on the discrimination and exclusion created by social and cultural barriers. For some services, approaches to risk have in the past been concerned with avoiding potentially harmful situations to service users and staff. People may need to take risks to achieve their aspirations but people who need su pport can be discouraged from taking risks.This may be because of their perceived limitations or because of fear that they or others might be harmed, resulting in criticism or compensation claims. A more positive approach to risk is now being developed, recognising that in addition to potentially negative characteristics, risk taking can have positive benefits for individuals, enabling them to do things which most people take for granted. Risk can be beneficial, balancing necessary levels of protection with preserving reasonable levels of choice and control.A balance has to be achieved between the wishes of those who use services and the common law duty of Care.3. Describe the links between risk-taking and responsibility, empowerment and social inclusion. Personalised care is for everyone, but some people will need more support than others to make choices about how they live their lives. Everyone has the right to personalised care and as much choice and control as possible. As the p ace on personalisation is picked up it is necessary to ensure that this includes the most vulnerable members of our society, including those who may lack capacity.With effective personalisation comes the need to manage risk for people to make decisions as safely as possible. Making risks clear and understood is crucial to empowering service users and carers, recognising people as ‘experts in their own lives’. Risk management does not mean trying to eliminate risk. It means managing risks to maximise people’s choice and control over their lives. True empowerment means that people might make decisions service providers disagree with.If the outcomes are part of the support plan and all risks have been fully discussed and understood, this can lead to real choice and control and a better quality of life for the individual. With support for positive risk taking it can help the individual to:gain self-confidence-achievement, development, new skills and knowledgedevelop skills-goals setting, new activities, supporttake an active part in their community-involvement, participation, inclusionOutcome 2Understand the importance of a positive, person-centred approach to risk assessment . explain the process of developing a positive person-centred approach to risk assessment Every opportunity contains risks – a life without risk, is a life without opportunities, often without quality and without change. Traditional methods of risk assessment are full of charts and scoring systems, but the person, their objectives, dreams and life seem to get forgotten. A person centred approach focus’ on the individuals rights to have the lifestyle that they chose, including the right to make ‘bad' decisions.It is about helping people and those who care about them, think in a positive and productive way in order to achieve the changes they want while keeping the issue of risk in its place. Risk management is finding a balance between â€Å"positive ri sk taking† based on autonomy and independence and a policy of protection for the person and the community based on minimising harm. Bates and Silberman give a list of 7 criteria that any such approach would have to fulfil, these being:Involvement of Service Users and Relatives in Risk Assessment. Positive and Informed Risk Taking.Proportionality.Contextualising Behaviour.Defensible Decision Making.A Learning Culture.Tolerable Risks. .2. explain how to apply the principles and methods of a person-centred approach to each of the different stages of the process of risk assessment Working in a personalised way and developing a positive person-centred approach means accepting there are risks that cannot be avoided but which can be prepared for.Reasonable risk is about striking a balance in empowering people with support needs to make choices ensuring that the person has all the information, tailored to their specific needs, in the appropriate format, to make their best decisions â €Å"Involvement of service users and relatives in risk assessment†: Involving the person concerned and the people that care about them most is one of the most fundamental tenets of any person centred approach.The process uses the ‘Relationship Circle' to help the person and their allies identify key people who could form the persons ‘circle of support'. This group of people is involved from the outset, in the initial gathering of information, in the framing of what the risk under discussion actually is, in thinking that generates ideas and solutions, in evaluating these solutions, in decision making around the risk, in implementing the actions and in the learning that takes place during these actions.Staff must understand what service users and others want, how they view their own risks and what responsibilities each person has in managing risks effectively. The Person Centred Approach meets this by asking for a clear picture of what the person wishes to achieve, why this is important to the person, what success would look like, a history of the risk and uses the ‘doughnut' tool and decision making agreement tools to look at staff roles and responsibilities, and at who will be responsible for different important decisions in relation to the risk. Positive and informed risk taking†: The process is built around a positive view of the person – it seeks to learn what the person's gifts and skills are, what people like and admire about them, as well as investigating what would be necessary to keep them and others safe while taking the risk. The process is based on finding creative solutions rather than simply ruling things out.Bates and Silberman argue here that quality of life should be â€Å"maximised while people and communities are kept as safe as can be reasonably expected within a free society† Thinking around what it would take to keep the person and others safe while taking the risk is a key part of the Positive and Productive Process, as is the use of the ‘Happy/Safe' grid, which looks at how much solutions would make the person happy, by meeting what is important to them, and how much they would keep them and others safe, by meeting what is important for them. One section of the process includes a question â€Å"What does the law say? enabling the process to be informed by the current law, including legislation such as the Human Rights Act. â€Å"Proportionality†: â€Å"The management of the risk must match the gravity of potential harm† Using the person centred thinking tools means flexibility. The more serious the issue, the more people and the more time can be spent considering it in greater detail. Unlike conventional risk assessment, the approach explores the consequences of NOT taking the risk, to the person, to their family, community and services, balancing these against the potential consequences of taking the risk. Contextualising Behaviour†: â€Å"wh y did the person behave in this way? At this time? In this Situation? † Part of the process involves gathering together previous information about the person, including a history of the person's experience of the risk issue from their own perspective, as well as other historical data, gleaned from a variety of sources including learning logs which look at what has worked and what has not worked in particular situations, and communication charts which explore a person's words and behaviours, seeking their meanings and considering what the best response to these messages should be.The ‘4+1 Questions' (What have we tried? what have we learned? What are we pleased about? what are we concerned about? ) help not only to gain an understanding of a person's behaviour in different contexts, but also to build a picture of what has been learned about what is the best support for that person. Defensible Decision Making†: â€Å"there is an explicit and justifiable rationale fo r the risk management decisions† Following the person centred approach generates a clear trail of written records of what has been discussed, the different perspectives, issues and solutions that have been considered, along with any legal issues, such as the human rights act or the mental health act that might affect the risk decision. The paperwork generated during the process provides a clear rationale for why the decisions that emerge during the process have been taken, and why other options have been rejected.The rationale for decision making is also more clearly expounded and recorded than in traditional risk assessment forms in common usage. â€Å"A Learning Culture† The positive and productive approach to risk has a deep emphasis within it on ongoing learning using learning and reflective tools like the learning log, the 4+1 Questions and What's Working/What's not working, and by clearly defining for staff their core duties and their zone of judgement and creativ ity in relation to the risk.If it is part of a serious and concerted attempt by services to change their philosophy and practice in a person centred direction, it can contribute significantly to building a learning culture within organisations. â€Å"Tolerable Risks† A key aspect of the Person Centred Approach is that it uses creative thinking techniques around methods to mitigate the risk and improve quality of life, moving from situations which make the person happy but unsafe, to where they and the community are safer, and from strategies where the person is ‘safe but unhappy', to where they can be happier.Experience of using the process is that it enables participants to take a more balanced and rational approach to risk, finding ways to enable the person to achieve what is important to them while considering what keeps that person and the community safe in a way that makes sense for that individual. 3. explain how a service focused approach to risk assessment would differ from a person centred approach A risk assessment can only identify the probability of harm, assess the impact of it on the individuals, and pose intervention strategies which may diminish the risk or reduce the harm.Assessments cannot prevent risk. Risk is a normal and often beneficial part of everyday life, but while it enables learning and understanding, in the case of potentially destructive consequences it may need to be monitored and restricted. Traditional methods of risk assessment are full of charts and scoring systems, but the person, their objectives, dreams and life seem to get lost somewhere in the pages of tick boxes and statistics. A service focused approach seeks to avoid all risks as far as possible.Staff would be expected to behave and act in a synchronised way with regards risk, not taking into account the individuals wishes. It has no flexibility and is not a responsive approach to meet peoples` changing circumstances. A service centred approach to risk as sessment would be guided by a standard procedure and can compromise individuals rights to make choices and take risks. Often concerns about minimising and attempting to eliminate risks are in the interests of the organisation, but not necessarily in the interests of the person they are attempting to support.A person centred approach seeks to focus on people's rights to have the lifestyle that they chose, including the right to make ‘bad' decisions. Person centred planning, requires that staff have a flexible and responsive approach to meet peoples` changing circumstances, guided by the principles of good planning rather than a standard procedure. Staff need to be constantly problem solving in partnership with the person and their family and friends. Person centred planning seeks to develop a better, shared understanding of the person and her situation.A person centred approach to risk taking will find the balance between what is important to the person, their aspirations and t he supports that they require. 4. identify the consequences for individuals of a service focused approach to risk-assessment. Risk is a normal and often beneficial part of everyday life. Risk taking can have positive benefits for individuals, enabling them to do things which most people take for granted. While risk taking enables learning and understanding, in the case of potentially destructive consequences, it may need to be monitored and restricted.The problem with a service focused approach to risk assessment, is it reduces an individual’s independence and can reduce the positive benefits for the individual. A service focused approach to risk taking tends to have a negative focus on what the individual is not able to do or what they cannot achieve and has a limited outlook on identifying the benefits of positive, person-centred risk assessment. It does not empower the individual or encourage independence.Outcome 3Understand the legal and policy framework underpinning an i ndividual’s right to make decisions and take risks . explain how legislation, national and local policies and guidance provide a framework for decision making which can support an individual to have control over their own lives There are many Legislation and policies which promote the human rights of individuals which support the individual’s right to make their own decisions and to take risks. Some are as follows: The Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society.The act replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act to make the law simpler and to remove inconsistencies. This makes the law easier for people to understand and comply with. The  act also strengthened protection in some situations. The  act covers nine protected characteristics, which cannot be used as a reason to treat people unfairly. Every person has one or more of the protected characteristics, so the  act protects everyone against unfair treatment. They protected characteristics  are:Age Disabilitygender reassignmentmarriage and civil partnershippregnancy and maternityracereligion or beliefsexsexual orientationHuman Rights Act 1998 – The Human Rights Act means that residents of the United Kingdom will now be able to seek help from the courts if they believe that their human rights have been infringed. It is likely that anyone working within health and social care will be working within the provision of the Human Rights Act, which guarantees the following rights:The Right to life The right to freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading punishmentThe right to freedom from slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labourThe right to liberty and security of personThe right to a fair and public trial within a reasonable timeThe right to freedom from retrospective criminal law and no punishment without lawThe right to respect for private and family life, home and co rrespondenceThe right to freedom of thought, conscience and religionThe right to freedom of expressionThe right to freedom of assembly and associationThe right to marry and found a familyThe prohibition of discrimination in the enjoyment of convention rightsThe right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions and protection of propertyThe right to access to an educationThe right to free electionsThe right not to be subjected to the death penaltyMental Capacity Act 2005 – The MCA applies to England and Wales. The primary purpose of the MCA is to promote and safeguard decision-making within a legal framework.It does this in two ways:By empowering people to make decisions for themselves wherever possible and by protecting people who lack capacity by providing a flexible framework that places individuals at the heart of the decision making processBy allowing people to plan ahead for a time in the future when they might lack the capacity for any number of reasons Mental Capacity and Dep rivation of Liberty Safeguards 2005.  