The Missing Lessons of U.S. History Essay Example for Free

The Missing Lessons of U.S. History Essay In order to examine options for integrating extralegal businesses and individuals into the legal property system, De Soto examines the history of the United States for clues on how this task was successfully accomplished in the past. He found that this integration was accomplished primarily through the adaptation of laws to suit the needs of the majority of the country’s people. De Soto begins his exploration of US history in the sixteenth century, when numerous Western Europeans settled in North America. These early colonists based their legal system on English property law, but these laws were not created to apply to the types of situations faced in the colonies and most of the colonists did not fully understand the minutiae of these laws. Because of this situation, many of the colonists functioned extralegally, with local courts following local customs (rather than British law) when settling disputes. These early settlers were often squatters, occupying land without a legal title. Politicians opposed this practice, and they ordered surveys of the land in order to establish rightful ownership. Their efforts did not work because there were no legal regulations to follow in case of dispute. The success of the squatters to integrate into the system can be seen in Vermont, where a group of squatters led by Ethan Allen actually got Vermont recognized as a state. The majority of squatters, however, found it difficult to integrate into the legal property system because British law did not relate to the way of life in the colonies. These squatters created their own property system, marking trees to indicate possession of a piece of land. They also developed means of settling disputes, transferring parcels of land, and establishing credit. Those in power believed that these practices were in direct violation of the law, and those that engaged in these practices should be prosecuted. These squatters became known for their hatred of the law and sometimes engaged in violence to circumvent official authorities. The situation began to change when authorities recognized that making improvements to the land, paying taxes on land, and making arrangements with neighbors could establish ownership. Squatters who engaged in these practices were allowed to purchase the land in question before it was made available to the general public, a practice known as pre-emption. Pre-emption benefited both the squatters (who could become the rightful owners) and the states (who gained revenue from the sale of the land). More obstacles arose in the nineteenth century when the US gained almost 900 million acres of land. Congress attempted to set prices for this public land but was generally not aware of the situation faced by settlers many miles away from the capital. As a result, much of this land was sold on the black market. During this time there were two legal systems in operation: the official, sanctioned laws and the laws that people lived with on a day-to-day basis. Following Green vs. Biddle, the perception of these squatters changed: politicians began seeing them as hard working pioneers improving the country. Congress gave official, national status to the practice of pre-emption, an important step in integrating the two legal systems in operation. Cooperation amongst extralegals, such as claims associations and miner’s organizations, gave them more political power and forced those in power to take their concerns seriously. De Soto argues that the integration of these two legal systems was an important contributing factor to the US’s economic success. Because the American legal system was built from the ground up, the concerns of the extralegals were taken seriously, and the laws addressed the problems this population faced. Chapter 6, â€Å"The Mystery of Legal Failure† Developing countries have tried for almost two centuries to get more people involved in the legal property system. Their efforts have failed for five reasons: belief that people remain extralegal for tax purposes, lack of proper recording of real estate assets, belief that creating the laws is the only answer, ignoring existing social contracts, and belief that these social contracts can be changed on a whim. De Soto and his team successfully set up practices in Peru to integrate extralegal businesses in to the legal property system. Based on his experiences in Peru and evidence from the history of Western government, De Soto developed a formula, termed the capitalization process, for the successful lifting the bell jar of capitalism. This formula has two components: meeting legal challenges and meeting political challenges. The primary legal challenge is the integration of numerous social contracts into one that all citizens of Third World and former communist countries can abide by. These governments must find out the intricacies of the rules their people live by on a daily basis. These extralegal regulations are often documented, a phenomenon that often goes unnoticed. The recognition of these existing social contracts will facilitate the move to a capitalist economy, but it is not enough. People moving from the extralegal sector to the legal sector also need means by which they can settle disputes, i. e. there needs to be documentation of ownership. Furthermore, many people believe that certain rights come along with property ownership – the right to use and exchange that property as they deem fit. If laws do not allow for the execution of these rights, they will not be followed, and people will move back to the extralegal sector