NBA Research Paper

NBA Research Paper Many critics and fans around the world call it the NBA greatest show on earth. No other league around the world brings what the NBAs game has brought every season. The greatest plays, games, dunks, players and passion for the basketball are reasons why the fans keep watching. The NBAs style of playing the game has changed dramatically through the years. From the 1980s to 2002, even though many aspects of the playing style have gone in to new era, NBAs style of playing basketball kept its heart the same. Professional basketball has usually kept its popularity with great stylish plays by the players. And style, which is defined as the way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed, the league has maintained their unique game plays. The changes occurred when Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson changed the game during the 80s to guard dominantÐ ±Ã ¿ from Ð ±Ã ¾center domination from the 70s. Magic and Bird excited the crowds with their new styles and spectacular plays, as they influenced the rest of the league to change into a league based on their styles of play. (Levin) Then in 90s Michael Jordan has showed the best basketball in the NBAs history. As entering the new millennium, the leagues change in style showed up and downs but Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Vince Carter brought a new definition to the game. These key players contain their own individual styles, but different generations in NBA had its own shooting, dribbling, dunking, coaching, defensively and other more line-ups of plays. Through this research paper the reader will recognize the differences in every categories and playerÐ ±Ã ¿s unique performance that NBA has maintain through the years. Most teams in the league kept its momentum style the same through the years with Ð ±Ã ¾run-and-gunÐ ±Ã ¿ executed by the point guards. In the NBA, momentum of the game decides which team survives with the victory. Having momentum will boost their team with chance of destroying the opponent. Great hustle plays usually brings out the momentum (Gandolfi 67). In 1980s Lakers switched the opponentÐ ±Ã ¿s momentum to theirs through Magic Johnson. Plays like Ð ±Ã ¾rebound from opponents miss shot then kick it off to Magic, and as Magic drives down the court he feeds no look pass to Byron Scott for the slam dunkÐ ±Ã ¿ these kinds of plays shifted the momentum for Lakers. Current season, teams like New Jersey Nets led by point guard Jason Kidd uses similar method like the 80Ð ±Ã ¿s Lakers. Running and gunning it with amazing ally-hoop passes from J. Kidd to Kenyon Martin, shifts the momentum to victories for the Nets. In fact with such plays, Nets came out to be this seasonÐ ±Ã ¿s most improved team in NBA. Pace of the game has been slowed down as years went by in the league. During the 80s and 90s, temple of the game was faster with more of the hustle plays ran by the point guards. Slow it down! is one of a coachÐ ±Ã ¿s favorite things to say in an offensive set. It gives a coach time to evaluate a defense, call his own play, and generally be a control freak (Oliver). This happens at lower levels as much as the NBA now and, as a consequence, so many point guards are now unwilling to lead a fast break for fear of an undressing by their coach (Oliver). Player like Shaquille ONeal, who is almost 350 pound, is able to keep up because of slow pace. So, is slow pace games a bad thing? Yes and no, because fast pace game excites the crowd and they are fun to watch. But speedy games lack in game plans strategically. The NBA team coaches want to do plays and run it for the offense. Coaches nowadays want their teams style to be slower, that way their team gets more efficient baskets. The NBA te am coaches want to do plays and run it for the offense. Teams like Chicago Bulls during the 90s used play call triangle defense, and won six NBA championship titles with that certain play (Sachare 93). Since the pace speed decreased, more of the half court offense and three pointers came in handy for some teams. During the 80s fast pace action, the three-pointer shooting teams were hardly recognizable. Although 3-point shooters were present in couple of the teams, players like Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Larry Bird, and John Paxson were known as three pointers. But today, teams like Celtics, Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks received the motivation of Ð ±Ã ¾live by the three, die by the threeÐ ±Ã ¿. Not only star players shoot threes in these teams, the entire team goes for the attempt. Three point attempts per game have increased from 10 to 16 during the 94 and 95(Oliver). Still these downtown shooting teams do not make all the treys, even though attempts are high, the percentage of making the shot is nearly 30%. Since threes are harder to make they significantly low. According to OliverÐ ±Ã ¿s research, the ratios of high percentage 3-point shooters are 1:4. That percentage can be very serious problem for the NBA. More attempts will lead to huge number of misses and slow the temple down even more. A huge significant change from 80 to 02 season has been the rule changes. The NBAs board of governors placed different rules for the 2001-2002 season, and removed the old rules as well. First of all, the league removed illegal defense to allow zone defense. That means that for the first time in 50 years, or almost since the league