Pollution of environment during, petroleum and gas synthesis Essay

Pollution of environment during, petroleum and gas synthesis - Essay Example According to Obadina (2007), oil production in Canada rose from 1.8 million barrels to 3.1 million barrels per day between 1984 and 2003. Appreciating the widespread global use of petroleum and gas products, this paper seeks to outline the environmental pollution resulting from the synthesis of petroleum and gas, giving recommendations on prevention approaches. Environmental pollution would be appreciated as the process of man introducing energy or substances into the environment that could cause hazards to the health of human beings, harm ecological systems and living resources and interfere with or damage the legitimate use of the environment (Walker et al. 2006). The petroleum industry encompasses various activities in exploration, production and transportation of about 3.5 billion tons and 2.5 giga m3 of crude oil and natural gas respectively and other derivatives around the world each year (Walker et al. 2006). After the exploration process identifies a commercially viable reser ve, the extraction of oil and gas would be carried out through drilling by use of special technologies (Vidal 2012). The extracted hydrocarbon product would then be separated into gas and liquids and dehydrated to get rid of excess water. This would then be split into various petroleum and gas products. ... The synthesis process involves exploration and production of the products of natural gas and crude oil. It encompasses the exploration and preparation of well sites, drilling, production of crude oil and gas and on-site processing. The synthesis of petroleum and natural gas products as observed by Kaiser and Pulsipher (2007) starts with the bringing to above the ground crude oil and natural gas which would in turn be processed to various products for distribution to consumers. In the process, the industry contributes to air, water and soil pollution with the components of the resources being processed and the subsequent by-products and products, the latter being the key pollutants. Natural gas would mainly contain methane with water and carbon dioxide as impurities. Crude oils vary widely in viscosity and colour but studies by Kaiser and Pulsipher (2007) indicate 79.5% to 87.3%, 10.4% to 14.8%, 0 to 8%, 0 to 2%, 0 to 0.1% and 0 to 0.005% carbon, hydrogen , sulphur, oxygen, nitrogen a nd metals composition respectively. The main constituents are hydrocarbons of varied types and molecular masses with between 1 and 60 carbon atoms. The synthesis of gas involves processing natural gas by dewatering and removing its acid components such as hydrogen sulphide followed by eventual removal of carbon dioxide. Despite taking appropriate precautions against environmental pollution, Obadina (2007) appreciates that accidents occur periodically in the course of producing petroleum and gas. Air pollution in the process of petroleum and gas synthesis occurs through combustion emissions, fugitive emissions, process emissions, secondary emissions and from handling and storage of petroleum liquids

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Research Paper

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning - Research Paper Example Although the disorder is present in both sexes, it is most common in males. ADHD is a disorder where the child has problems with being highly impulsive, exhibiting over-activity or inattentiveness, or some combination of these three aspects (PubMed Health). ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder in children and the most well studied (Myayes, Bagwell and Erkulwater 1). Children with ADHD tend to have a much higher level of activity than normal children and often act impulsively. The principle of ADHD is heavily debated, as all children show some degree of this behavior, especially in early age (Myayes, Bagwell and Erkulwater 15-16). ADHD is a complex disorder and the exact symptoms that children show can differ significantly from one another (Lougy and Rosenthal 22). This case study considers Alice, a ten-year-old girl who has ADHD and experiences considerable learning difficulties and problems establishing friendships as the result of this disorder. Literature Review Diagnosis of ADHD ADHD has a range of symptoms, which are generally grouped into three categories. These are impulsive behavior, hyperactivity, and lack of attention. There are nine diagnostic symptoms for inattentiveness, five for hyperactivity and three for impulsivity. ADHD is a difficult disorder to diagnose, as many of the behaviors can be associated with other conditions as well as normal behaviors that occur as part of childhood. The complexity of the symptoms means that there are many children who are incorrectly diagnosed with ADHD, and others who have ADHD but have not been diagnosed. One of the difficulties in diagnosing ADHD is that the symptoms are only evident at some points in time, most commonly during school hours. A child with ADHD generally does not show the symptoms during a physician’s visit, and so other people must be the source of this information (Myayes, Bagwell and Erkulwater 5). In fact, children are often first diagnosed with ADHD when they enter school because many of the behaviors associated with ADHD do not appear to be abnormal without the increased demands on attention, sitting still and following a direction that is present in the school environment (Lougy and Rosenthal 22). In addition, ADHD often co-occurs with other disorders, and some of the behavioral symptoms that are part of ADHD also occur as part of other disorders (Myayes, Bagwell and Erkulwater 20).To assist in diagnosis; the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following guidelines. That child has at least six symptoms from either impulsivity and hyperactivity, or six from the attention category, some of which began prior to seven years of age.