The safeguards provide a framework for approving the deprivation of liberty for people who lack the capacity to consent to treatment or care in either a hospital or are home that, in their own best interests, can only be provided in circumstances that amount to a deprivation of liberty. The safeguards legislation contains detailed requirements about when and how deprivation of liberty may be authorised. It provides for an assessment process that must be undertaken before deprivation of liberty may be authorised and detailed arrangements for renewing and challenging the authorisation of deprivation of liberty. The Code of Practice contains guidance on the deprivation of liberty safeguards.It is particularly intended to provide guidance for professionals involved in administering and delivering the safeguards, who are under a duty to have regard to the Code. The Code is also intended to provide information for people who are, or could become, su bject to the deprivation of liberty safeguards, and for their families, friends and carers, as well as for anyone who believes that someone is being deprived of their liberty unlawfully. Mental Health Act 2007 – amends the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.It introduces significant changes which include:Introduction of Supervised Community Treatment. This new power replaces supervised discharge with a power to return the patient to hospital, where the person may be forcibly medicated, if the medication regime is not being complied with in the community.Redefining professional roles: broadening the range of mental health professionals who can be responsible for the treatment of patients without their consent.Nearest relative: making it possible for some patients to appoint a civil partner as nearest relative. Definition of mental disorder: introduce a new definition of mental disorder throughout the Act, abolishing previous categoriesCriteria for Involunt ary commitment: introduce a requirement that someone cannot be detained for treatment unless appropriate treatment is available and remove the treatability test.Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT): improve patient safeguards by taking an order-making power which will allow the current time limit to be varied and for automatic referral by hospital managers to the MHRT. Introduction of independent mental health advocates (IMHAs) for ‘qualifying patients'.Electroconvulsive Therapy may not be given to a patient who has capacity to refuse consent to it, and may only be given to an incapacitated patient where it does not conflict with any advance directive, decision of a donee or deputy or decision of the Court of Protection. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 – is in response to the Bichard Inquiry 2005, into the failings around the Ian Huntley case.The SVG act is intended to prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable people and to reform current vetting an d barring practices. The act sets out a legal framework for the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) scheme which was to be introduced in 2009 (but is currently under review as a result of the 2010 General Election). Valuing People (Department of Health, 2001) – was the first Government White Paper on learning disabilities in England for 30 years.It stresses the important role that Person Centred Planning can play in helping people with learning difficulties take charge of their own lives. The Guidance (Department of Health, 2002) stressed that Person Centred Planning is not a professional activity done to people; instead people themselves and their friends, families or other allies, must lead it. However, professional services still have an enormous role to play in responding in a more person centred way to people with learning difficulties. For 2009 -10 the key priorities include: to ensure that the Personalisation agenda is embedded within all local authority services and developments for people with learning disabilities and their family carers, and is underpinned by person centred planning. † ‘Valuing People Now', is the ‘refresh' of this white paper in 2009 and is a new three-year strategy for people with learning disabilities (2009), DH and clearly state that good person centred planning should be happening, and will lead to better lives for people.Putting People First – â€Å"A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of Adult Social Care (2007), Department of Health. † In the UK the government policy ‘Putting People First' stated that person centred planning must become mainstream. Putting People First recognises that person-centred planning and self-directed support are central to delivering personalisation and maximising choice and control. In 2010 guidance was issued to help councils use person centred thinking and planning to deliver the personalisation agenda.Putting People First is a pub lic service reform programme, which is co-produced, co-developed and will be co-evaluated. It recognises that to achieve real change, users and carers must participate at every stage. This marks a change in status of people who use services, from ‘consumers’ to ‘co-producers’. set out four areas on which councils and their partners should focus in order to personalise services. These areas are: universal services – transport, leisure, health, education, housing and access to information and advice; * choice and control – shaping services to meet people’s needs, rather than shaping people to fit in with the services on offer; * social capital – care and support that individuals and their carers can get from their local community (friends, family, neighbours or community groups); and * early intervention and prevention – support that is available for people who need help to stay independent for as long as possible, to keep t heir home or garden tidy, or to start taking regular exercise. 2. escribe how a human rights based approach supports an individual to make decisions and take risks. A human rights based approach (HRBA) to risk management means ensuring individuals know their rights and are being supported to participate in making choices and decisions. A human rights based approach to risk assessment balances the human rights of service users, their carers, and members of their communities. This is so risks can be managed more positively. A HRBA looks at risk through a ‘Human Rights’ lens, identifies relevant equality and diversity issues, and maximises service user participation and empowerment.A human rights based approach to risk, means ensuring service users are as involved as they can possibly be in their own risk assessment process. Whether the service user participates fully or contributes to a small aspect of their risk assessment, some involvement will almost always be possible . The ways in which you possibly apply this in your work practice is through things such as advocacy, direct payments, personalised services, person centred planning and support planning. Outcome 4 Be able to support individuals to make decisions about risks 1. upport an individual to recognise potential risk in different areas of their life 2. support the individual to balance choices with their own and others’ health, safety and Wellbeing Positive risk taking is a process which starts with the identification of potential benefit or harm. The desired outcome is to encourage and support people in positive risk taking to achieve personal change or growth. The individuals could face risks in many different areas of their life including, risks relating to their health, their social life and also their finances and it is important to support the individual to recognise those potential risks.The risk assessment looks at four areas of risk; risks to self, risks to others and risks from other and risks to property. Within each area of risk, common risk issues and difficulties (for example self harm, physical aggression, abuse issues) are itemised. It is also important that the individual realises that although they have a right to take risks they also have a responsibility towards themselves and others, including:ColleaguesFamilies or carersFriendsOther professionalsMembers of the publicAdvocatesAnd it is important that whilst maximising their quality of life they also need to maintain their safety, responsibilities to themselves and others for social emotional and physical reasons. Supporting an individual to recognise potential risks whilst balancing the choices with their own and others health, safety and well-being involves:Empowering people to access opportunities and take worthwhile chances.Understanding the person’s perspective of what they will gain from taking risks and understanding what they will lose if they are prevented from taking the ris k. Ensuring the individual understanding the consequences of different actions – An informed choice means that a person has the information and support to think the choice through and to understand what the reasonably expected consequences may be of making that choice.Helping the individual to make decisions based on all the choices available and accurate information – It is important to remember that too much information can be oppressive and individuals have differing needs in relation to how information is presented to them.Being positive about risk taking. Understanding a person’s strengths and finding creative ways for people to be able to do things rather than ruling them out.Knowing what has worked or not in the past and where problems have arisen, understanding whysupporting people who use services to learn from their experiences.ensuring support and advocacy is availablesometimes supporting short term risks for long-term gains.ensuring that services pro vided promote independence not dependenceassuming that people can make their own decisions (in line with the Mental Capacity Act) and supporting people to do so working in partnership with adults who use services, family carers and advocates and recognise their different perspectives and viewsdeveloping an understanding of the responsibilities of each partypromoting trusting working relationships. 3. describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice when supporting an individual to take risks Giving people who use services choice and control over the care they receive is important if personalisation is to become a reality.The responsibility for encouraging  risk-taking can make you feel they are being put in a difficult position trying to balance personalisation with your own values and beliefs and also your duty to keep people safe. Because of your own past experiences you may feel that the risks involved, will result in problems, but you should not let this interfere with the individual’s desires. Because you had a bad experience following a course of action does not necessarily mean this will happen to others. An example could be an individual wanting to join a ‘lonely hearts’ club.Your own thought may be negative towards this course of action, possibly because you have personally had a bad experience or possibly because you feel this is not the best way to meet people. Your beliefs and experiences should not cloud the issue. It is important that you feel confident and equipped to support people you are caring for to assess and evaluate their own risks. Advice is readily available when facing difficult cases in the form of risk enablement panels, which can share responsibility for making complex decisions when signing off a person's support plan.The panel would usually involve the individual or any advocates or carers representing them; members of the local safeguarding adults board; the allocated soci al worker; and specialists such as a psychiatrist.4. record all discussions and decisions made relating to supporting the individual to take risks. It is important to ensure that any discussions and decisions made relating to supporting the individual to take risks or concerning risks, are recorded in their support plan. Records will need to be understandable to all the members of the team.The aim of record keeping is to ensure that the right people have the right information to provide the best care for the service user and they also provide a record of what you and the individual have discussed and decided with regards risk taking. The records should also record any incidents which have taken place. The reason for keeping the records are:To show that you have offered the individual choicesTo show that you have agreed the desired outcomesTo show that the individual has given their consent.This is important for two very important reasons: Responsibility – The records will ind icate who is responsible for what parts of the plan, this avoids confusion as everyone is clear of what their responsibilities are (Responsibility (for) can be defined as a set of tasks or functions that an employer, professional body, court of law or some other recognised body can legitimately demand. ) Accountability – means the person is contractually accountable to their employer and also accountable to the law, for any actions or ommissions in their practice and must always be able to justify their decisions.When work is being either distributed or delegated, the individual who carries it out needs to be competent to do so. Competence is an individual’s ability to effectively apply knowledge, understanding, skills and values within a designated scope of practice. (Accountability describes the mechanism by which failure to exercise responsibility may produce sanctions such as warnings, disciplining, suspension, criminal prosecution, or deregistration from professio nal status. It can be called ‘answerability’).Where a professional or organisation makes a decision not to support an individual to pursue a particular decision or course of action, they must be able to explain this and demonstrate that they have thought through and discussed in a balanced and proportional way the potential consequences of refusing to support the risk Where the individual is able to make an informed choice and still wishes to pursue a high risk decision or choice, having a signed risk assessment is one way of showing that they are aware of the risks and are willing to take them.This provides organisations and professionals with a significant degree of protection for their support of the decision should things go wrong.Outcome 5Be able to support individuals to take risks 1. complete a risk assessment with an individual following agreed ways of working Risk assessment is the activity of collecting information through observation, communication and invest igation.It is an ongoing process that involves considerable persistence and skill to assemble and manage relevant information in ways that become meaningful for the users of services (and significant other people) as well as the practitioners involved in delivering services and support. To be effective it needs disabled adults and older people, their families, carers, advocates and practitioners to interact and talk to each other about decisions that have been taken and their appropriateness in the light of experience.Where a risk assessment is needed, a decision then has to be taken about whether or not positive risk-taking is necessary to achieve certain outcomes for the person concerned. It will not always be appropriate to take positive risks but this has to be determined in partnership with the person affected, and their family where appropriate. It is a professional judgement that should not be influenced by an overly cautious approach to risk. At the same time though, positiv e risk-taking is not negligent ignorance of the potential risks – nobody benefits from allowing risks to play their course through to disaster. . communicate the content of the risk assessment to others It is important to communicate and work in a consistent way with all those supporting the individual. Information gathering and sharing is important. It is not just an essential part of risk assessment and management, but also key to identifying a risk in the first place. It is important to communicate the content of the risk assessment to all relevant staff. It will also be important to discuss and explain the risk assessment with the individual’s carer and family.The individual’s goals and targets should be discussed with all concerned, to aid understanding regards the risk assessment and to ensure all those involved are aware of the desired outcomes. However, the use and sharing of information must respect the principles outlined in the Data Protections Act 19 98.3. support the individual to take the risk for which the assessment has been completed Once the support plan has been completed and the risks defined it is important to support the individual to take the risks. This may involve discussing the risk assessment in depth with the individual’s family.The individual’s desired outcomes could conflict with those of carers, especially when the latter placed more emphasis on safety while the individual was prepared to accept a greater level of risk in order to maintain independence. Differences in attitudes to risk had to be tackled through ‘good social work’, to reinforce the individual’s preferences while helping the family to distinguish between unconventional and dangerous behaviours. Another way of supporting the individual to take the risk in the first instance, could involve a trial run.An example could be where the individual wants to make an independent trip in to town using public transport.On th e first trip you could accompany the individual on each step of the journey.On the second trip, you could accompany them to the town and then arrange to meet with them later in the day.On the third trip, you may just accompany them to the bus stop. Gradually you can reduce the amount of support you provide. Another method of support could be to have a contingency plan in case things don’t quite go according to plan.If we look again at the last scenario, what would happen if the individual missed the last bus home? By ensuring they have a pre-arranged telephone number of their next of kin or carer they can make them aware of the problem. Alternatively they may have the telephone number of the local mini cab office who would bring them home as an alternative. It is also important that the individual knows what to do if things do go wrong. You can support them to take risks by ensuring they have clear information and advice about what to do if they have any concerns.For example they should be aware of and be able to recognise and identify abuse or neglect and know where and how they should seek help if necessary. Your support doesn’t end once the risk assessment has been carried out. 4. review and revise the risk assessment with the individual After each risk assessment has been agreed it is important that it is monitored and reviewed in case any revisions are necessary. Risks may change as circumstances change, so they should be reviewed regularly. An assessment is a snapshot, whereas a risk assessment is an ongoing thing.Risk assessments should be reviewed periodically and whenever circumstances change to ensure they remain current. At the time the risk assessment is made it should include the signatures of everyone involved in the assessment and a review date should be identified. It is important to review and revise risk assessments so that the success of the positive risk taking can be assessed and any necessary adjustments can be made. It may be necessary for the individual to have access to further resources to enhance the plan or adaptations could be made to help the individual meet their planned outcomes.When positive risk-taking has a negative consequence, it is necessary to identify what has gone wrong and how the assessment and management of the risk contributed to this. Inevitably if we are supporting individuals to have more choice and control in their lives through positive approaches to managing risk, things are likely to go wrong from time to time. If this happens and the risk taken results in a negative outcome for the individual, there is no doubt that the risk taking process will come under scrutiny and the way in which this process worked to minimise the foreseeable risks will be considered.If the risks taken do not meet the planned outcomes for the individual then they may have to be reviewed and revised. 5. evaluate with the individual how taking the identified risk has contributed to their well-being. W ell-being describes the way we think and feel about ourselves and others, our confidence, and our ability to control things in our life. We all need to protect our wellbeing and this can be done by taking part in physical activity and having opportunities for relaxation and social activities. These can increase our resilience to cope with life's difficulties and ability to enjoy life.You will need to evaluate, with the individual, how taking the identified risks has contributed to their well-being and quality of life. This will involve looking at the positive and the negative consequences and outcomes of their choices. Has taking the risks met the individual’s needs and achieved their desired outcomes. Taking the identified risks should result in the individual feeling empowered and having greater independence, control and a sense of ‘normality’ about their lives. By supporting an individual to take positive risks, it can help them to evaluate alternative courses of action and can build confidence.The experience of failure, as a result of risk taking in a safe environment, can help to build resilience to setbacks and help individual’s to manage risk better in the future.Outcome 6Understand duty of care in relation to supporting positive risk-taking 1. explain how the principle of duty of care can be maintained while supporting individuals to take risks Ultimately, you have a statutory duty of care and a responsibility not to agree to a support plan if there are serious concerns that it will not meet an individual’s needs or if it places an individual in a dangerous situation.Whilst an individual can choose voluntarily to live with a level of risk and is entitled to do so (with the law treating that person as having consented to the risk) the local authority is not obliged to fund it. There is an important distinction between putting people at risk and enabling them to choose to take reasonable risks. Inevitably if we are suppo rting individuals to have more choice and control in their lives through positive risk taking, things may go wrong from time to time.A defensible decision is one where those involved in the risk assessing process:Used reliable assessment methodsActed responsibly in relation to their duty of careWere not negligentAssessed and took steps to manage and minimise foreseeable risksRecorded decisions and subsequently checked they were carried outFollowed policies, procedures and guidanceInvolved the person and other relevant people in the processSupported people to make informed decisionsIdentification of positive and negative risksInvolvement of people who use services and those who are important to them – this includes people who form the individual's informal ‘circle of support', who are involved from the beginning to gather information, define what the risks are from the individual's point of view and to discuss ways to enable and manage these risks.   Positive and infor med risk-taking – this is built on a strengths-based approach to the person and looks at creative ways for people to be able to do things rather than ruling them out. Proportionality – this means that the time and effort spent on managing a risk should match the severity of that risk.The approach should also explore the consequence of not taking the risk in question, such as loss of autonomy or restriction of choice. Contextualising behaviour – this means knowing about the person's history and social environment, their previous experience of risk, what has and has not worked in previous situations.   Defensible decision making – this means recording a clear rationale for all the decisions made and the discussions that led to the decisions, including reference to relevant legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act or the Human Rights Act. A learning culture – this require a commitment to ongoing learning and the use of reflective practice for peo ple working at the frontline. Tolerable risks – this involves negotiating and balancing issues of risk and safety to identify what is acceptable for everyone concerned (the individual and others including the community) on a case by case basis.2. describe what action to take if an individual decides to take an unplanned risk that places him/herself or others in immediate or imminent danger. Imminent danger† refers to any danger or dangerous condition that would not normally take place. If you think an individual is about to take an unplanned risk which will place them or others in immediate or imminent danger it is important to take appropriate corrective and preventative action and stop the activity immediately. An individual who is injuring himself/herself or is threatening physical harm to others may be restrained in an emergency to safeguard the individual and others. Risk assessments should include contingency measures that address risks arising from unplanned even ts.Physical intervention is:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A method of responding to the challenging behaviour of people with a learning disability and/or autism, which involves some degree of direct physical force. † Physical intervention may be the only course of action. Staff should be equipped with a range of skills to deal with and de-escalate potentially violent situations, as well as a range of restraint techniques that will allow for use of the minimum level of force possible. Physical intervention is only used in response to challenging behaviour and to restrict the movement and mobility of the person concerned.