began, NBA teams will be allowed to play whats known as a zone defense, in which defensive players guard areas of the court. (White) Previous man-to-man defense is not the only way to play defense in the league today. But zone defense means less exciting plays off the offense. Since there are more defenders standing around the basket, the offensive players have to work their butts off to get a single point. Media folks tend to think that the new rule is a tradeoff. The game may become more exciting in the strategic sense, but itll lose the big plays and one-on-one matches that defined the NBA during its most recent heyday in the 1990s (White). Another chang e is the 8-second half court rule, in which ball carrier have to cross half court before 8 second runs out. This rule was made for one purpose only, to speed up the game. Also 8-second rule helps to eliminate walk-it-up approach that allows coaches to talk to their point guards while approaching the offensive set (Oliver). Other minor changes like 3 second defense rule which means defense gets called for 3 second inside key just like offense does. The significant part of the NBA style change was the key players who influenced the league to the NBA as greatest show on earth. When it comes to greatest key players in the1980s, it wonÐ ±Ã ¿t be a surprise if Magic Johnson and Larry bird comes in first. As Levin said, They influenced the rest of the league changed into league based on their style, Magic and Larry changed the game during 80s. Magic Johnson wasnÐ ±Ã ¿t a top scorer but his passing ability led the Lakers to championships. Larry Bird who was top-notch shooter who had dominant skill in offense led his Boston Celtics to championship also. MagicÐ ±Ã ¿s passing game taught rest of the league that scoring is not the only way to win a game. Great assists bring out smarter looks for a basket. Current player who carry the similar style as Magic is Jason Kidd (Smith). Before the 2001-02 season Jason Kidd was traded to New Jersey Nets, who only won 20+ games the previous year. When all the critics thought Kidds career migh t end with the Nets, right now Nets are competing in Eastern Finals and won 50 games this season. It is amazing how one player who is not even a scorer changes team 180 degrees with his passing ability. Kidd probably couldnt make it this far without observing the MagicÐ ±Ã ¿s style. A player who adopted Birds style is Dirk Nowitzki from Dallas Maverick. This player who is almost 7 foot plays guard and forward position, and he is also deadly from 3-point arc just like Bird. With their height advantage and offensive presence, Nowitzki demolishes his defender like how Bird gave his defenders a nightmare. With another style adoption starting 1990s, a player who changed the leagueÐ ±Ã ¿s style the most is Michael Air Jordan. As coming into the league in 1984, all the NBA fans were soaked with Magic and Birds performance. As years went by Jordan single handedly led his team, Chicago Bulls, to the playoffs and show the league whatÐ ±Ã ¿s known as human highlight film. Michael Jordans style was high flying acrobatic dunks, jumping ability, shooterÐ ±Ã ¿s touch, defense, and unstoppable (Sachare 173). He was simply the best all around player. Most importantly Jordan created his own style of basketball and influenced the entire NBA. For example, Jordan created whats known as A fade away jump shot, where he leans back avoiding the block while shooting. Right now about 70% of the player use this shooting style (Schwartz). Star players like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant use this shooting style every time they shoot. Speaking of Kobe Bryant, when people watch Kobe play, the y will see the Michael JordanÐ ±Ã ¿s style in him. From fade away jump shot to being unstoppable, Kobe is known as Jordan II. Great players influencing the rest of the league is what defines NBA. Slam-dunk is most popular style of basketball that pro players like as well as fans want to see. The dunk shot is one that can boost your teammates spirits and quickly demoralize the opponent. (Gandolfi 115) During the 80s before Michael Jordan came in to the league dunking was simply known as easy way to score a basket. But Jordan showed that dunks are style and creative art. Slam-dunk leads to change in momentum, temple, teamÐ ±Ã ¿s spirit, intimidation, and defenders mind. Although jumping ability is required to dunk, that just wonÐ ±Ã ¿t do much when it comes to stylish high-flyer. Players need creativity and timing when dunking. Michael Jordan dunk on opponents and almost over their head. But Vince Carter who is known to be best dunker of history clearly jumped over a 7 2 center and slammed through the basket during the 2000 Olympics. That dunk was called greatest play in sports history. And Vince continues on to do dunks that never seen before in the previous years. His sty le is what people love and keep watching NBAs basketball. The NBA has changed its outside styles like the new rule and plays, but it came into fact that inside heart didnt change. Players style influencing each other and passing down through decades is similar to cultural tradition. Back then game was exciting because of fast pace performance, now the games are still full of excitement because explosive plays like dunks, special moves, and great style that adopt from NBA icons. These two facts relates to each other in a way that they define NBAs heart and soul, the style.