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example First process identified is going to sterile processing department. Second Process identified is taking instruments set for service. Third process identified is sharpening and repairing surgical instruments. Among the three processes, two of which can be measured. Instruments set for service can be measured for their quality, sharpness and usability. Sharpened and repaired surgical instruments can also be measured for their quality, sharpness and usability. Quality and usability are attribute characteristics of instruments that are intangible. The measurement of both characteristics can be a count of the number of defects. On the other hand, sharpness is a characteristic of the instrument that can be measured using a specialized instrument such as a micrometer. A statistical process control can be employed in order to measure the sharpness of a surgical instrument. Statistical process control or SPC is a technique for error prevention rather than error detection. The goals of SPC are to improve quality, reduce cost, increase profit and enhance competitive advantage. Steps taken to improve a process will result in fewer defects and better quality products delivered to the customer. Application of SPC can produce improvements in yield, reduce cost and increase efficiency. It can also create a high degree of visibility of process performance and can be used to determine process capabilities. Measurements will provide a comparison of performance to target objectives and assess the effectiveness of process improvements. SPC is statistically based and built around the concept that variation in a product is always present. Inherent variations occur due to wear of tools, material hardness, machine accuracy, and operator skills. In order to control the process and reduce variations, the cause must be identified through a collection of data. Mathematical distributions characterize the collected data and predict the overall performance. Variations that are outside of the desired process distribution can be corrected by improving the process directly. Three statistical tools shall be used to determine that the process is in control and follows a normal distribution curve. These tools include control charts, histograms, and mathematical analysis tests. Control charts are used to identify assignable causes of variations. A histogram is a graphic representation of a frequency distribution. Control charts for variable data will be created for quantitative measurements of sharpness of surgical instruments. Control charts for attribute data will be created for qualitative measurements or counts of defects. The average value () chart and the range (R) chart will be utilized as form of control charts in tracking and identifying the causes and variations. In making the control chart, the centerline and control limits are determined and drawn on the chart. The centerline is the average of the mean values. The purpose of the control limits on the chart is to indicate if the process is under control. It means that all are within the estimated 3 limits of the process. An upper control limit for control chart for attributes is UCL = + 1.96 x standard deviation, while the lower control limit is LCL = - 1.96 x standard deviation, where is the total number of defects divided by the number of observations. Standard deviation is defined as S = An upper control l

Is Lyon's portrait of Aristotle accurate Does it match what Classics Research Paper

Is Lyon's portrait of Aristotle accurate Does it match what Classics scholars know about Aristotle - Research Paper Example Lyon’s Aristotle and Alexander are highly credible portrayals of a great thinker confined by the exacting discipline learned under Plato, and of the strong-willed and heedless young son of Phillip of Macedon. Lyon writes a telling exchange between the two that encapsulates the complex dynamic at work in one of history’s most engrossing relationships. Lyon addresses the fundamental difference between them. â€Å"You conflate pleasure and happiness, real enduring happiness,† Aristotle remonstrates. â€Å"A few thrills, a few sensations. Your first woman, your first elephant, your first spicy meal, your first hangover, your first ascent of a mountain no man’s ever climbed, and your first view from the top to the other side. You want to string together a life of thrills.