Global Warming: Cause and Effect Essay

It is a matter of fact that every person every day faces the problem of global warming affecting his health and endangering the future of our planet. Global warming is defined as increase in overall temperature on the Earth. Global warming occurs when the greenhouse effect hold light and heat from the sun in our atmosphere causing the overall increase in temperatures. Global warming negatively affects not only people, but also animals and plans. Those, who appear unable to adapt to changes, die. Global warming is caused, firstly, by driving cars leading to air and water pollution. Electrical pollution is one cause because coal-fired plants throw many gases and harmful particles (e. g. carbon dioxide) into the air. Furthermore, fossil fuels are dead animals and plants and when they burn pollutants are sent into the Earth atmosphere. One more reason of global warming is deforestation because trees were the main source of converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. Global warming is the result of inadequate use of energetic source instead of sources that cause less pollution. For example, people mostly use petroleum for transportation and electricity instead of working out alternative sources. All these facts caused global warming which effect is really terrifying. Indisputable effect of global people is worsening people’s health as it is difficult for people, especially for older generation, to bear heat. Hot weather affects health increasing the number of heat attacks, and death rates among older generation. Furthermore, we breathe polluted air which can cause troubles with lungs and respiratory tracts. Global warming leads to sea level rise and the water washes away many low lands leaving many people and animals without shelter and food. Global warming affects oceans as the water becomes warmer endangering the life of algae which is the food for fish. The next moment to mention is that global warming causes acid rains destroying everything it is touching. Summing up, global warming alters climatic conditions and leads to species extinction.

Outline and Evaluate One Theory of Attachment

Outline and evaluate one theory of attachment (12 marks) Bowlby’s theory is an evolutionary theory because, in his view attachment is a behavioural system that has evolved because of its survival value and, ultimately, its reproductive value. According to Bowlby, children have an innate drive to become attached to a caregiver because attachment has long-term benefits. Both attachment and imprinting ensure that a young animal stays close to a caregiver who will feed and protect the young animal.Thus attachment and imprinting are adaptive behaviours. Infants who do not become attached are less likely to survive and reproduce. Attachment ‘genes’ are perpetuated, and infants are born with an innate drive to become attached. Since attachment is innate, there is likely to be a limited window for its development i. e. a critical or sensitive period. Development of all biological systems takes place most rapidly and easily during a critical period. Bowlby applied the conc ept of a sensitive period to attachment.He suggested that the second quarter of the first year is when infants are most sensitive to the development of attachments. The drive to provide caregiving is also innate because it is adaptive (i. e. enhances survival of one’s offspring). Infants are born with certain characteristics, called social releasers, which elicit caregiving. The social releasers include smiling and crying. Another social releaser is a baby’s face. Attachment is the innate behavioural system in babies; caregiving is the response in adults. Both provide protection and thereby enhance survival.The formation of attachments depends on the interaction of these systems. Attachment is important for protection, and thus acts as a secure base from which a child can explore the world and a safe haven to return to when threatened. Thus attachment fosters independence. Bowlby also believed that infants form a number of attachments but one of these has special impor tance. The bias towards on individual, the primary attachment, is called monotropy. Infants also have other secondary attachment figures that form a hierarchy of attachments.The one special attachment is most usually an infant’s mother. Bowlby believe that sensitive responsiveness was the key – an infant become most strongly attached to the person who responds most sensitively to the infant’s social releasers (the ‘sensitivity’ hypothesis). This person become the infants primary attachment figure, providing the main foundation for emotional development, self-esteem and later relationships with peers, lovers and one’s own children. Attachment starts as the relationship between a caregiver and infant.This relationship may be one of trust or of uncertainty and inconsistency, and creates expectations about what all relationships will be like. Gradually the infant develops a model about emotional relationships: Bowlby called this an internal worki ng model. This model is a cluster of concepts about relationships and what to expect from others – about whether relationships involve consistent or inconsistent love, whether others make you feel good or anxious, and so on. The internal working model means there is consistency between early emotional experiences and later relationships.This leads to the continuity hypothesis – the view that there is a link between the early attachment relationship and later emotional behaviour; individuals who are securely attached in infancy continue to be socially and emotionally competent, whereas insecurely attached children have more social and emotional difficulties late in childhood and adulthood. The research by Lorenz supports the view that imprinting is innate because the goslings imprinted on the first moving object they saw. A similar process is likely to have evolved in many species as a mechanism to protect young animals and enhance the likelihood of their survival.If at tachments fail to develop, the conclusion from research appears to be that once the sensitive period has passed it is difficult to form attachments. For example, Hodges and Tizard found that children who had formed no attachments had later difficulties with peers. If attachment did evolve, as Bowlby suggests, to provide an important biological function, then we would expect attachment and care giving behaviours to be universal i. e. found in all cultures. Tronick et al. (1992) studied an African tribe, the Efe, from Zaire, who live in extended family groups.The infants are looked after and even breastfed by different women but usually sleep with their own mother at night. Despite such differences in childrearing practices the infants, at six months, still showed one primary attachment. This supports the view that attachment and caregiving are universal and not influenced by different cultural practices. Many psychologists have criticised Bowlby’s ideas regarding montropy and argued that the babies’ attachment to the first attachment figure is not necessarily special or unique.Schaffer and Emerson’s longitudinal study of 60 Glasgow babies found that multiple attachments seemed to be the norm for babies rather than the exception – at the age of 18 months 87% of babies had multiple attachments. Schaffer and Emerson also found that the strongest bond was not necessarily to the mother as Bowlby had implied. At 18 moths, only half of the samples were strongly attached to their mothers and about a third were strongly attached to their fathers.Bowlby’s ideas about the importance of attachments have produced substantial amount of research. Most evidence suggests that early attachment experiences can have an influenced on later adult relationships. However, it is important not to overestimate this influence and to consider other factors such as later life events, which influence adult relationships. Bowlby’s idea regarding monot ropy has been challenged and evidence supports the view that multiple attachments may be the rule rather than single and unique attachments.

International Macro Post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Macro Post - Essay Example It highlights how the aftermath has made GDP growth rates tumbled while the inflows of foreign unswerving investments have dried out. The article also explores the failures of the government for decades during the dictatorial regime. The country has to establish conventional macroeconomics to guide in managing economic growth and economic development instead focusing on GDP and neglecting other economic concerns such as inflation, unemployment and externalities. In their final submission, the article highlights possibility of hope for the’ New country’. Despite the challenges that the country has gone through in the last three decades leading to massive capital flight. The article underscores the need to review the economy while at the same time impose sound economic policies i.e. monetary and fiscal policies that would reclaim the country’s lost balance of payment (BOP) and country’s currency reserves. They retaliate the fact that Egypt as a country still can create a favorable environment for economic growth and entrepreneurial change. One key issue that the article explores according to my understanding is the link between civil war or the revolutions and their impact on macroeconomic policies and objectives such as economic growth of the country. It is essential to analyze the impact through domestic investment. The capital stock of any given country epitomize its accumulated stock of machineries, firms that are there in the country at any point in time, and this are what adds to productive power in the economy. If capital stock rises so will economic growth at its all-time high. According to neo-classical economists capital stock, originates from investment and depreciation. Egyptian revolution affected capital stock in two ways. First it reduced the existing stock of capital since during the period of revolution roads, ports and factories were destroyed. Secondly, the level of capital stock is affected by investment that must

Wall Street by Oliver Stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wall Street by Oliver Stone - Essay Example However, the theme of the film brings out some of the goings-on in the lives of everyday stockbrokers, and how they take advantage of unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). The desire to be driven by greed often leads one into doing bad things in order to make it in Wall Street. One thing that happens that might violate the code of ethics is insider trading. Although it may not be considered illegal, there are instances where insider trading may be considered as criminal. This is when personal knowledge is used to disclose information about company shares, and the information is not yet public. This is illegal and is also unethical. The manipulation of stock values also goes against a financial institution’s code of conduct. It is wrong, and, in fact, criminal, to manipulate stock values to make shareholders buy or sell more in a bid to make a profit. This is what the main characters depict, and they go on to show how they benefit from unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). My favorite quote from the film can be considered the most famous in the film. Gordon Gekko, the main character in the film, is heard as saying that greed is good and that greed marks the essence of the evolutionary spirit. It is also through Gordon Gekko that the audience learns of the innovative and wealth creative ways that are brought on by greed in this quote. Greed, as depicted by the film, drives most of the characters to lie, cheat, and even steal in order to make a name for themselves in the financial corporation and money making machine that is Wall Street (Wall Street 1). I chose this quote as it directly changes the manner in which most people will view greed and its impact on their lives. The most essential question to ask is whether it is actually right to lose one’s sanity and morality in a bid to attain riches and wealth. The context in which this quote was used in the film was to showcase the depth people are disposed to take in order to get