Indian Reorganization Act of 1934

Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 The Indian Reorganization Act, or the Wheeler-Howard Act, was legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress on June 18, 1934, intended to loosen federal government control over American Indians. The act sought to reverse the government’s long-standing policy of forcing Indians to abandon their culture and assimilate into American society by allowing the tribes a greater degree of self-government and encouraging the retention of historic Indian culture and traditions. Key Takeaways: Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act, signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt on June 18, 1934, loosened U.S. government control of American Indians.The act sought to help Indians retain their historic culture and traditions rather than being forced to abandon them and assimilating into American society.The act also allowed and encouraged the Indian tribes to govern themselves while increasing the federal government’s efforts to improve living conditions on Indian reservations.While many tribal leaders praised the act as the â€Å"Indian New Deal,† others criticized it for its shortcomings and failure to realize its potential. The act returned control of the land and mineral rights to former Indian lands back to the tribes and sought to improve the economic condition of the Indian reservations. The law did not apply to Hawaii, and a similar law passed in 1936 applied to Indians in Alaska and Oklahoma, where no reservations remained. In 1930, the U.S. census counted 332,000 American Indians in the 48 states, including those living on and off reservations. Due largely to the Indian Reorganization Act, government spending on Indian affairs increased from $23 million in 1933 to over $38 million in 1940. In 2019, the U.S. federal budget included $2.4 billion for programs serving the American Indian and Alaska Native population. While many tribal leaders hail the Indian Reorganization Act as the â€Å"Indian New Deal,† others, saying that it actually had a negative effect on Indians, called it the â€Å"Indian Raw Deal.† Historical Background In 1887, Congress had enacted the Dawes Act, intended to force Native American Indians to assimilate into U.S. society by abandoning their cultural and social traditions. Under the Dawes Act, some ninety million acres of tribal land was taken from Native Americans by the U.S. government and sold to the public. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 had granted full U.S. citizenship only to American-born Indians living on reservations.   In 1924, Congress recognized Native American’s service in World War I by authorizing the Meriam Survey assessing the quality of life on the reservations. For example, the report found that while the average national per capita income in 1920 was $1,350, the average Native American made only $100 a year. The report blamed U.S. Indian policy under the Dawes Act for contributing to such poverty. The abysmal conditions on Indian reservations detailed in the Meriam Report of 1928 drew sharp criticism of the Dawes Act and drove demands for reform. Passage and Implementation The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) was championed in Congress by John Collier, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Long a critic of forced assimilation, Collier hoped the act would help American Indians govern themselves, retain their tribal reservation lands, and become economically self-sufficient. As proposed by Collier, the IRA met stiff opposition in Congress, as many influential private-sector interests had profited greatly from the sale and management of Native American lands under the Dawes Act. In order to gain passage, supporters of the IRA agreed to allow the BIA, within the Department of Interior (DOI), to retain oversight of the tribes and reservations. While the act did not terminate existing private-sector ownership of any Indian reservation lands, it did allow the U.S. government to buy back some of the privately owned lands and restore it to Indian tribal trusts. In the first 20 years after its passage, the IRA resulted in the return of more than two million acres of land to the tribes. However, by not disturbing existing private ownership of reservation lands, the reservations emerged as patchwork quilts of privately- and tribally-controlled land, a situation which