† Name 2 With characteristic self-assuredness, Alexander responds, â€Å"Teach me better then. Come with my army. Come with me. You’ve been a father to me. Don’t orphan me twice† (Lyon, 278). It’s an affecting scene one might expect to take place between an older, wiser father and an impetuous son. It is unlikely that the headstrong Alexander would have yielded to his tutor, despite the great scholar’s renown, anywhere but in the classroom. ... History affords few such comparative character studies, few that exhibit such a fascinating contrast of personalities involved both emotionally and in conflict. â€Å"Here is a rare intellectual collision: the wintry hearted philosopher and the future military commander, whose own incipient depression is caused not by a lack of passion, but a surfeit† (MacDonald, 2009). Both men are dynamic in their own ways, but Alexander ultimately outstrips his brilliant but repressed tutor. â€Å"It is Alexander who ultimately wins the book-long joust with his tutor, since he is a man who not only feels but also acts† (MacDonald, 2009). Aristotle and Alexander appear to have comprised something of an â€Å"odd couple:† Alexander the â€Å"A-type† personality, non-reflective and dynamic; while Aristotle, who had seen military service, by comparison a bookish, non-physical, even effeminate type, according to Name 3 ancient accounts. The biographer Diogenes Laertius, draw ing on secondary and tertiary accounts, wrote that â€Å"He had a lisping voice, as is asserted by Timotheus the Athenian†¦He had also very thin legs, they say, and small eyes; but he used to indulge in very conspicuous dress, and rings, and used to dress his hair carefully† (Shields, 419-20). Lyon tells us that Alexander’s view of Aristotle’s golden mean was, at best, derisive, telling Aristotle that his â€Å"middle way† philosophy prizes mediocrity (Lyon, 193). In spite of such criticism, Lyon’s treatment of the complex relationship between Aristotle and Alexander serves as a kind of cautionary tale. Alexander fails to learn important lessons that are really about character and

Macbeth Apperance vs Reality Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Apperance vs Reality Essay The world is governed more by appearances than by realities. Throughout society people are judged based on their appearance. This is unfortunate because appearance can be deceiving. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth appearances are not what they seem. Some people may change because they think that their true self does not fit in society while others pretend to be something they are not. In the theme of appearance versus reality Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have an image but as the time passes by their true personalities began to show. Macbeth portrays himself differently from his true inner self. He pretends to be a strong and intelligent person but from inside he is weak and indecisive. When Macbeth first confronts the witches’ prophecies he says, â€Å"Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day† (1. 3. 152-153). Macbeth is leaving his future to ‘chance’. He wants to appear noble and strong but in the end he refutes his statement by killing Duncan and Banquo to get to the throne. Also, when Lady Macbeth explains the plan to Macbeth he asks â€Å"If we should fail? † (1. 7. 59). He is still afraid of the consequences of his actions. His actions look pungent but he does not have any reason to kill Duncan. Macbeth has a debate within himself to murder King Duncan or to spare his life. Macbeth hesitation to kill Duncan proves in realty he is a weak man. Lady Macbeth represents herself as a beautiful and powerful woman in society but she is as weak as her husband Macbeth. To convince Macbeth to follow the plan she says â€Å"I have given suck, and know how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn† (1. 7. 54-58). Macbeth asks for her help, but she responds by being harsh to him to keep up her appearances. Even when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, instead of helping him, she tells him to go to bed and stop imagining weird things. Lady Macbeth appears heartless toward others. However, one night a gentlewomen and a doctor see her sleep waking and mumbling â€Å"Out, damned spot! Out, I say! (5. 1. 25). She appears to be wide awake but she is unconsciously revealing her true self. Her guilty conscious leads to her downfall through suicide. In this scene her appearance crumbles. She seemed powerful and unsympathetic, but in reality her guilt of Duncan’s murder driver her crazy proving she has become weak. In Macbeth the theme of appearance versus reality is shown through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They both revealed a fictitious picture of their personality even though on the inside they are different people. Macbeth’s indecisive personality leads to his destruction. The iron lady, Lady Macbeth appears to be a tough woman, who feels no guilt. But in the ending she shatters to pieces because of her guilt-ridden conscious. No matter what one appears to be reality will defeat appearance. People can put disguise on reality for time being but in the end truth reveals itself.

