Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities Term Paper

Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities - Term Paper Example But the question that lies is beyond the validity of imposing capital punishment but rather the effect of color or race that comes with the number of those sentenced for capital punishment. The effects of anger and retaliation are a development of social discrimination and prejudice fueled not just by the wrong act or omission but also the bigotry that comes with such hate. Capital punishment then becomes an added tool for racial discrimination rather than a positive effect of retributive justice. Researches made In 2002, a Governor of Maryland Parris Glendening initiated a research to be done by the University of Maryland regarding capital punishment and although criminologist Ray Paternoster found that the â€Å"race of the defendant was not significant in penalty-eligible cases†, race played an important factor whether the prosecutor sought for a death penalty punishment in a case (Hodgkinson and Shabas 8). There is not just racial disparity but also prosecutor disparity. A t least 43% of total executions since 1976 and 55% of those awaiting execution is for people of color (American Civil Liberties Union, 2003). The General Accounting office in 1990 showed reports that â€Å"race of the victim was found to influence the likelihood of being charged with capital murder or receiving the death penalty." In numerous jurisdictions researchers and case laws have given sufficient proof of racial disparity among persons under death row. In Philadelphia, a study made in 1997 by David Baldus and statistician George Woodworth found results that between 1983 to 1993, a 38% increase in the possibility of a person being eligible for death penalty because the defendant was black. In North Carolina, a study released by the university showed that between 1993 to 1997, a three and a half increase in the possibility of incurring a death sentence when the victim is white rather than black. The area of jurisdiction varies from the number of the race’s population an d possible historical background on racial prejudice. A good example is in the state of Georgia, where University of Iowa law professor David Baldus found that prosecutors sought death penalty for 70% of the black defendants with white victims compared to the minimal 15% white defendants who had white victims. (American Civil Liberties Union, 2003). Further effects of this study will be explained in the latter part of the discussion, as the â€Å"Baldus study† was attempted to be used as a defense in a Supreme Court case (McCleskey v. Kemp (1987). Prosecution disparity is eminent in these cases, it seems that racial discrimination the begun with society is also reflected to the administration of justice. It is the prosecutors who have the discretion in deciding whether cases should seek death penalty. Even in the choice of possible jurors, the prosecution takes control such as in the state of Philadelphia, where prosecutors move to remove 52 % of potential black jurors compar ed to a mere 23 % potential jurors of other races. Jeffrey Pokorak conducted another good research proving racial disparity. He related the important effects of race and gender of all the lawyers authorized to prosecute death penalty cases that evidenced racial disparity. In the 38 states studied, 98% of the prosecuting attorneys are white and almost all are male (Hodgkinson and Shabas 15). Supreme Court Decisions With this issue being established, the

Unit and Lesson Planning for UDL and the Common Core State Curriculum Assignment

Unit and Lesson Planning for UDL and the Common Core State Curriculum - Assignment Example Conversely, quantitative method is implemented to ascertain the word length, word frequency, sentence length and text cohesion of the topic essential relatively to the novel (Cast Professional Learning, â€Å"UDL101M: Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (Mathematics Emphasis)†; Teaching Channel, â€Å"Literacy Analysis through Interactive Stations†). The study about unit and lesson planning for UDL and the common core state curriculum signifies that all individuals should have different connections prior learning and experiences. Literate people have to cross the phase of learning in their consecutive lifespan to enhance their knowledge and skills in learning, which they can implement towards their social and cultural development. Unit and lesson planning is crucial in terms of formation of the base for students in learning. Appropriate and necessary materials, as well as contents, are to adhere to the unit and lesson of the books and novels taught by the teachers, professors, and lecturers of the schools and universities. Inappropriate units and lessons in relation to the topic do not provide sufficient knowledge as well as an idea about the topic. Hence, it must be foremost duty of the teachers should consult with experienced professors and writers to formulate updated units and lessons plans in relation to the topic or novel, which will beneficial to the students in having successive experiences (Cast Professional Learning, â€Å"UDL101M: Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (Mathematics Emphasis)†). There is no misconception regarding the information provided about the structural plan and framework in the unit and lesson planning that delivers a positive impact on ‘Universal Design for Learning’ (UDL) and common core state curriculum. This module shows consecutive steps of unit and lesson planning that include teacher planning, preparation and course contents and material related to the topic.