persists today. Constitutional Challenges Since the enactment of the Indian Reorganization Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to address its constitutionality on several occasions. The court challenges have typically arisen from a provision of the IRA under which the U.S. government is allowed to acquire non-Indian land by voluntary transfer and convert it into Indian land held in federal trusts. These lands may then be used for certain activities intended to benefit the tribes, such as Las Vegas-style casinos in states that do not otherwise allow gambling. Such Indian tribal lands also become exempt from most state taxes. As a result, state and local governments, as well as individuals and businesses objecting to the impacts of large Indian casinos, often sue to block the action. Legacy: New Deal or Raw Deal? In many ways, the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) succeeded in delivering its promise of being the â€Å"Indian New Deal.† It directed funds from President Roosevelt’s actual Great Depression-era New Deal programs toward improving conditions on the Indian reservations that had suffered under the Dawes Act and encouraged renewed public appreciation and respect for Native American culture and traditions. The IRA made funds available to help Native American groups buy tribal lands lost to the Dawes Act’s allotment program. It also required that Indians be given first consideration for filling Bureau of Indian Affairs jobs on the reservations. However, many historians and tribal leaders argue that the IRA failed American Indians in many aspects. First, the act assumed that most Indians would want to remain on their tribal reservations if the living conditions on them were improved. As a result, Indians who wanted to fully assimilate into white society resented the degree of â€Å"paternalism† the IRA would allow the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to hold over them. Today, many Indians say the IRA created a â€Å"back-to-the-blanket† policy intended to keep them on the reservations as little more than â€Å"living museum exhibits.† While the act allowed Indians a degree of self-government, it pushed the tribes to adopt U.S.–style governments. Tribes that adopted written constitutions similar to the U.S. Constitution and replaced their governments with U.S. city council-like governments were given generous federal subsidies. In most cases, however, the new tribal constitutions lacked provisions for separation of powers, often resulting in friction with Indian elders. While funding for the needs of Indians increased due to the IRA, the annual budget for the Bureau of Indian Affairs remained inadequate to deal with the growing demands of economic development for the reservations or to provide adequate health and educational facilities. Few individual Indians or reservations were able to become financially self-sustaining. According to Native American historian Vine Deloria Jr., while the IRA provided opportunities for Indian revitalization, its promises were never fully realized. In his 1983 book â€Å"American Indians, American Justice,† Deloria noted, â€Å"Many of the old customs and traditions that could have been restored under the IRA climate of cultural concern had vanished during the interim period since the tribes had gone to the reservations.† In addition, he noted that the IRA eroded reservation Indians’ experience of self-government based on Indian traditions. â€Å"Familiar cultural groupings and methods of choosing leadership gave way to the more abstract principles of American democracy, which viewed people as interchangeable and communities as geographical marks on a map.† Sources and Further Reference Wilma, David. â€Å"Wheeler-Howard Act (Indian Reorganization Act) shifts U.S. policy toward Native American right to self-determination on June 18, 1934.† HistoryLink.org.â€Å"Indian New Deal.† US National Archives: Pieces of History.â€Å"Indian Affairs: Indian Affairs Funding.† US Department of the Interior (2019).â€Å"Meriam Report: The Problem of Indian Administration (1928).† National Indian Law LibraryDeloria Jr, Vine, and Lyttle, Clifford. â€Å"American Indians, American Justice.† 1983. ISBN-13: 978-0292738348Giago, Tim. â€Å"Good or Bad? Indian Reorganization Act Turns 75.† Huffington PostKelly, Lawrence C. â€Å"The Indian Reorganization Act: The Dream and the Reality.† Pacific Historical Review (1975). DOI: 10.2307/3638029.