Impacts of Increased Tuition Fees

Impacts of Increased Tuition Fees In times of economic uncertainty, questions on the purpose, value, and investment of higher education (HE) come to the fore. Such questions have a particular relevance in the study â€Å"The decision-making and changing behavioural dynamics of potential higher education students: the impacts of increasing tuition fees in England† (2013) written by Stephen Wilkins, Farshid Shams, and Jeroen Huisman. One of the major challenges of higher education is funding and how the government is providing the needs of the students. Due to inadequate funds, raising tuition fees becomes inevitable (Wilkins, Shams, & Husiman, 2013, p. 126).  This article focuses on the changes in the English tuition fee policies and how it correlates to student choice for higher education institutions (p. 125). Research confirms that financial considerations are the most important factors in the student-decision process when choosing a HEI (Maringe et al. 2006). Higher Education in the UK is no longer just a public good, but a public good with a private cost. Since 2006, all university students in the UK have been charged a tuition fee and each following year tuition fees have increased (Wilkins, Shams, & Husiman 2013, p. 126). By 2012, the UK government decided on a  £9000 tuition cap in England (Business Innovation & Skills [BIS] 2011). With the recent changes in the global economies and rising unemployment rates the question arises: how are students understanding and responding to increases in tuition fees? The study examines three scenarios as the possible outcomes of the increase in tuition fees: 1) not entering HE; 2) going abroad; and 3) looking for a cheaper alternative in the UK (Wilkins, Shams, & Husiman, 2013, p. 129). The central focus of the study is to evaluate whether financial factors take a first priority in students’ choice of applying to higher education institutions (HEIs). A survey was used to collect data amongst students in their final year of secondary school, specifically students who were following a General Certificate of Education Advanced Level programme (A-levels) in England (Wilkins, Shams, & Husiman, 2013, p. 131). To supplement the survey, two focus group discussions were conducted, each lasting one hour. According to the study, the first group â€Å"consisted of five year 12/13 students who were studying A-levels at a school sixth form, while the second group had four students from a further education college† (Wilkins, Shams, & Husiman, 2013, p. 131). The researchers do not go into depth as to why they choose this selective group of students. It makes one think of the potential biases of selecting these students and if their perceptions were tailored to match the propositions. By only conducting a discussion with nine students the study cannot fully capture the diversity of choice within the student body. Wilkins, Shams, and Husiman (2013) assess the impacts of the tuition fee increase by presenting the following six propositions: Proposition 1: Facing substantially higher tuition fees, financial issues will become the key influencer determining a student’s higher education choices.Proposition 2: Facing substantially higher tuition fees, working-class students will be the most likely to consider not entering higher education. Proposition 3: Facing substantially higher tuition fees, working-class students will be the most likely to seek cheaper higher education opportunities. Proposition 4: Facing substantially higher tuition fees, females will be more likely than males to be influenced by financial issues when making decisions about higher education.Proposition 5: Facing substantially higher tuition fees, students in England are still not likely to consider studying at higher education institutions (HEIs) abroad. Proposition 6: Facing substantially higher tuition fees, students who take at least one modern foreign language at A-level will be more likely to consider studying at HEIs abroad. (language inf luences). (p. 129-31) The six propositions have a focus on gender, language,   socioeconomic status, and geographic considerations. However, a potential flaw within the propositions is not considering ethnicity. Student ethnicity is not considered within the study nor the impacts of ethnic background on students choosing a HEI. This is a potential limitation when considering student choice of HEIs in the United States, specially the historically black colleges including Howard University, Spelman College, and Hapmton University. Since these schools do not have large endowments in comparison to large prestigious HEIs such as Harvard University, with an endowment of 36 billion dollars (Mulvey, J., and Holen, M., 2016), they cannot offer as much financial aid. Therefore, many students decide to attend a different HEI which can offer a more attractive financial aid package, but at the cost of sacrificing the opportunity of being part of a unparalleled cultural experience at a historically black college (Gasman, M., 2009). In the United States, endowments are the universities’ largest financial asset and serves a major determinant in student choice in HEIs. This study would benefit by having a comparative approach to HEIs in the United States if time and word limit permitted. A further point of tension within the study is the ambiguity of terms. Firstly, two out of the six propositions (ie. propositions two and six) did not provide a description which puts into question the validity of the study. Furthermore, the phrase â€Å"not entering HE† occurred nine times throughout the study. The researchers did not specify in any of those sentences what it means by â€Å"not entering HE.