because extralegal protocols are in line with prevailing social contracts. Most of these social contracts are solid enough to form the basis of official law. The process of discovering these existing social contracts is referred to by the author as following the barking dogs, a terminology acquired from his experiences in Indonesia. Additionally, the new laws must be created in such a way that people can transform their property into capital. The successful implementation of these new laws requires considerable political power and effort. The institution of these new laws is made more difficult by the fact that existing laws often protect those in power – they stand to lose out if more people are integrated into the system. Political leaders must listen to the poor of their country and get these people on their side because the support of this population is necessary to the implementation of legal property systems. These political leaders, armed with the support of the majority of the population and evidence of this population’s economic power, will be better equipped to gain the support of the country’s elite. The argument must be framed in such a way that the elite see that they have much to gain from the transformational process. In attempting to gain the support of the elite, political leaders can also stress the one important benefit of property system reform: reduced crime rate. Once the support of the poor and elite has been won, political leaders must address the lawyers and technicians. Lawyers in Third World and former communist countries have traditionally been trained to defend existing laws. De Soto contends that lawyers have the power to undermine capitalism’s success and must be re-educated to expand the reach of the law. They must also learn the economic consequences of their activities. The technicians must be capable of keeping accurate records of property. One major stumbling block that needs to be faced in this respect is that many people in Third World countries conceive of property as a physical asset. As such it is not dealt with by legal and economic departments. Any political leader looking to reform the property system must be an effective communicator because property system reform is an issue that effects every member of a country. Chapter 7, â€Å"By Way of Conclusion† Capitalism’s crisis outside of the West stems from the fact that most of the world’s population views capitalism as something restricted to the privileged elite. Reform efforts must be directed at educating people of developing countries that they have much to gain from participation in the legal property system and, by extension, capitalism. As the success of capitalism is contingent upon capital, developing nations must engage in reforms so that assets and potential are accurately represented. Current globalization efforts have focused on getting governments of developing countries to stabilize their currencies and develop the frameworks for international trade. However, these efforts have been based on the erroneous assumption that the governments’ policies already take into consideration the needs of its citizens. This trend perpetuates capitalism’s bell jar: the majority of the world’s population becomes more and more distanced from capitalism. It also leads to the confirmation of Karl Marx’s premonition: capitalism will fail because capital will ultimately be concentrated in the hands of a few elite. One result of capitalism’s bell jar is the continuation of class conflicts that should have ended with the Cold War. These class conflicts are not explained by theories of capitalism, rather they are best explained in Marxist terms. Marx emphasized the importance of property above and beyond its physicality. He grasped that non-physical characteristics of property had the potential to convert property to other, more useful, forms. Marxist theory, however, is not enough to understand the complexities of the issue. Marx did not understand the motivating power of property ownership, and he did not recognize that the property system itself has characteristics that give value to assets and allow them to be converted into capital. Detailed understanding of the property system will allow for progress in terms of development. Furthermore, a good property system allows people to conceive of abstract concepts (such as potential) in concrete terms. Without this capacity, people will continue to think about property and the global economic market in physical terms. Those opposed to capitalism have been quicker to recognize the intangible aspects of the property system than capitalists. For many of the anti-capitalists, their fear of capitalism stems from these intangible aspects. In reforming the property system, forms of written documentation must be simple, transparent, and easily comprehensible if capitalism is to be able to speak to the majority of the world’s population. De Soto examines the cultural contingency of capitalism and argues that the notion of property ownership is compatible with all major cultures, not just those with a prevalent Protestant work ethic. The main problem, therefore, is not with capitalism in theory: it is with the manner in which people try to institute capitalism. Successful implementation of capitalism would be simple and effective if governments would listen to the poor of their country, recognize that their poor citizens save money, see the necessity of legal property systems, accept the fact that violence is not a peripheral concern, see the poor as the solution to the violence, and communicate better with people to make the necessary legal changes.