Conflicting Reward Systems and Their Impact on Criminal Justice Research Paper

Conflicting Reward Systems and Their Impact on Criminal Justice Administration - Research Paper Example Kerr (1975) presents a wide-reaching warning about the efficacy of reward systems that do not understand the knowledge or motivations of the individuals (or the society) the reward system hopes to incentivize toward some course of action. In order to draw attention to the scope of this problem, the author utilizes examples from politics, organizations, and profit-making firms, even though his intended audience is only concerned with the latter. By using examples from politics, however, the author’s analysis opens up avenues of investigation related to public administration, particularly criminal justice administration and the incentives it hopes to provide for mending the behaviors of convicted persons. Given the importance of preventing criminal recidivism and the economic impacts of fewer people in jails, it is no surprise that public administration officials would be interested in ways to realign their reward systems toward the knowledge or motivations of individuals. With those considerations in mind, this paper hopes to survey some of the problems that occur when reward systems in criminal justice work against the needs and wants of administrators, and how administrators can prevent that from happening. Employees are very good at figuring out what gets rewarded in the workplace and doing those things instead of what they are officially told to do. â€Å"Employee ambivalence† occurs when the explicit norms or desires of an organization come into conflict with the content of the reward systems and the norms generated by that system. An example of such a conflict might be when a company encourages employees to follow the rules, but also to be effective in their job—getting their responsibilities done any way they can. So, despite the wish for ethical behavior from upper management, cutthroat behavior might be ultimately what gets rewarded (Spencer & Sims, 1995, p. 190). And once a single individual figures out how to get rewarded, the pre ssure falls on his colleagues or else fall behind. Only a single violation from a single individual can expose a deep, underlying problem within a reward system. A specific application of Kerr (1975)’s analysis of problematic reward systems is contained within a study of prosecutorial misconduct. Bibas (2009) discusses possible ways to regulate the conduct of prosecutors, who the author believes have the most unreviewable power or discretion of any public official. Embedded in this analysis is a response to potential reward systems for prosecutors based on financial gains. For example, one perspective offers the solution of rewarding prosecutors whose initial charges closely match the charges the criminal was convicted upon. However, keeping in mind Kerr (1975)’s warning that what one measures is what one gets, â€Å"sizable monetary rewards for particular statistics could lead prosecutors to undercharge rather than overcharge and to plea bargain to avoid losing rewar ds for ethical misconduct† (Bibas, 2009, p. 156). Thus, the opposite problem arises out of the solution for the original problem, which is particularly important to bear in mind when creating reward systems for individuals within the criminal justice system. Manipulable and inflatable quantifiable statistics often define the effectiveness of prosecutors, which poses a problem for effective reward systems based on performance. Also, reward systems that become overused tend to produce the opposite effect of rewarding the right behaviors. In other words, the more rewards