† An important question to ask is whether â€Å"not entering HE† refers to students taking a gap year and eventually returning to higher education or entering the labour market and never pursuing HE. This is a significant distinction because if students are taking a gap year but will return to HE it shows that they are impacted by the economy and having financial stability is an important consideration for them before starting their studies. There are no statistics in the study to outline the percentage of students not pursuing HE and no words to explain their decision. These are important considerations to help build depth within the study.    The epistemological assumptions of this study help us to understand student choice of HEIs by hypothesizing and testing empirical approaches through a natural science lens. On the other hand, the ontological assumption concerns the natural world, taking in account the effects of the global financial crisis in 2008, and the human behavior within the global HE context (Pring 2005, p. 232). Wilkins, Shams, and Husiman embrace quantitative methods approach to the study, using SPSS software to generalize the findings and test the propositions. Since the data is in a numeric form, statistical tests are applied in making statements about the data.  Quantitative studies help to produce data that is descriptive but difficulties arise when it comes to their interpretation. For instance, it is helpful that the study includes the demographics and socioeconomic statuses of the participants, but the study would have more depth if it integrated a qualitative approach in addition to the quantitative research. The students had a one hour discussion on the questionnaire yet there is no student voice, only statistics from SPSS. With group discussion responses we can have a qualitative measure of analysis of the data caption. Without properly interpreting the data behind these numbers, it is difficult to say  why  students choose HEIs based on financial considerations. In conclusion, the rise of tuition fees in England has altered the ways in which students choose to enter HE and if so, which HEIs. Wilkins, Shams, and Husiman mention that this study is not intended for policy reform (p. 137); however, it calls attention to the pressures placed on students in determining to enter HEIs and brings awareness to the major factors of student choice. An important consideration for restructuring this study is incorporating a mixed methods approach, by utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods. Without the necessary qualitative data, there is no authentic way to determine why students are choosing a certain HEI. If Wilkins, Shams, and Husiman used an interpretive paradigm and observations from the discussion groups to investigate the issues on the increase tuition fees it would create a more holistic picture of the student experience and behaviors with statistical data to prove the point.   Lastly, the data used in this study was gathered before the increase in fees in 2012 (Wilkins, Shams, & Husiman, 2013, p. 129). Students were aware of the fee increase but it was not a real determining factor for them at that point in time. It would be most helpful to have a follow-up study at the same colleges from which the data for this study was collected, using the questionnaires, and group discussion in order to compare and contrast student opinions and choice patterns overtime.   References Business Innovation & Skills (BIS). (2010). The impact of higher education finance on university participation in the UK. BIS Research Paper No. 11. London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Foskett, N., D. Roberts, and F. Maringe. (2006). Changing fee regimes and their impact on student attitudes to higher education. University of Southampton. Gasman, M. (2009). Historically Black Colleges and Universities in a Time of Economic Crisis.  Academe,  95(6), 26-28. Heller, D. 1997. Student price response in higher education: An update to Leslie and Brinkman. Journal of Higher Education, 68 (6), 624–59. Leslie, L., and Brinkman, P. (1987). Student price response in higher education: The student demand studies. Journal of Higher Education, 58 (2), 181–204. Mazzarol, T., and G.N. Soutar. 2002. ‘Push-pull’ factors influencing international student destination choice. The International Journal of Educational Management, 16 (2), 82–90. Mulvey, J., and Holen, Margaret (2016). The Evolution of Asset Classes: Lessons from University Endowments. Journal of Investment Consulting, 17 (2), 48-58. Pring, R (2005) Philosophy of Education: Aims, Theory, Common Sense and Research. London: Continuum. Wilkins, S., Shams, F., & Huisman, J. (2013). The decision-making and changing behavioural dynamics of potential higher education students: the impacts of increasing tuition fees in England.  Educational Studies,  39 (2), 125-141.