Lifespan Development Essay -- Sociology Life Span Developing Essays

Lifespan Development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Going back forty-five years is not an easy task to complete because I can’t remember some of the finer details of my childhood. I know I was born on a hot August afternoon in Birth Year at Place Of Birth in City ands State. My mother was just twenty-two at the time and was already the mother of two, I was her third child. My father was twenty-one and already a workaholic, I know because my mother would constantly remind me not to be like that. My mother and father were good parents and they tried to give us the best upbringing they could. My father was the kind of person that believed he should provide and protect his family, and he did a very good job of doing that. During my pre adolescent years, as best as I can recall, my mother was the driving influence behind my development. She is a good person and a mother with an iron will and a strict way, and I believe that she was one of my first role models. My father played a part in my development also. He instilled in me the morals and values that I have today and I thank him for that. Unfortunately my father passed away thirteen years ago before I had a chance to tell him that. My brother and sister were influences as well. I have always looked up to my older brother because he was so independent and free as we were growing up. He would always take time and play with me and teach me things, he was the person that actually taught me how to write my name in cursive the first time. My sister...

Day Care

Day Care Beneficial Is day care beneficial for children under the age of five? Should one parent stay home with children for the first few years of life? Develop a thesis statement about some aspect of the day-care-versus-home issue and support it in your argumentative essay. Nationally, the employment rate of mothers with children under the age of five has increased throughout the world. If both a mother and a father are employed, who will care for their young children? Normally, some families have chosen In-Home care which lets family members, friends, or neighbors looks after their children.However, child care center that more like day cares, preschools these facilities are usually bigger in space and may be more structured than In-Homes care. Before making a decision, parents should gather enough information to make the right choice for their children’s provider. After all, child care centers can help a child’s development, prepare a child for school, and create pos itive adult life patterns. A child care center is a beneficial tool for child’s development because they learn social skills and gain an appreciation for education at an early age.Researches have shown that children’s brains grow faster during the first five years of their life. In addition, there are two parts for the first five years of children development: zero to three, and three to five. First part is zero to three year old which the children are learning about themselves, the world around them and about the parents or the care givers. For example, at the time of around 1 year, the babies will begin to learn language and communication by they express their needs and feelings through sounds and cries, body movements, and facial expressions.The caregivers at daycare will watch and listen to see how the babies communicates what the babies is thinking and felling. The caregivers also repeat the sounds and words the babies use and have back-and-forth conversations. As the day care will best suit the parents need because the day cares have some ideas support the children learn through from children’s everyday activities. Second part is from three to five year old that is the time for children ready for pre-school. The children are beginning to develop self-control and self-confidence so they are taught the ability to manage their feeling.Also they are taught manners, such as to wait, to share, and to work out problems with their friends. At school time, the children begin their day by forming a circle: talking to each other and their teacher about something news, singing an old song or teacher teach a new song, going to play station where they can choose activities, learning letter and math or a story. The teachers always beside the children as long as they play or study so the teacher can remind to take turn to play toy when they both upset each other or comment on the children when they answer a question as well.In short, a day care cent er provides more than just babysitting services because they assist in the child’s development as well. In the same way, a day care center helps children prepare for school in the future. Getting children ready for school is not only packing their lunches, filling their backpacks, or dropping of at school but also helping children’s school readiness. School readiness means making sure that all children enter school physically, and emotionally healthy and ready to succeed. It also means