How Might Inclusive Special Education be Developed in a United Kingdom Essay

How Might Inclusive Special Education be Developed in a United Kingdom School - Essay Example Inclusion exercises the right of each individual to an apt and proficient education in a mainstream educational facility. The implication of this cause states that children who are born with physical or cognitive abilities, if mentally capable, must not be regarded as an exception to receive the same level of education other children are receiving. It also encourages values among children, in terms of respect and support towards their peers and the community. Scholars believe that an environment that promotes fewer restrictions allows students to greater exposure in interacting with diverse individuals (Farrell 2001). This allows for a more equitable environment where SEN or students with Special Education Needs would be able to receive the same education as other children. This type of setting encourages everyone, regardless of impairment, to operate and learn through the same educational perspective. Inclusive education is not only beneficial for special education students, but for other students as well. Belonging to a diverse class would enable students to interact, understand and construct relationships with peers who are different from them. This removes the notion of discrimination as per usual means of segregations in classrooms, in terms of intellectual capabilities (Lindsay 2003). A school that follows a special education environment employs an instruction that involves techniques and exercises specific for students whose learning needs are not in coherence with the standard school curriculum. The United Kingdom government has mandated laws that discourage the utilization of special school; instead, focus on the concept of inclusion. This form of education acknowledges each individual's right to fairness and society practises its responsibility of supporting those who have special needs, in their best interest (Mitchell 2005). Nature of an Inclusive Environment The effectiveness of inclusion is not only dependent on special education students, but various groups in the community should also partake in making inclusive education efficient. These are parents, teachers, support staff, instructors and whole general population. There are various concerns regarding inclusive education, one of which is that most parents of mainstream students feel that their child's growth will be limited when the class teacher would have to tend to those who are impaired. Mainstream students are those who participate in the prevailing values and practises in society, as opposed to SEN students (Pather 2007). On the contrary, the parent of a special education child might feel that her child would not be provided the extra attention and care that her child requires in a general mainstream education. There is also a possibility that the children would feel a sense of belongingness once accepted by peers, or would be a cast away if the inclusion isn't effective (Avramidis 2003). The nature of inclusion reduces the level of exclusion in mainstream classrooms, and engages the reduction of barriers in participation and education. It encompasses education of all levels, from preschool, elementary, high school, colleges and universities. The Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education asserts that others have a tendency to necessitate more support from their peers, which stakeholders must support (Lieber et al

UNDERSTANDING DRUG-TARGET INTERACTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

UNDERSTANDING DRUG-TARGET INTERACTIONS - Essay Example Propranolol is a beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent (Long) and has been used to treat amongst many other things, high blood pressure, glaucoma, migraines, reduce anginal episodes, reduce episodes of anxiety and even treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms (Farooqi and Aboul-Enein, 1995). It is one of the most commonly used classes of these drugs (Aarons et al, 1979) but while propranolol is effective in treating several conditions, toxicity may occur in some cases too and is a result of interaction between the receptor and the drug (Glaubinger and Lefkowitz, 1977). Toxicity can affect cardiac, vascular or bronchial function (Farooqi and Aboul-Enein, 1995). The beta-adrenergic receptor is a well studied receptor that is phylogenetically conserved (Barak et al, 1994) and is present in low concentrations in plasma membranes (Yarden et al, 1986). It has been demonstrated to be an integral plasma membrane glycoprotein which is hydrophobic (Yarden et al, 1986). The beta-adrenergic receptor (Refer Fig. 1) is made up of seven transmembrane alpha-helices spanning the plasma membrane. Three of these loops are intracellular while the other three are extracellular. There is an amino terminus and a carboxyl terminus to the receptor of which the carboxyl terminus is on the cytoplasmic side and the amino terminus is inside the cell. This receptor is N-glycosylated near the amino terminus with the amino terminus being blocked in this receptor (Yarden et al, 1986, Green et al,1993). There are many phosphorylation sites on the carboxyl loops (Yarden et al, 1986) which allows for activation. The chemical name of propranolol is 1-isopropylamino-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-2-propanol (Farooqi and Aboul-Enein, 1995) and it is a beta-adrenergic antagonistic drug (Glaubinger and Lefkowitz, 1977). Different structures have been proposed for this drug (Padke et al, 1981). However, a widely accepted one appears to be one put forward by Phadke et al, 1981 (Refer

Costs and Benefits Associated with ERP Systems - Advanced Accounting Essay

Costs and Benefits Associated with ERP Systems - Advanced Accounting Information systems - Essay Example P.Regardless of the reason that has contributed to need of searching a new ERP, the fundamental question to be kept in mind is how the ERP will cost (Busco et al., 2007). The cost of an ERP varies depending on different factors. These factors include the size of the company; type of solution needed for instance the more specialized the solution is the pricier the ERP will be. The needed resources also contributes to the decision to be made regarding the ERP.The more external resources are the more costlier the ERP is.The level of customization is also an a factor determining the cost of an ERP (Nixon, 2012). There is the purchase cost and the licensing cost. When an ERP is purchased, licenses for the Database Management System need to be bought separately. Often, the licenses are excluded in purchase price of the software since it is distinct product developed by a different company. There are two types of users’ license in the ERP; the named user and parallel operator. Respective worker has to require an authorization to be able to use the software in the named user licensing. In a parallel user licensing, there has to be a password available to each connected user (Li, 2011). There are also infrastructure related costs. The infrastructure cost incorporates all the required hardware to ride the ERP. However, this will fluctuate for each company, but the following should be included irrespective of the company. Firstly, there is server infrastructure cost, the cost of storage, the cost of backups and new desktop computers, or the computers that require upgrading. The infrastructure costs are responsible for about ten to twenty of an ERP implementation project (Li, 2011). There are also human resources. Human resources accounts for the greatest ERP implementation budget. Consultant costs and the employees’ wages consume more than fifty percent of the total ERP cost. Internal resources cost is also a cost related to ERP. The wages of employees should cater

Your group has been commissioned, as sports tourism management Essay

Your group has been commissioned, as sports tourism management consultants, to prepare a 4,000 word Marketing Report to the chief executive of the organising committee of the sport event allocated to you - Essay Example The management perspectives expressed in this paper have been weighed and sifted in accordance with the most recent literature available on the subject. Strategic management perspectives that run through a haze of corporate and organizational assumptions and goals have been invariably influenced by the relative importance of dynamic event-oriented outcomes including those related to the benchmarking organizational efforts. This report essentially identifies and addresses a few major event management theories along with a singular effort at building up a contingency tourism management model based on Singapore Formula One Grand Prix – 2009. Singapore Formula One Grand Prix - 2009 is one of the most important sporting events in the annual sports calendar of the world. The event to be held this year on 27 September would cover a distance of 308.950 km with 61 laps. Previous spectator statistics are a sure indicator of the event’s stupendous success this year as well. Already the heat of interest generated by the forthcoming mega event has filled up the air in Singapore. The record crowds and the significance of the event require a deep analytical study to assess the impact of it on foreign tourist arrivals in Singapore during the period up to the run up. A comprehensive delineation of the micro and macro level parameters of the event would be feasible here. At the micro level there is a series of constituent activities such as service provision and preparation by hoteliers and restaurateurs. At the macro level there is yet another set of activities including the changes and modifications to existing infrastructures and the organizing of the event through to the end. Event management industry is necessarily entwined here with the event to such an extent that all consequential and subsequent strategic decision choices available down the line from the consultant to the manager are determined by the very

Place Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Place Marketing - Essay Example 45). The pictures presented to the fans are a true reflection of the occurrences during the games. For instance, one issue that affected a live match was the racially abusing of the black players especially those with a dark skin color. It posed a challenge for the organizers and even some of the players threatened to pull out. The poster covers the issues of fan trouble by having pictures of the fans trying to support their teams while they are half naked. In fact, fan trouble was caused by flares especially games to which the host team won or even equalized. The effect of the behaviors is represented in the poster by the addition of the different pictures of the poster. The poster presents both the success and failure of the organization while also handling the success of the host in handling the whole situation perfectly. The failure of the poster to bring out the details of the success and failures can be attributed to the focus of the author (Benioff, 2012, p. 67). The focus on the poster is about racism and the success achieved by hosting the continental games in Ukraine and Poland. This success can be seen on the poster by looking at the pictures associated with the poster which is limited to the hosting of the Euro games in 2012. Fabrication versus realism The poster focuses on the life in Cardiff city especially the nightlife. The distinction between reality and a fallacy in relation to drinking is the focus of the poster. The negative impact of drinking is depicted in the poster by the picture of the lady extremely drunk and lying next to a garbage dump. The picture explains the impact of nightlife culture (Beverly and Thomson, 2011, p. 78). According to poster, a distinction between realism and fabrication must be done otherwise the night life in Cardiff will be associated with over-drinking and negative public behavior such as urinating in public, indecency, and having a black-out in a public area. I believe that the picture may be sending a wrong m essage to others who has visited the city. Therefore, the authenticity of the story may not be easily understood by other audience. The failure to research and develop a conclusive result indicates the fallacy of generalization, which may cause a serious problem to the city image (Dagron and Tufte, 2006, p. 89). Bad behavior is an individual choice and not a social choice. Therefore, bad behavior should not be used to create a negative image about a place or city. The city should not be viewed as a benchmark of a certain behavior, but the individuals therein. I think that for a city to be evaluated on the basis of resident behavior, it must cover over 80% of the population. The facts on the issue must be clearly stated because it is the basis of the argument. I the society today, several prefabrications have been done as marketing or social control system. However, all these conclusions may be a fabrication. For instance, the association of rats with cheese is wrong because in reali ty, mice do not like cheese. Consequently, the association of drinking with negative behavior is wrong because it indicates a grand scale fabrication. Acceptable Face of the Past? National image is developed based on the past occurrences or events that can be associated with the country. One of the images associated with Wales is the National Eisteddfod which is considered acceptable face of the past. The past