Discussion on the Boundaries of the Firm Case Study

Discussion on the Boundaries of the Firm - Case Study Example Horizontal boundaries keep on changing with the passage of time because they bring with them a lot of incentives for not only the companies under consideration but also the industry as a whole. (Brusoni, 2001) The related terms of economies of scale and economies of scope come into the loop since these bring with them measures of growth and productivity over a certain period of time as well as offer to the organizations under study the much needed uplift in terms of its economic upheaval and stability - a fact signified time and again by the numerous processes and tasks that are employed to carry out the very same. Economic prosperity is one aspect that holds a lot of significance for this phenomenon since it is the lynchpin behind the undertaking of the economies of scale and economies of scope. What we need to understand here is the fact that these related terms are incorporated into the whole mix so that productivity and growth measures could be envisaged on a consistent basis and there is a forecasting regime in charge of the pattern that is actually bringing about the whole change, for the better without a shadow of a doubt. Economies of scale discusses the aspect of production phase which marks with the increase in scale of the firm and on the flip side causes a downfall in the average cost per unit in the longer duration. (Elbaz, 1994) Thus the scale of operation is basically the key when it comes to find out whether the economies of scale could be feasible for it or not. The economies of scale include some types under it: the purchasing, managerial, financial and marketing aspects. Wha t these types of factors as they are generally known as, does is to reduce the average costs in the long term when the talk goes out loud of production. The aspects related with natural monopoly are generally characterized under the regimes of economies of scale but this holds true for reasonably medium range firms. As one knows, natural monopoly has no competition whatsoever and thus it is deemed as a success by all counts under such a scenario. When one speaks of the need of having economies of scale, there is a quintessential need to understand that there are a couple of ways through which the same could be achieved. One is through having the high fixed cost and constant marginal cost while the other is through low or no fixed cost as well as declining marginal cost all this while. One must take note of the fact that economies of scale are all about efficiencies which are linked with the supply side alterations. This is in line with the increase or decrease of the scale of produc tion as concerns to a single product type or unit. The horizontal boundaries are also manifested by the proper incorporation of economies of scope within the related contexts. These are in essence pretty much similar to the economies of scale but little changes and modifications. Economies of scope are comprised with the efficiencies that are associated with the demand side changes which essentially highlight the increase or decrease in the scope of marketing as well as distribution concerning different kinds of products or units. What we must comprehend from

M.A. in Humanities in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M.A. in Humanities in the 21st Century - Essay Example 1984:10). Humanities subjects inundate students with "a deluge of readings and ivory tower philosophizing" (Shulman, 2006) and have been traditionally used to transmit the values cherished by generations (McGrory, 2007). Located at the core of the university, Humanities have long been deeply embedded with concerns about life, wisdom, survival, transformation, and interaction (Brown, Boyer, de Bary & Fajans, 2006). The overall benefit to society is that they have the responsibility of keeping the other disciplines honest, and this function of being a watchdog needs to be preserved (Chipman, 1995). Humanities provides general literacy that includes language skills such as grammar, spelling and the proper use of words; information gathering such as how to take notes and summarize material; thinking skills such as how to criticize an argument and how to develop arguments; and writing skills such as how to present arguments with clarity and intelligence (Hart,1990). These are the basic skills that prepare workers to meet the world of work (Drewes, 2002). A degree in Humanities is not a business degree, not a science degree nor a technical certificate. Yet, the coursework done and the skills developed can be applied to virtually any profession.

The Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Speckled Band Essay Both Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band share some of the characteristics of murder mysteries. Explain the similarities and differences between the two stories and say which story you think is more compelling to read. T he Speckled Band was written in 1892 during Queen Victorias reign over Britain. At the time the aristocratic society was paranoid about crime and rumours and myths about murderers such as Jack the Ripper did not help. The squalid chaos of a city (London) that hadnt changed much since Tudor times, with its dark narrow alleyways and badly lit streets created a haven for murderers, rapists, prostitutes and petty thieves. The arrival of a super sleuth character was obviously going to appeal to the literary clique. Sherlock Holmes was the solution to all their problems although in reality the Police Force was failing badly. In contrast Lamb to the Slaughter was written in a completely different era post-war, Elizabethan Britain, a period where attitudes and the Police Force had developed considerably from Conan Doyles Victorian London. The nations feeling had changed and had become more tolerant of women and including them more in a previously male world. However, the perfect housewife was still many womens idea of life. This is reflected in Mary Maloney, the stay at home idealistic wife and her devotion to her husband who, does not return this and wants to leave her for another woman. In The Speckled Band the mood is of heightened tension and curiosity as Dr Watsons daily routine is interrupted by the arrival of Miss Stoner, the stepdaughter of Dr Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran. She tells them of the demise of her sister Julia, the low whistle, the gypsies and the wild animals that the Doctor keeps. Holmes then receives a visit from Dr Roylott who threatens Holmes and Watson not to meddle in my affairs. Holmes and Watson then immediately travel to Stoke Moran, heedless of the Doctors warning, and go to see Miss Stoner in the family home. When they arrive, Holmes tells Miss Stoner about Dr Roylotts visit: good heavens he is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him and they go and explore the manor. They learn that Miss Stoner is now sleeping When they are in Miss Helen Stoners room, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson find no reason for her to be moved out of her room. Whilst in Miss Julia Stoners room, there Holmes finds clues as to the cause of her death but does not tell Watson or Miss Stoner what he thinks. Holmes then tells Miss Stoner to spend the night in the local Inn while he and Dr Watson try to catch Dr Roylott. When Dr Roylott sets the Swamp Adder through the ventilator and down the bell rope Holmes beats it back and it bites Dr Roylott killing him. Lamb to the Slaughter is very different as the atmosphere is relaxed and contented with the six-month pregnant Mary Maloney waiting patiently for her husband to come home. She is sewing and has a whiskey and soda ready for Patrick Maloneys homecoming and all of this amounts to the feeling of peace. In Lamb to the Slaughter Mary Maloney, Patrick Maloneys wife, is waiting for him to come home from work. He tells her that he wants to leave her for another woman, she then goes to make dinner and pulls out a leg of lamb. Mary Maloney then hits her husband with the lamb and kills him. She then goes down to the grocers to give herself an alibi. She then comes home and rings the Police who conduct the investigation but end up eating the evidence: the leg of lamb. However some of the ways that Roald Dahl uses to describe Mary Maloney act as a warning as to what might happen: curiously tranquil this suggests that there is something odd about her as being tranquil is not normally tranquil. Also, there was a slow smiling air about her this has mysterious connotations and implies that there is something more to Mary Maloney than the reader first thinks. Dr Roylott is a very violent and psychotic character who has heated fits of rage: Dont you dare to meddle with my affairs I am a dangerous man to fall foul of . He is a physically huge man who uses intimidation to force people to do things. When Dr Roylott hears of Miss Helen Stoners proposed marriage, she suddenly dies, this indicates that because his late wife (and the girls mother) left them money to be given to them when they got married. Dr Roylott is on a very small income and if the girls got married then he would be broke. Also he is a huge broad man who is very strong and capable of bending Holmes iron poker. Conan Doyle makes it very obvious from the start that Dr Roylott is capable of murder and our suspicions are correct, he is the only character in the story who would murder. Dr Roylott is not successful because although he manages to kill Julia Stoner but before he can dispose of Helen Stoner Sherlock Holmes solves the case and accidentally kills Dr Roylott. Dr Roylott is not very believable in this day and age because the Victorians view of a murderer was a shifty looking character either very small and rat like or large and vicious. However nowadays we know that murderers can be anyone. Because of the Victorians etiquette rules and views, a female killer in Conan Doyles books would have caused a stir. However in Lamb to the Slaughter women were allowed a much freer role and so the idea of them becoming murderers was accepted by the readers. In both of the stories the villains (Dr Roylott and Mary Maloney) control the people around them, Dr Roylott controls people by threatening them with physical violence whereas Mary Maloney uses subtle emotional actions to convince the Police that shes innocent.