providers are prepared to help children succeed as they enter kindergarten.Day care and preschool programs creating a smooth transition between home and school; focusing on helping children learn through a student-centered environment; ensuring children build a solid foundation in phonics, reading, writing and math. By the time preschool started my daughter was not ready to study but I encouraged her that everything would be fine and she would have friends to play with at school. And I g ave her a white lie that I left her in school a few hours and after I went to market I would pick her up.After the first week, she loved to go to school even on Saturday and Sunday she still has asked me why her school closed. She also has responsibility of her home-works which were done before went to bed. Now she was not only comfortable and waiting to go to kindergarten but also excited to meet old and new friends. From my experience, day care services contribute to children’s readiness to success in school. I’ve heard people say one parent should stay at home with their child or choose a relative to look after of the children because one can take good are more than child care center. It is true for the first two years, because this period is important to love, to nurture, and play of mother role. Nevertheless, in long-term isn’t possible because parent or relative doesn’t have enough as knowledge as teacher in school. Frequently, parent or relative th ink that taking care of children mean only feeding them, taking a bath, clothing them. One day of my mother-in-law home schedule is giving children a bowl of milk with cereal on the early morning then putting children watch TV or playing by themselves while she cook meal.On lunch time, she feeds children and lets them playing and eating at the same time even my niece is five years old but my niece can not eat by herself. After lunch time, usually more than two hours, the children take a little nap but kipping brush their teeth. When the children wake up, they continue to watch TV until their parents pick them up. I had argument with my mother-in-law about her ways and I decided to stay at home for first two years to take care of my daughter. When my daughter was two years old, I gave her to school.Now, my daughter who will be five years old on Feb, 2011 can read books and do math for the kindergarten grade. She always sings a song and pretends a show that she thinks by herself as ba llet show, story time, and magic show. As a result, what children learn when they are young goes a long way, so day care center can be fill a gap that in-home care obstacle. Also the children who were enrolled in a quality day care and preschool tend to progress faster in kindergarten and less likely to repeat grades, or need special class.Moreover, preschool is still the best choice for parents to help children develop positive adult life patterns. Researchers show that families and communities benefit when the children participate in quality preschool programs. Quality preschool helps children the best possible in both academically and socially such as socialize and interact appropriately with peers and teachers, practice new skills independently, finish tasks, be persistent when learning something new. As they grow, children will more likely to graduate from high school and find good jobs, and less likely to be involved in crime.For instance, children have field trip to visit the zoos, museums, fire and police station so that they can understand the love of animals, the jobs of fire fighter and police officer. Additionally, the parents and teachers can identify any early learning disabilities or other special needs a child might have in order to minimize any long term effects. In contrast with my daughter, my nephew stayed at home with his grandmother until four years old and he couldn’t speak fluently.When he went to preschool nobody can understand what he said, immediately, his teacher talked to his parent and they decided to give him into special class where he can learn how to speak with the other people. Now, he gets a good grade at elementary school. Thus, the children will be succeeding later in life if they are in good environment such as happy family and quality school. To sum up, we can say child care centers can help a child’s development, prepare a child for school, and create positive adult life patterns that train the children to be good citizen.So selecting a child care provider is one of the most important decisions people have to make during the early years of their children. Always remember, young children learn through play, and school should be fun. A daily school schedule should include time for teacher instruction, hands-on learning activities, educational projects where children work independently and together in groups as well as time for recreational fun. Vietnamese quotation â€Å"Day con tu thuo con tho† means we had to teach the children from they were born. The children like the white paper, what we write, it will stay forever.