How Insurgencies End Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How Insurgencies End - Assignment Example However, most factors are frequent in majority of the cases. Fundamentally, insurgency results primarily from political and monetary differences. Consequently, the opposition opts to resolve the disparities by combative means resulting in an insurgency. This write-up highlights factors that have characterized the conclusion of countless insurgencies. Additionally, it highlights details a conflict that has transpired recently. Conspicuously, time has a noteworthy implication on the conclusion of any conflict. According to the Rand study, an insurgency tends to fade over time1. The report discloses that countless insurgencies commence vigorously: nonetheless, the rebel become weary over time. The weakening of such rebellion is attributable to numerous factors. First, the administration will counter any uprising that seeks to oust it from authority. Subsequently, the insurgency’s followers diminish due to the military confrontations that they encounter. Additionally, the authorit ies utilize state resource that can sustain a military offensive over lengthy durations. Conversely, most insurgencies have no sustainable funding. The scarce funding diminishes the duration, which the rebels can sustain the conflict2. Hence, time establishes the culmination of any conflict. ... Initially, the Sri- Lanka dissenters, the Tamil appeared to have outwitted the authorities and inhibited a sizeable territory. However, the Sri-Lankan regime reconstituted its strategies towards the insurgency3. The administration undertook a vicious offensive against the radicals, which concluded in the administration recouping the region that the Tamil Tiger inhibited. Time allowed the government to gather appropriate resources, which enabled the offensive culminating in the subduing of the Tamil Tigers. Leadership and following denotes another critical aspect with a key bearing on the conclusion of any insurgency. The leadership is critical in any insurgency since it not only identifies the strategies, which the conflict will adopt but also unites the followers. This is critical since most insurgency face well equipped regimes, which are willing to commit enormous resources to crash any insurgency4. The leaders guide the momentum to attain the course of the rebellion. However, som e of the leaders die or defect; consequently, resulting in a gap in the top brass. The enemy faction can utilize the leadership vacuum to subdue the rebellion since they lack individuals to provide apposite strategies that any insurgency requires for its survival. Furthermore, strong leadership limits infiltration by counterinsurgencies from enemy factions. Infiltration avails the adversary faction with suitable data on the intended strategies of the rebels. Consequently, allowing it to institute apposite measure to counter the insurgencies. Diminishing following also renders any insurgency vulnerable since it has few combatants. Nevertheless, many insurgencies succeed despite having fewer followers like the ousting of Batista’s rule by Castro in Cuba. Castro had a

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Arthur Miller wrote a play called The Crucible in the early 50s. Even though the text in the play tells the story of some of The Salem Witch Trials, there is evidence which shows that Miller clearly connects his own communist trial by McCarthy to the outrageous trials of the witches. Due to this disgraceful act towards him from the powers within society, Miller decided to write a play to show his own perspective of 1950s society to the people of America. The setting of Act 3 can be interpreted as an attack on the severity of the authorities in Salem and 1950s America. Firstly, at the beginning of Act Three, the stage direction says two high windows. This stage direction is really used just for directors to have a good impression of what the stage should look like from Millers point of view. However, if you examine the whole stage directions carefully, it says that besides the sunlight, the whole room is dark and that the trials are being held in that room. This symbolises that the authorities of Salem are unjust because they believe that what they is doing is holy and just; but they are secretly hiding away from God. The darkness symbolised by the dark room and the light given off by the window, shows that God is present and that they cannot hide from him. The windows being high suggests that God and justice are very hard to reach. This shows that for authority in society to truly reach the holy and just state of existence that they desire, they still have a long way to go. This relates to Millers experience because he was trying to say that America in 1950s was just as corrupt as the witch trials in 1692, therefore saying that since 1692 until 1950 society hasnt moved on to be more fair or more just. Millers attack suggests that there is still a long way to go until society can be truly called fair. Secondly, the way Miller has set out some of the characters such as their language or their tone of voice is also an attack on society. I think this is due to the impressions given off by the characters that most people would usually interpret them as being good people, but Miller shows that they are not. One example is Judge Hathorne. On page sixty-seven he asks Martha how she knows that she is not a witch , this shows that he is trying to trick her in saying the things he wants her to. This shows us that for Hathorne to get what he wants he has to stoop down to a level of trickery, which is very low for a person of his status. This symbolises the fact that the authority are being hypocritical because they do what they are trying to rid society from doing sinful deeds. This point connects with the McCarthy trials of Miller because Judge McCarthy also had to stoop so low, by using threats. Miller had the choice of either naming names or get ruined. Thirdly, I believe that the way some of the people dress also shows how Miller attacks society. This is because Miller wanted us to know how power can corrupt us so he indicated all the sinful people by the clothes they wore and also their clothes showed us how much power they had. One example is again Judge Hathorne. I say this because in the courtroom Hathorne acts as he please due to his awareness that nobody in the court could overthrow him. Miller uses this to try and show the audience how power can cause people to act and abuse it, and even more so if it is supported by everyone in society agreeing with everything Hathorne had to say. Thus showing us that power can be used inefficiently if given to the wrong people. This is a link to Arthur Millers personal experience in the McCarthy trial because he believed that Judge McCarthy let his power get in the way of fairness and justice. The people of America supported McCarthy just like the people of Salem. In the play Miller exposes societys role in helping to condemn people by showing Parris supporting Hathorne. Miller shows that this fed Hathornes ego even more, and therefore Miller seemed to believe that McCarthy was an incompetent person because he abused his power just like Judge Hathorne. This is an attack on society because Miller is saying that society should be even more careful about giving so much power to someone who didnt deserve it. Also he encourages society to consider what they were doing before giving support to someone unworthy and boosting their ego. This courtroom scene presents innocent characters risking their lives in order to tell the truth seems to be an attack on the injustice of Salem as well as of 1950s America. We know this because there is much evidence in this scene to back the point up. One piece of evidence is the statement made by Hale on page seventy-eight where he says there is a prestigious fear in the court. This shows that Hale can see that some injustice is going on and is scared of it. Then when Hale tells Danforth that he is afraid, Danforth replies that there is a prestigious guilt instead and threatens him by asking him if he is afraid to be questioned. Later on Hathornes feeling of intimidation grows so that he becomes angry. This shows injustice and is linked back to my point at the beginning of the paragraph, because all Hale was doing was telling him what he thought was the truth. Danforth seemed like he was being pressurised so he had to use his power to intimidate and threaten Hale so that he could feel safe. This could be associated with Millers own experience because when authority in society in America in the 1950s felt threatened they had to use their influence and power to threaten and intimidate people. Just like when Miller was threatened and risked being ruined just for believing in something. Even though Miller could probably not harm anybody by himself, this is just like the threat Reverend Hale risked of being hanged just for exposing the fact that the court was an unjust one.