Threats to the Modern State

Threats to the Modern State Do you agree that in modern liberal democratic societies the state is now reduced to being ‘one actor amongst many? Whether or not the role of the modern state has changed in modern times is a contentious issue. Some argue that the state remains to be the most powerful actor in the system, holding ultimate authority on decisions. Others however, argue that the state is now just one actor amongst many. With this we can assert that there are other institutions that hold more influence over the state. It is important the role of the state is assessed under different power theories. These include Pluralism, Marxism and Elitism, whilst also looking at the theories of Zero and Positive sum politics. In this essay the internal and external threats to the states power will be assessed. These include, New Public Management, The New Right and also the impact of both globalisation and Europeanisation. Ultimately, it seems that the state has been reduced to being one amongst many actors; however, it can still remain a dominant figure within that system. Firstly, it is apt to discuss what we mean by â€Å"The Modern State.† Max Weber was an early writer about the modern state, he concluded that, ‘a state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory’[1] He also linked this in with two other vital traits that are taxation and legitimacy. It is important that the modern state is built upon and within a democratic system that includes the people within its boundaries. The Modern State can also be linked with various theories of power. The first theory that the state can be assessed under is Pluralism. Schwarzmantel outlines Pluralism in his text. ‘A system where there are competing parties, a network of pressure groups and associations, a â€Å"separation of powers† in some form.’[2] This may be linked heavily with how the state has become on amongst many actors. Also important to analysis is Elitism. This theory argues that power is more concentrated and not dispersed as Pluralism assumes. ‘Elite theorists argued that whatever the ostensible form of government, an elite minority always rule.’[3] Again, this may be linked with the state; however, this theory argues that the state is still dominant. This leads onto the theories of Zero and Positive sum, these may be more accurate in describing the gaining or loss of power for the state. Zero sum argues that power is a finite resource and when it is given away, the s tate loses it to the other actor. Linking with the argument of the state power being reduced. On the other hand, Positive sum argues that power is infinite and when shared, it comes to the benefit of all parties involved, including the state. This theory may be linked with both the Pluralist interpretation of power and also the argument that the state can remain a dominant actor within a system of many actors. Internal challenges to the state have been highly important and allow us to assess the role of the modern state. The internal challenges include The New Right and the growth of New Public Management in both the UK and the USA from the 1970’s onwards. Figure-Headed by the then leaders, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the New Right grew in conjunction with the apparent failure of the Keynesian welfare state.[4] With this, the emphasis was switched from major involvement in welfare and economics, to the rolling back of the state into a more limited form. The New Right looked to do this in various ways. The economy provided an important area where the New Right could stamp their new methods of governance onto society. To move away from Keynesianism, it was seen that government needed to cut all involvement in the economy, leaving market forces to dictate the variables such as inflation and unemployment. Richards and Smith highlight this. ‘The state had to be cut, in order to create conditions where business could prosper.’[5] This is important when we consider the UK. There were over 50 companies and industries that were privatised, both under and after Margaret Thatcher’s premiership.[6] This had a significant impact on the state. Having given away some power from denationalising major industries, it may be argued that under the Zero Sum assumption, the state had lost power to the other actors that had been brought into the frame, as they were able to exert more influence over society and over the UK government. The New Right also has links with the new phenomenon that grew during the 1980’s and 1990’s, New Public Management. These developments go hand in hand with the privatisation policies previously mentioned. Klijn comments on the growth of New Public Management. ‘NPM leads to a proliferation of separate bodies, comprised of actors focussing on their specific task.’[7] Again, this supports the notion that the state has now become one actor amongst many. Ultimately, big-business and other organisations have become much more powerful and have more influence now, than they did before the 1980’s. NPM also has links with the rolling back of state bureaucracy. Interestingly, this can be seen with the reduction in the amount of civil servants working in the UK. In 1979, there were 732,000; this figure was reduced to 472,412 in 1997, at the conclusion of Conservative rule in Britain.