History of Turkey and the European Union Essay -- Turkey History Polit

History of Turkey and the European Union Turkey has had a long history with Europe and the European Union that stretches back many years. In 1952, Turkey joined the United States and most of Western Europe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey would look at this as the first step toward European acceptance, which had been so important to the country's founder and hero, Kemal Ataturk. It would become an associate member of the Western European Union.[1] As early as 1959, Turkey tried to gain entrance into what is now the European Union, then known as the European Economic Community (EEC).[2] Under the Ankara Agreement of 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC.[3] Denied entrance into the European Union in 1987, Turkey still continued to push for membership.[4] The next pivotal moment came in 1996 when Turkey was admitted into the European Union's Customs Union.[5] However, it was disappointed a year later when Turkey was not listed as part of the European Union's plans for enlargement. Fin ally, in 1999 at the Helsinki summit, Turkey was named as a candidate country.[6] This meant that Turkey was one step away from starting the accession process and realizing its goal of becoming a recognized member of Europe. Requirements to Join the European Union The European Union has specific yet numerous qualifications that must be met before accession. The European Council set the criteria for accession in June of 1993. It stated first that a country must have strong democratic institutions, including the rule of law and a guarantee of civil rights. A viable economic market must exist, along with evidence that the economy of the applicant country can compete with those already in the EU. Al... ...Opportunity in Turkey, Financial Times, Oct. 21 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). Gherghisan, Mihaela, ?Verheugen Careful about Turkish EU Accession, EUObserver.com, Apr. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (8 October 2003). Heper, Metin. Historical Dictionary of Turkey. 2nd ed. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002. EU Enlargement Commissioner Says Turkey Giving ?Mixed Picture,? ? AFX.? Com, Oct. 27 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Databas? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Euro 145 Million Pre-Accession Aid Package Granted to ? Ankara,? European Report, Oct. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier? Database, Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Gunter Verheugen Cites 2011 as Possible Membership? Date,? European Report, Apr. 30 (2003). Academic Search Premier History of Turkey and the European Union Essay -- Turkey History Polit History of Turkey and the European Union Turkey has had a long history with Europe and the European Union that stretches back many years. In 1952, Turkey joined the United States and most of Western Europe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey would look at this as the first step toward European acceptance, which had been so important to the country's founder and hero, Kemal Ataturk. It would become an associate member of the Western European Union.[1] As early as 1959, Turkey tried to gain entrance into what is now the European Union, then known as the European Economic Community (EEC).[2] Under the Ankara Agreement of 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC.[3] Denied entrance into the European Union in 1987, Turkey still continued to push for membership.[4] The next pivotal moment came in 1996 when Turkey was admitted into the European Union's Customs Union.[5] However, it was disappointed a year later when Turkey was not listed as part of the European Union's plans for enlargement. Fin ally, in 1999 at the Helsinki summit, Turkey was named as a candidate country.[6] This meant that Turkey was one step away from starting the accession process and realizing its goal of becoming a recognized member of Europe. Requirements to Join the European Union The European Union has specific yet numerous qualifications that must be met before accession. The European Council set the criteria for accession in June of 1993. It stated first that a country must have strong democratic institutions, including the rule of law and a guarantee of civil rights. A viable economic market must exist, along with evidence that the economy of the applicant country can compete with those already in the EU. Al... ...Opportunity in Turkey, Financial Times, Oct. 21 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). Gherghisan, Mihaela, ?Verheugen Careful about Turkish EU Accession, EUObserver.com, Apr. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (8 October 2003). Heper, Metin. Historical Dictionary of Turkey. 2nd ed. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002. EU Enlargement Commissioner Says Turkey Giving ?Mixed Picture,? ? AFX.? Com, Oct. 27 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Databas? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Euro 145 Million Pre-Accession Aid Package Granted to ? Ankara,? European Report, Oct. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier? Database, Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Gunter Verheugen Cites 2011 as Possible Membership? Date,? European Report, Apr. 30 (2003). Academic Search Premier