Cambridge Engineering Selector CES Computer Science Essay

Cambridge Engineering Selector CES Computer Science Essay In this particular assignment we are going to find the best material for a part of land-based gas turbine. For this research we are going to use the Cambridge Engineering Selector (CFS) software. We are going to find the manufacturing process. We are going to make a report by the help of CES software on eco-audit for the existing material and the material we choose. We have some information and data given by the company on the existing material. The component shows below is the part of the land-based gas turbine. j230comb Fig. 1 The part of land-based gas turbine It is made from Hastelloy X material which is a Nickel-Chromium-Iron-Molybdenum alloy. It has excellent strength and oxidation resistance. Its approximate chemical composition is Ni 47%, Cr 22%, Fe 18%, Mo 9%, and Co 1.5%. It has a good ductility thats why it can be forged and can be cold-worked. So this material is good for welding. The component has 0.75 m in diameter, 10 mm in thickness and 200 mm of depth. The component is on service for 10 years and need to be replaced. The component need to be operates on some require condition i.e. temperatures up to 800oC, good thermal shock and corrosion resistance. It should be capable of being manufactured by casting. By using the CES software we have to specify the manufacturing process. And if require we have to do coating to achieve the heat and corrosion resistance. We have some more data given which is Minimum Tensile Strength 300MPa, Has to operate above 550oC, Maximum thermal expansion 15 ÃŽ ¼ strain/o C, Minimum Yield Strength 300MPa. Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) It is a software package which help designer to make decision over which materials and design process to use in the development of new equipment. We can use the CES software for general analysis and optimization applications by material universe data module. By the help of CES software we can design or redesign components with highest performance and lowest cost. CES software consists of three levels. Level 1 for Introductory-level students, providing introduction to the world of materials and processes and helping them to select the materials and processes with limited datasets of 67 materials and 75 processes. Level 2 for Intermediate-level students, providing the structured methodology for more materials and processes in the depth investigations with 98 materials and 107 processes with more information. Level 3 for Advanced/graduate students, providing the full materials and processes used in industry with added design notes with the vast selection of materials. In this particular level there are 3000 materials and more than 200 processes. CES software consists of the following main windows. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cesmain windows of ces.jpg Fig. 2 CES main window Browse This window contains a list of the tables in the database and the classification tree for the selected table. Select This window is the central navigation point for selection projects, showing the selection settings, the project stages and the selection results. Search This window is used for text searches on records in the database. Graph Stage This window displays selection charts which show the relationships between attributes. Limit Stage This window is used to enter selection criteria as limits on individual attributes. Datasheet This window displays a list of attributes for individual records. There can be many of these on the screen at a time. As the requirement of the assignment, the company ask for the more efficient and economical material for the land-based gas turbine part. The part should be fulfilling the required properties and condition. For the particular material for the part of the land-based gas turbine, level three is reliable containing more than 3300 materials. In level three, by selection the select windows it will show the selection data. In selection data pane there is an option to select materials universe: all bulk materials. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cesselestion atage all bulk materials.jpg Fig. 3 selection data pane (All bulk Materials) The selection Results contains a list of all of the records that have passed the selection stages. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of ces2945 materials.jpg Fig. 4 All bulk Materials Selection stage of CES 1. Selection with the TREE stage To create a new tree stage selects new tree stage from the select menu or the click the tree button. The tree stage properties will appear. For the project, the material for the part of land-based gas turbine should be metals and alloys, so insert it. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cesfirst tree for metals and alloys.jpg Fig. 5 Tree stage (Metals and Alloys) In the Tree Stage window, for a single relationship, click the Show button. This opens the Cell Contents dialog, listing the names of records that fulfil the link selection criterion for the row. In the Cell Contents dialog, Click on a column heading to sort the list by record name C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of ces1607 materials.jpg Fig. 6 All Metals and Alloys By applying the condition of metals and alloys in this tree stage, it will show only the metals and alloys from all universe materials. 2. Selection by limit stage To create a limit stage, select new limit stage from select menu or click the limit button in the selection stages pane of the select window. A limit stage window will appear, and the stage will be listed in the selection stages pane. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cesfirst limit.jpg Fig. 7 Limit selection stage Before we going to apply all the limits, lets check the requirements of the company. The company wants the part should be operate up to 800oC, so the maximum service temperature should be 800oC and it also require that it should be operate above 550oC so the minimum service temperature should be 550oC. The tensile strength and yield strength should be minimum 300 MPa. The Maximum thermal expansion should be not more than 15 ÃŽ ¼strain/ oC. However, the tensile strength and yield strength are mechanical properties and service temperature and thermal expansion are thermal properties of the material. Tensile strength: maximum load that a material can support without fracture when being stretched, divided by the original cross-sectional area of the material. Yield strength: The stress at the yield point. And the stress needed to produce a specified amount of plastic deformation. Thermal expansion: Increase in volume of a material as its temperature is increased, usually expressed as a fractional change in dimensions per unit temperature change. When the material is a solid, thermal expansion is usually described in terms of change in length, height, or thickness. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cesapply limit mechanical properties.jpg Fig. 8 Applying Yield strength and Tensile strength C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cesthermal limits.jpg Fig. 9 Applying service Temperature By applying the mechanical and thermal properties of material, it will show 171 materials which fulfil the conditions. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of ces171 materials.jpg Fig. 10 Metals and Alloys after applying mechanical and thermal properties Manufacturing process It is important to make the right manufacturing decisions early in the design process, before the cost-penalty of making changes becomes too high. The selection of the most appropriate manufacturing process of which there are a very large number is one such decision. Taking a broad view, a process is a method for shaping or finishing or joining a material (Esawi, 1997). The kingdom of processes contains broad families: casting, deformation, moulding, machining, compaction of powders, and such like. Each family contains many classes: casting contains sand-casting, die-casting, and investment casting, for instance. These in turn have many members: there are many variants of sand-casting, some specialized to give greater precision, others modified to allow exceptional size, and still others adapted to deal with specific materials. The land-based gas turbine should be capable of being manufactured by casting. By applying another tree stage for the manufacturing process in trees pane click on process universe and in shaping process, select the casting and insert it. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cestree manufacturing process.jpg Fig. 11 Tree stage for manufacturing process After applying the casting limit to the materials selected, its eliminated all the materials which can be shaped by casting. There are only 67 materials left. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of ces67 materials after casting.jpg Fig. 12 Materials which can be shaped by casting As the company requirement the material should be half or less price than the original material. It is made of Hastelloy X material which is one the alloy of Ni-Cr alloy group. The Hastelloy X materials cost is 15.7- 17.3 GBP/kg. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of ceshastelloy x.jpg Fig. 13 Hastelloy X materials details By applying the graph for the price for the selected materials. The existing material price is 15.7- 17.3 GBP/kg and the requirement is the half and less than the existing price. By the help of the selection box its easy to eliminate the expensive materials from the graph. Selecting the materials from less than 9 GBP/kg by the help of selection box. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of cesprice graph.jpg Fig. 14 The bar chart of selected material with price After applying the condition of price, there are only 11 materials left. C:UsersRANJANDesktopFINAL ASSIGNMENTHigh Temperature Materials and Applicationsphoto of ces11 materials.jpg Fig. 15 Materials selected after the condition of price Esawi, A. M. K. and Ashby M. F., Computer-Based Selection of Manufacturing Processes, Cambridge University Engineering Dept Report, CUED/C-EDC/TR50, May 1997.