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 13

Damon. Death. The words swam in my mind as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. Damon was alive. But who knew for how long? If he had been captured, he was undoubtedly weak. How could he face a ravenous beast in a battle and survive? Anger tore through my body, along with the familiar ache of my fangs elongating. I ripped down the sign with a snarl. â€Å"What is it?† she hissed, her own fangs bared. I held up the paper. â€Å"My brother,† I said, staring without comprehension at the poster. The picture made him look like a monster. My eye twitched. â€Å"The battle is in two days.† Lexi nodded, taking in the portrait. â€Å"Gallagher found him,† she said, almost to herself. I shook my head, not understanding what she meant. She sighed. â€Å"Big businessman. He owns a lot of places in town, including a two-bit circus and freak show. Always looking for curiosities to display, and people always seem to find the money to attend. Your brother–â€Å" â€Å"Damon,† I said, cutting her off. â€Å"His name is Damon.† â€Å"Damon,† Lexi said gently, tracing the image with her fingers. â€Å"He doesnt deserve this,† I said, almost to myself. â€Å"I need to help him. But † I trailed off. But what? How could I possibly save him? â€Å"Well need to find him,† Lexi decided. She brushed leaves and dirt from the back of her pants. â€Å"Do you trust me?† Did I have a choice? My hunger forgotten, I followed her through the forest and back to the wide, silent streets of the city. â€Å"Gallagher lives somewhere in the Garden District with all the other nouveaux riches. On Laurel Street, I think,† Lexi murmured as we wove our way to the center of town. â€Å"This has happened before, soon after Gallagher arrived in New Orleans five years ago.† â€Å"What happened?† I asked, following closely behind her in the shadows. â€Å"He found a vampire. Hes good at finding us. Or maybe were good at finding him. But the other vampire wasnt part of my family. And † She stopped suddenly. â€Å"What happened to him?† But Lexi merely shook her head. Wed arrived at the Garden District, where the streets were wide and the lawns hugging the sherbet-colored Victorian houses were lush and expansive. â€Å"Here.† She stopped at a pistachio-hued mansion enclosed by an open wrought-iron fence. Magnolias and calla lilies spilled over the gate, and the air smelled like mint. Just beyond, I could see an enormous herb garden that took up a fifth of the property. I recoiled as we walked closer, as the garden grew a generous amount of vervain. Lexi wrinkled her nose. â€Å"He knows all the tricks,† she said wryly. We pushed open the gate, our footsteps barely crunching the gravel on the path that circled the house. Cicadas buzzed in the sycamore trees above us, and I could hear horses pacing in the stable. And then I heard a low moan. â€Å"Hes out back,† I said. Lexi gazed up at the sky. Orange streaks were starting to peek above the horizon; it was about an hour until day broke. â€Å"Its too close to dawn,† Lexi said. â€Å"I didnt realize how late it is. I have to go.† I looked at her sharply. â€Å"Im not protected.† Her fingers fluttered to my ring, and I glanced down self-consciously. The lapus lazuli adornment had become so much a part of me, Id forgotten that it made me different from other vampires, made me able to walk in the daylight. Katherine had arranged for both Damon and me to have this protection. â€Å"Well come back tomorrow. The others can help us then,† Lexi insisted. I shook my head. â€Å"I cant leave him.† Birds chirped in the trees above us, and from somewhere nearby came the sound of glass shattering. The orange streaks in the sky grew fatter, brighter. â€Å"I understand,† Lexi said finally. â€Å"Be safe. Dont play the hero.† I nodded, scanning the grounds for any guards or animals lying in wait to attack. When I looked up, Lexi was gone and I was alone. Stealing quickly to the back of the house, I made my way toward the whitewashed stable. Horses pawed the ground nervously, obviously sensing my presence. The stable doors were padlocked with an iron bolt. I grabbed the chain, testing it. Even though Id barely fed since the previous evening, it would be easy enough to rend the chains with my bare hands. But something stopped me.Don't play the hero.Lexis words echoed in my mind. She had become my guide during the past couple of days, and I knew it was in my best interest to listen to her. Better not to leave any evidence of an intruder, better to get the lay of the land before doing anything rash. I released the chain, and it fell back against the door with a loud clanking sound. A horse whinnied. I walked to the other side of the stable, where a dusty window was open a crack. â€Å"Brother?† I whispered hoarsely through the window. The cloying scent of vervain was everywhere, making me woozy and nauseated. In the corner, a filthy figure struggled to sit up. Damon. His hands and feet were bound with chains, and his skin was covered in angry red welts. The chains must have been soaked in vervain. I winced in sympathy. Damons eyes locked on mine. â€Å"You found me,† he said, no emotion in his face. â€Å"Are you happy to see that Im close to death, brother?† â€Å"Im here to save you,† I said simply. The horses were kicking up the sawdust around their feet in agitation; I didnt have much time before someone in the house heard the disturbance. Damon shrugged, an effort that clearly took all his energy. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. A large cut lined his forehead, slicing into his eyebrow. He looked awful and emaciated; it was clear he hadnt eaten in days. I glanced around, hoping I could find something–a squirrel, a rabbit, a chipmunk–to kill and toss to him, but there was nothing. â€Å"So the cold-blooded killer is going to save me.† Damon attempted a wan smile. He leaned back against the wall, his chains rattling. â€Å"Yes, we have to–â€Å" Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door slamming, then a dog barking. I whirled around toward the main house. â€Å"What do you think youre doing?† a voice yelled out. And I stood, my hands raised to the sky, unsure of who–or what–had found me this time.