[8] The influence of both privatisation and the New Public Management can be see n heavily through-out UK society today, with the current government carrying on these policies. Along with the rise of New Public Management came the rise of regulation under The New Right. At first glance, we may see the states role as minimal after privatisation, linking with the Zero Sum model of power, where the state has lost significant power to other institutions. However, dig deeper into the political system and assess regulation and you find that the state actually keeps quite a lot of power, by monitoring those institutions to which it has given its power previously. Hague and Harrop note that within nearly all Liberal Democracies, regulatory agencies are on the rise.[9] With this, the government is able to take a less active role, in the knowledge that they are able to step in and take charge when needed to. ‘Britain has embraced regulatory agencies with particular gusto; over 140 agencies, from the Food Standards Agency to Ofcom’[10] have been formed. With this, we may argue that the state may fit more into the Positive Sum model of power. Although they have given power away to other institutions, they keep their dominance through regulation and still remain to be the most powerful actor in a pool of many. Ultimately, in this light, the state remains to be very powerful. External Challenges can be equally important when assessing the changing role and position of the modern state. Under the external threats come Globalisation and Europeanisation. Importantly both seem to show the move away from the dominant state, into a new role where it is simply one amongst many actors in the political system. Globalisation is the first external challenge to be assessed. It is important to understand that globalisation is very contentious issue in itself, sparking much debate about the history and validity of globalisation theory. For the purposes of this essay, we will assume that globalisation has made a significant difference to world we live in. ‘Globalisation came to be seen as more than simply a way of doing business, or running financial markets it became a process.’[11] Importantly, the process became a change in the way governments had to run and forced states to adapt to the changing nature of governing. The establishment and growth of the United Nations is key to seeing the increase in globalisation. Established in 1945, just after World War II, the UN has grown since then and had 193 nations within it in 2011.[12] Along with this, economic globalisation has been key in showing us the decreasing role of the modern state. This has been seen as a result of the worldwide economic recession of 2007. Starting in the USA, the domino effect of economic downturn quickly spread to each corner of the developed world. Larry Elliot, writing in The Guardian, talked about the role of the state during the economic crisis. ‘One response to last weeks meltdown was the announcement of talks between the G7 – the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Canada and Japan – but while this would have been appropriate 20 years ago it is not going to calm markets today.’[13] Taking this into account, Elliot demonstrates the weakening power of the individual state. From this, we can infer that globalisation and increased interdependence between countries led to the lack of action states could take to prevent and ease the damage caused by the recession. Even the most powerful states, the UK; USA and Germany were limited in the actions they could take. With this, we could argue that the states dominance has been in decline and globalisation has played a major part in this change. The state is simply one amongst many in the world and is seemingly at mercy with the financial markets around the world. Banks and financial institutions hold a significant strong-hold on power, something the individual states have looked to regulate since the 2007 decline. The other external challenge is Europeanisation. This suggests that countries in Europe have become more integrated and heavily interdependent on each other. With this issue, we can see that the European Union, at least theoretically, has led to a decline in the dominance of the individual state. The European Union has become a major actor in the modern system and this can also be assessed in economic terms. ‘Economic factors were also fundamental. European economies needed to be re-built after 1945 and then, in order to achieve the benefits of scale, integrated into a large, single market.’[14] The financial crisis gives an indication of the states power. Bulmer and Paterson comment on this. ‘EU politicians are consequently more likely to be at the mercy of the financial markets.’