How to Founding Fathers Developed Democracy

How to Founding Fathers Developed Democracy How the Founding Fathers of the United States designed political institutions that embody the values of democracy and liberty while preventing the rise of tyranny over time? American democracy is often perceived as a true model for democratic institutions around the world. The United States presidential system has often been copied by many states in Africa, Asia and Latin America (Llanos 55). Despite their best efforts, few nations have achieved similar success in creating stable democratic regimes that respect and protect individual rights for long periods of time. In this modern era of democratization, an insightful analysis of American institutions will help us understand what types of institutions are likely to help democratic regimes survive and thrive over time. The following essay argues the founding fathers of the United States designed a unique formula of democratic institutions that was specifically designed to guarantee the survival of democratic values and liberty while preventing the rise of tyranny. In order to support this claim we shall analyze the three cornerstones of American democracy: an â€Å"evolving† written constitution, a federal system that constitutionally divides power between the national and subnational level and a presidential system which separates power into different branches. An evolving written constitution The founding fathers of the United States were largely inspired by important political philosophers just as Montesquieu and Locke when designing the American Political system (Pole 152). As a result of their theories and beliefs, the founding fathers realized efficient democracy requires the recognition of a powerful written constitution as the supreme law of the land (Caraley 384). By recognizing the law as supreme, it was possible to clearly distribute power and to guarantee the protection of individual rights and freedoms. The American Constitution is one the most influential documents ever written as it recognizes the importance of natural rights but also the need for a government to have the democratic consent of its people . The American Constitution is unique as it is often perceived as a â€Å"living† document that evolves along society needs and values (Barnett 10). The United States is a nation born out of revolution that fought with reason and action against the opp ressive actions of a tyrant. The modern origins of the constitutionalism can be traced back to the American Declaration of Independence issued on July 4th, 1776 (Alibrandi 22). This document officially affirmed the right of the thirteen colonies for self-determination and cut ties with British Crown due to the abuses inflicted by British authorities (Bradley 92). In 1787 Philadelphia Convention, the American Patriot James Wilson claimed that freedom would be guaranteed under common law and the charter of the individual colonies (Alibrandi 23). As a result of this rebellious attitude, British forces invaded the colonies in an attempt to regain control of the territory. However, the American patriots endured and managed to defeat British troops with the support of France (Alibrandi 21). In 1783, British authorities signed the Treaty of Paris that officially recognized the United States as independent state (Alibrandi 21). The fear and despise of any type of tyranny is an important cha racteristic of the American people that constantly shapes their political debates and beliefs. It was the very same fear of tyranny that pushed the Continental Congress to adopt the Articles of Confederation as way to redistribute power. Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States became a confederacy where individual states retained a great deal of power and independence (Bradley 92). This system established a legislative branch of government and weak central government that would be responsible for the foreign affairs and protection of the territory (Bradley 92). However, as a result of ineffective central authority, the new nation faced many issues such as free-riding, inter-state tensions and poor commerce due the different currencies in circulation. In 1786, the Continental Congress which was the executive body of the confederation authorized the state legislature to appoint delegation to meet in Philadelphia to strengthen the Articles (Pole 150). At first, delegates proposed the Virginia Plan which aimed to create a strong national government where power would be separated in three branches and the executive would be appointed by popular vote (Pole 150). This initiative was rejected and the delegations moved to analyze the New Jersey Plan which was a less radical version of the Virginia plan that aimed to preserve the key outlines of the confederation (Pole 150). However, this proposal was also rejected as many delegates deemed necessary the creation of a strong national government to guarantee the prosperity and security of the young nation. The last plan was known as the Connecticut Compromise aimed to approve the American Constitution and set in place a strong national government where the executive would be appointed through the creation and us of the Electoral College (Morlon 345). Federalism as a principle The found fathers realized that in order for democracy to survive in the United States, the thirteen colonies needed to adopt a true federal system to ensure that interest of both large and small states were respected. One of the major reasons behind the downfall of the relationship between the American colonies and the British Crown lies on fact that British authorities had refused to accommodate the growing interests for more equitable representation of these states (Hulchinson 5). Following the Declaration of Independence of 1776, the Americans colonies renounced British sovereignty and established themselves as a unity of independent states (Alibrandi 22). Following the recognition of independence in 1783, the United States became a confederacy. The Articles of Confederation embodied the basic fear of strong government and highlighted the importance of individual states (Bradley 92). The United States described itself as a confederacy by which several states had voluntarily agree d to join a firm league of friendship for common defence. However, the states were committed to retain freedom, sovereignty and independence. Under the system, limited powers were vested in the legislature that had no way ratifying treaties, changing finances or defend the national territory without the complete approval of all its members (Bradley 92). In addition, there was no mention for the creation of an executive branch as many administrative duties were left in the hands of committees appointed by Congress. This first experiment of American Federalism was hardly operational and was marked by its inefficiency that deeply affected the people’s confidence in any government (Bradley 93). Shays’ rebellion seriously tested the power of the new nation as it became clear that the United States required a new way to divide institutions that power between the national level and the states in order to prosper and thrive (Bradley 93). Many Americans believed federalism was a major compromise where a strong government could be implemented but ensure that government would not be strong enough to impose tyranny as there were different jurisdictions of power among the states (Bradley 93). The concept of federalism is associated with the constitutional division of powers between national and subnational levels of government. In a true federal state, the national and subnational governments are required to cooperate and treat each other as partners in order to find consensus. In the 1780’s, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington had decided to come up with a constitutional plan to divide power between the national governments and the states that would become the basis of American Federalism (Alibrandi 23). The adoption of American Constitution led to an open debate between two major groups of Americans. The first group was the Federalists, who often referred to themselves as Plubius (Pole 151). They advocated for a strong national government based on separation of powers that included a set of checks and balances. Among the most prominent Federalists figures we find the likes of James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and Jay (Pole 151). These eloquent and intelligent individuals managed through a series of published documents to convince Americans to support the creation a strong national government to ensure the protection of their liberties and rights (Pole 151). By acknowledging that men were ambitious and rapacious, the federalists proposed to design a system of government that would make ambition counteract ambition (Pole 152). By investing a great amount of power and authority in Congress, they hoped to reconcile the interest of the people and the elites as both of chambers required majoritarily support to pass legislation (Llanos60). On the other hand, the Anti-Federalist fiercely opposed this new set of institutions. On a series of published letters, this group attacked the proposed Constitution as they believed that an excessively powerful government would put in jeopardy the individual rights and freedoms that they had fought so hard to obtain from Britain (Alibrandi 27). In the end, the federalists were successful in convincing the American people in creating a strong government to reinforce legislation but also worked arduously to limit its power in a manner so that the state could not legally threaten individual rights. On September 17, 1787, the majority of the states ratified the American Constitution which officially put an end to the American Confederation and set the foundations of the more stable federal democracy (Alibrandi 23). In 1791, the American Congress adopted ten amendments to the American Constitution known as the Bill of rights (Salt 491). This set of liberties and fundamental rights cannot be violated by the government and should be protected by the government by all means. The evolving nature of the American Constitution is largely propelled by the ability of Congress to pass new amendments to expand the protection of rights and freedoms as American society changes over time. Americans display profound respect for this text and the supremacy of law is one of the predominant factors that make their nation a strong democracy. Separation of power with check and balances The American Constitution separates power into three different branches referred as the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government (Caraley 379). Each branch has a specific area of jurisdiction and powers that are meant to provide effective government. This approach was justified by the ideas of Montesquieu and Locke who claimed that the consolidation of power ultimately leads to tyranny (Pole 152). The American presidential system is a living remainder of the struggle against tyranny. Under a presidential system, institutions are designed in such a way to provide limited government that functions on the premise of separation of power. Since no individual can hold more than one position at the same time within these branches of government, power remains unfocused and more difficult to obtain. It is important to note, the founding fathers of the United States had a profound distrust on the ability of men to govern themselves democratically ( Morlon 341). For this reaso n, they believed in the creation of a system of government with limited popular control to prevent the majority to oppress others through the use direct democracy known as â€Å"mob rule† (Morlon 343). The solution envisioned to by the founding father was the creation of a system of checks and balances to regulate the separation of powers. Checks and balances provide the ability for one branch, under very specific circumstances, to deny or block the action of another branch whose actions are deemed unconstitutional and vice versa (Fontana 1141). This is a representation of James Madison’s ideals found in his works Federalist 10 and Federalist 51 that advocated for the creation of a system of government where ambition would counter-act ambition. The idea of competition between the three branches of government was central to the constitutional design in order to prevent a potential tyrant from consolidating its power (Fontana 1141). However, it is important to note the American Constitution does not perfectly separate the power of the legislative, executive and judicial branches but rather fragments these powers so that branches can check each other’s authority (Bulman Ponzen465). This lack of precision was used in more than one occasion by presidents to take significant action in order to protect the rights and freedoms of American people (Marchisio 220). In addition, since no branch of government can unilaterally declare that they represent the popular will, this thick form of accountability is necessary to give legitimacy to the government. Ever since the adoption the American Constitution, the role and power of the executive branch has been under close scrutiny. Initially, the founding father envisioned a system where Congress would be the most powerful branch of government (Morlon 342). However, historic events and major crisis have often led to an increase in power of the president. In the majority of time, presidents such as Reagan, Lincoln and Roosevelt had made an extraordinary use of the presidential power to take decisive action (Young 328). The American president and its Cabinet are responsible for reinforcing and implementing the law. It is important to note, that the American Constitution perceives the American President as the supreme leader of the armed forces and the representatives of the American people at the international stage (Young 328). While the president yields great power, his actions are largely confined to the limits prescribed in the American Constitution. In addition, the American president is constraint by a fixed term in office which prevents from clinging to power for too long. The fact that there is an open window for change in power every four years makes political competition far more intense as candidates have to engage in efficient and concise policy-making to attract a high number of votes. A major factor that contributes to the stability of the American democracy is free regular elections that allow the people to express their political preferences by casting ballots (Caraley 379). The founders believed that the only way to prevent the rise of tyrannical figure was to hold free elections periodically so that people in positions of power would have to act according the interests and needs of their constituents. It is important to note that for a long period of time, the right of vote was only given to white male property owners (Salt 486). The exclusion of women and African-Americans of voting rights put in doubt the legitimacy of the elections as many members of society were unfairly excluded from exercising their basic rights (Salt 486). Free elections and voting rights were not the only feature established by the founding fathers when designing effective democratic institutions. In terms of legislative power, the Constitution adopted bicameral chamber known as Congress to create and pass legislation. Congress is composed by two chambers: the House of Representatives and Senate (Morlon 342). The House of Representatives is known as the lower chamber where candidates are elected through direct popular vote. Since it was taken for granted that the legislative would function on a majority rule, it was important to create a devise to prevent direct democracy (Morlon 342). A solution to this problem was found in the creation of the American Senate. Initially members of the Senate were appointed by their states legislature and were meant to represent the interest of their particular states (Morlon 342). In addition, members of the Senate are given equal voting power and equal number of representatives at the upper house re gardless of population disparities (Morlon 342). Today, Senators are elected to serve six year terms With regards to the judicial branch of government, the American Constitution grants the Supreme Court the power of judicial review which allows it to override decisions made by lower courts or legislation that is deemed unconstitutional (Harriger 201). The judicial court has played an important part in shaping American democracy as it keeps a close eye on the actions of the legislative and executive. Most Americans revere the constitution, in particular libertarians, which praise the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution (Barnett 9). The majority of provisions found in the Bill of rights were designed to place certain citizens beyond the reach of majorities and officials that might want to oppress them (Harriger 201). The Bill of Rights provided the necessary legal protection to ensure one’s right to life, liberty, property, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of worship and assembly as well as other fundamental right that could not be submitted to vote (Ca raley 386). The written nature of the constitution performs a restraining function because of its semantic meaning that is independent of the desires who decide to interpret it (Caraley 387). The Supreme Court has played a fundamental role in protecting people’s rights and advancing the struggle for equality of minorities. The Supreme Court ensures a stable democratic government by interpreting the law and the Constitution in a manner that is fair an equal for people. Conclusion To conclude, the political success of American democracy can be largely attributed to the herculean effort displayed by the founding fathers when designing American institutions. The incorporation of democratic ideals into an effective set of institutions guaranteed the survival and success of American democracy through time and change. American democracy is built on three cornerstones that prevent the rise of tyranny. The first one is the recognition of the American constitution as supreme law of the land which guarantees the protection of individual rights and freedoms. The second was the adoption of a federal system that demonstrated a compromise to include the needs and interests of large and small states. The third cornerstone is the adoption of a separation of powers to prevent individual from consolidating absolute power. James Madison played a fundamental role in creating a double protection system provided by federalism and the separation of power among the three branches of power which protects to this day the quality of American democracy.