Social Capital

In recent decades, many social scientists have drawn attention to the importance of â€Å"social capital. † Social capital is meant to capture the value, economic and otherwise, that comes from social networks, through which people frequently interact with one another. But what if social capital ends up contributing to the rise of extreme movements, including fascism? It is well-established that individuals and societies can gain a great deal from civic institutions, such as parent-teacher associations, athletic leagues, churches and music clubs.High levels of social capital have been associated with numerous social benefits, including improvements in health, promise-keeping, trust, altruism, compliance with the law, child welfare and individual happiness. Harvard University political scientist Robert Putnam has done a great deal to explore the beneficial effects of social capital. In his book â€Å"Bowling Alone,† he documented what he saw as its decline in the U. S. , connecting that decline with a wide range of social problems. Pointing to research by Putnam and others, many people have argued that the U.S. and other nations should make a sustained effort to measure and increase social capital, with particular attention to civic associations that help to generate it. At the same time, social capital can have a dark side. If people are in a social network whose members are interested in committing crimes, the existence of social capital will promote criminal activity. A fascinating recent study called â€Å"Bowling for Fascism† goes much further: It shows that the rise of Nazism was greatly facilitated by unusually high levels of social capital in Weimar Germany.The research offers an important and novel perspective on Adolf Hitler’s ascension to power. And by identifying conditions that help to spread extremism, it also offers significant lessons for the present, including the risk of terrorism. The study, conducted by New York Un iversity’s Shanker Satyanath and his co-authors, is based on a wide range of original materials, including Nazi Party membership lists and hand-collected data from 112 German towns.The central question: Who was most likely to join the Nazi Party? In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Germany had an exceptionally vibrant civil society that included clubs involved in hiking, animal breeding, shooting, gymnastics, bowling, fire fighting and singing. The authors’ principal finding is that in cities with dense networks of clubs and associations, Germans were far more likely to join the Nazi Party. Intheir words, â€Å"a dense fabric of civic associations went hand-in-hand with a more rapid rise of Nazi party membership. † It could be suggested that some independent factor, such as socioeconomic status or religion, accounts both for associational activity and for willingness to join the Nazi Party. But that suggestion is inconsistent with the evidence. Even if we control for these and other variables, a dense network of civic associations is correlated with significantly higher rates of entry into the Nazi Party.This finding undermines the view, held by some, that the Nazi Party succeeded by appealing to people who were socially isolated and that Hitler was able to draw support largely from the lonely and the rootless. But this evidence strongly suggests otherwise. Nazism spread in part as a result of face-to-face interactions by people who were in frequent contact with one another. Consider the chilling remarks of a Nazi Party member who recalled his growing acquaintance â€Å"with a colleague of my own age with whom I had frequent conversations.He was a calm, quiet person whom I esteemed very highly. When I found out that he was one of the local leaders of the National Socialist party, my opinion of it as a group of criminals changed completely. † The authors’ central findings fit well with emerging research on the immense importanc e of social influences on individual behavior. With respect to music, political convictions, voting and food, we constantly learn from others. Like-minded people tend to go to extremes, in large part because they learn from each other.Within nations and around the world, modern social media connect disparate people and hence build social capital, intensifying social influences on thought and behavior. For the current period, there is a straightforward lesson. Individuals and nations generally benefit from large numbers of private associations, including sports clubs, religious groups and parent-teacher associations. But in some nations, dense social networks also increase people’s vulnerability to extremism.A great deal of work suggests that terrorism itself can arise not because people are isolated, poor or badly educated, but because they are part of tightly knit networks in which hateful ideas travel quickly. No one should doubt that private associations are desirable and valuable, and that they can produce a dazzling range of social goods, including checks on the power of government. But Satyanath and his co-authors reveal another possibility: that such associations can facilitate the spread of extremism, ultimately laying the groundwork for serious challenges to democracy itself.