[15] With this in mind, we can see that there are definitely other actors in the frame when it comes to the role of the state and in the case of European economics, we may say that the state isn’t able to dominate. In some ways however, the process of Europeanisation and the power of the European Union is limited. This may be seen as states, especially the more powerful ones, can ignore EU laws and policies without much or any sanction. This has particularly been seen in the case of Anti-Terror laws in the UK. ‘Most controversially, the Terrorism Act 2006†¦ provided for terrorism suspects to be held without charge for 28 days.’[16] These laws were passed in the UK, much to the contrary to what the European Union suggests. The EU claims that these laws are against the human rights of those suspected of crimes. In this sense, the EU and the process of Europeanisation is limited in that the state always seems to keep the majority of power and dominance within the modern system. Overall, the position of the state has without doubt changed in the last 30 years. All the factors discussed lead to the conclusion that the state is now reduced to being one actor amongst many in the system, however, we can conclude that the state is the most dominant of these actors. Although the state has taken a more limited role on, in all areas, it seems to always be there to step in when needed to. With this then, the state can be seen to fit perfectly with the Positive Sum power theory where there are many actors involved, but the state doesn’t lose any power. It may also be linked with Elitism in the system, as the state always remains the most powerful and dominant figure. [2199 Words] Bibliography Bulmer, Simon and Paterson, William (2013). ‘Germany as the EU’s Reluctant Hegemon? Of Economic Strengths and Political Constraints’, Journal of European Public Policy 20, pp.1387-1405. Cobain, Ian (2010). ‘London Bombings: The Day the Anti-Terrorism Rules Changed, 7 July 2010. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/jul/07/london-bombings-anti-terrorism Dryzek, John and Dunleavy, Patrick (2009). Theories of the Democratic State (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan). Elliot, Larry (2011). ‘Global Financial Crisis: Five Key Stages’, 7 August 2011. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/aug/07/global-financial-crisis-key-stages accessed on 30.03.2014. Klijn, Erik-Hans (2012). ‘New Public Management and Governance: A Comparison’, in David Levi-Faur (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Governance (Oxford: Oxford University Press). Hague, Rod and Harrop, Martin (2013). Comparative Government and Politics (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan). Jeffery, Simon (2002). ‘What is Globalisation?’, 31 October 2002. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/31/globalisation.simonjeffery accessed on 28.03.2014. Osborne, Alistair (2013). ‘Margaret Thatcher: One Policy That Led To More Than 50 Companies Being Sold or Privatised’, The Telegraph, 8th April 2013. Richards, David and Smith, Martin J (2002). Governance and Public Policy in the United Kingdom (Oxford: Oxford University Press). Schwarzmantel, John (1987). Structures of Power: An Introduction to Politics (Brighton: Wheatsheaf Books). [1] Rod Hague and Martin Harrop (2013). Comparative Government and Politics (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan). p.13. [2] John Schwarzmantel (1987). Structures of Power: An Introduction to Politics (Brighton: Wheatsheaf Books). p.17. [3] John Dryzek and Patrick Dunleavy (2009). Theories of the Democratic State (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan). p.57. [4] David Richards and Martin J Smith (2002). Governance and Public Policy in the United Kingdom (Oxford: Oxford University Press). p.93. [5] Richards and Smith, Governance and Public Policy, p.97. [6] Alistair Osborne (2013). ‘Margaret Thatcher: One Policy That Led To More Than 50 Companies Being Sold or Privatised’, The Telegraph, 8th April 2013. [7] Erik-Hans Klijn (2012). ‘New Public Management and Governance: A Comparison’, in David Levi-Faur (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Governance (Oxford: Oxford University Press). p.202. [8] Richards and Smith, Governance and Public Policy, p.98. [9] Hague and Harrop, Comparative Government and Politics, p.332. [10] Hague and Harrop, Comparative Government and Politics, p.332. [11] Simon Jeffery (2002). ‘What is Globalisation?’, 31 October 2002. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/31/globalisation.simonjeffery accessed on 28.03.2014. [12] Hague and Harrop, Comparative Government and Politics, p.365. [13] Larry Elliot (2011). ‘Global Financial Crisis: Five Key Stages’, 7 August 2011. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/aug/07/global-financial-crisis-key-stages accessed on 30.03.2014. [14] Hague and Harrop, Comparative Government and Politics, p.160. [15] Simon Bulmer and William Paterson (2013). ‘Germany as the EU’s Reluctant Hegemon? Of Economic Strengths and Political Constraints’, Journal of European Public Policy 20. p.1401. [16] Ian Cobain (2010). ‘London Bombings: The Day the Anti-Terrorism Rules Changed, 7 July 2010. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/jul/07/london-bombings-anti-terrorism