divorce essays

divorce essays When a boat is sinking, all the passengers are given life preservers. When a marriage comes to an end, a similar state of emergency exists, but no one hands you a life preserver. You and your children are on your own, thrashing about, trying hard to survive. Many parents in this situation feel like helpless, frightened children themselves, wishing someone or something would save them. Imagine, then, how devastated and powerless children feel. A separation and divorce is a shocking experience for them, for their very existence depends on their parents. They sustain tremendous losses and experience great pain, during, and after divorce. This crisis and tragedy of divorce is that this time, when parents are usually least able to help or even think about helping, is when children need their help most of all (Bienfeld,1). The effects of divorce on children can be devastating. To children, divorce does not mean the second chance that it so often means to one or both parents. To children it is the loss of their family - the entity that provides them with support, stability, security, and continuity in an often unpredictable world (Bienenfeld, 92). Children assume that their family is a given and that their parents are permanent. Studies uniformly find that divorce is a jolt to most children. Even youngsters that have lived in tense, conflict-ridden home for many years seldom think of divorce as a remedy for unhappiness; the remedy would be for parents to stop fighting (92). When suddenly divorce becomes reality, the assumptions children have accepted as givens and the structure they have relied on crumble, they feel not only vulnerable but powerless to have any influence on a situation the profoundly impacts their lives. During a divorce children's feelings become extremely confused. Many children feel intensely rejected, perceiving that the parent is leaving them as well as the spouse. Int...

Financial Wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Wellness - Essay Example sted in a wide variety of financial instruments such as common stocks, preferred stock, corporate bonds, treasury bills, and derivative instruments among other options. People can use finances to plan for their retirement (Cnn). An area of finances that I often have trouble with is budgeting. I always try to create a personal budget of my expenses every month, but it seems as if my personal budgets are always off. I always end up spending more money than what my budget stipulates. The use of software such as excel or quicken can help people manage their personal budgets better (Intuit). Financial goals are very important. â€Å"The first step in personal financial planning is controlling your day-to-day financial affairs to enable you to do the things that brings you satisfaction and enjoyment† (Fowles). These goals can be established for the immediate, short, medium and long term. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (Topachievement). An immediate goal is to save at least $300 at the end of the month. A short term goal is to purchase a new smartphone within one to two months. A second short term goals is to save money to purchase winter clothes. An intermediate goa l is to increase the value of my investment portfolio by 10% at the end of the year. Another goal is to save money for a down payment on a new home within five years. A long term goal is to save $250,000 by retirement

The Lewis and Clark Expedition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Lewis and Clark Expedition - Essay Example The main objective of the expedition thus was stated as to â€Å"Explore the Missouri river & such principal stream of it as by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent for the purpose of commerce† (Presidential Mission 2001). Led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, the historic expedition was given the name Corps Of Discovery. Exploring the history surrounding the expedition, it is worth understanding what prompted the American government in to commissioning this exploration. During the late seventeen hundreds, the French had been thinking of sending an expedition to explore the western part of the continent. President Thomas Jefferson, who was then the minister to France (1785-1789), heard many rumors of such expeditions. Although the French maintained that the expedition planned was purely on the basis of scientific interest and not of commercial motives, many had their doubts. Whatever the intentions may have been, the initial French expedition of 1788 was not a success as it was halted due to bad weather conditions (Lewis & Clark Expedition 2007). It’s most likely that President Thomas Jefferson’s interest in initiating the expedition once he became president was influenced to some degree by the knowledge of French interest in the matter. In addition, in 1786 an American, John Ledyard planned of crossing the Continent from the western side itself. The route was planned to be overland across Siberia all the way to the Capital. This expedition failed half way as Czarina, Catherine The Great of Russia had him deported to Poland once he arrived in Siberia. Subsequently, the Louisiana Purchase renewed the interest in exploring the west, and it also made the expedition more politically correct as the American