Personally I have sympathy Essay Example for Free

Personally I have sympathy Essay He also states I had deprived myself of rest and health, meaning that he had worked so hard and long it had effected his health. When Victor looks for the monster on the frozen ocean he still tries to gain sympathy using language such as despair and I myself was about to sink under accumulation of distress. Here he is speaking metaphorically; hes talking about sinking in the sea, as well as sinking emotionally. With so much talk of self pity, the reader could easily forget that this journey is one of vengeance. Victor sees the monster as his enemy and says his soul is as hellish as his form, full of treachery, and fiend like malice. He also tells Walton to thrust your sword into his heart, I will hover near, and direct the steel alright. His hate for the monster is so intense; he thinks that he can help in killing the monster, even in supernatural life. Even though Victor is seen as an arrogant, self righteous character, we have sympathy for him because he starts a series of events that he eventually has no control over. He creates a monster that kills his family and feels compelled to seek him out and end his life. His desire is burning within my heart, and he is powerless not to obey it. Whereas Victors downfall could be seen as of his own making, the creature seems to be a victim of circumstance and outside influences. The creature says, The completion of my demoniacal design became an insatiable passion. He considers himself to have no control over his actions as they are a result of how he was made. He also claims I had no choice but to adapt my nature to an element which I had willingly chosen, and that evil thenceforth became my good. The monster is looking for understanding for his terrible actions when he says I was the slave, not the master. He is trying to portray himself as a victim rather than the villain. In this passage the creature speaks descriptively to try and make the reader feel sympathy. He says that in the beginning it was the love of virtue, he feelings of happiness and affection with which my whole being overflowed. This turned into bitter loathing and despair and it speaks of how its crimes had degraded itself. It compares itself to a fallen angel who becomes a malignant devil. It considers itself to be more sinned against than the sinner when it says all humankind sinned against me. The feeling of self pity continues with I desired love and fellowship and I was still spurned and your abhorrence cannot equal that with which I regard myself. It feels totally injustice towards itself with everyone despising it and having sympathy only for Victor. This would make the reader feel very sympathetic towards the monster he has only turned out to be the despised and hated creature that he now is due to the actions of others. Both characters make convincing cases in an attempt to gain sympathy from the reader. Both are sinned against, (Victor has his family killed by his own creation and his creation itself is abandoned and despised) and it is a matter of opinion who the victim actually is. The reasons behind Victor deciding to create life in the first place could be seen as an important factor. Was he trying to be the first person to create life in this way to satisfy his ego or was he doing it for the good of human kind? Personally I have sympathy for both Victor and the monster. But if I had to choose one it would be the monster, because it was born an adult and never got chance to learn right from wrong and it had no parents to teach it anything nor no friends. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

The Nature of Boston Peace Groups :: War Iraq Papers

The Nature of Boston Peace Groups Like many other Brookline residents, Amy Hendrickson spends every Saturday at Coolidge Corner. But unlike most Coolidge Corner visitors, she’s not catching a movie at the historic Coolidge Corner Theatre or grabbing a latte at Starbucks. Every Saturday at noon for the past two years, Amy Hendrickson has held a peace vigil for soldiers who have died in Iraq. Hendrickson is the founder of Brookline Peaceworks, a community peace activist group and offshoot of United for Justice with Peace. "It’s amazing what you can do from Brookline,† says Hendrickson, a self-employed computer consultant who admits she probably spends more time on Brookline Peaceworks than on her job. Every Saturday Hendrickson and other Brookline Peaceworks members hand out flyers, and speak with passers-by about the war in Iraq. On March 23, 2005, Hendrickson handed out flyers detailing the costs to taxpayers for the war, including the specific cost for Brookline residents. And she’s not stopping there. â€Å"Brookline Peaceworks is initiating a town-wide canvass to raise awareness about the impact of the Iraq War. We will be going door to door to ask Brookline citizens to sign a petition to remove U.S. troops from Iraq as quickly as possible, and to reassess the use of Massachusetts National Guard in international conflicts,† wrote Hendrickson in the Guest Commentary section of the Brookline Tab, on March 24, 2005. Hendrickson was a member of United for Justice with Peace (UJP), an association of almost 60 peace groups in the Greater Boston area. In 2002 it came to her attention that Brookline was lacking a community peace group. After some hesitation, Hendrickson decided to found Brookline Peaceworks with the encouragement of other UJP members. Since then, Brookline Peaceworks has made front page news in the Boston Globe by organizing a demonstration in Boston that was concurrent with demonstrations in other U.S. cities, such as New York and San Francisco; organizing â€Å"teach-ins† at schools such as Northeastern University and Brookline High School; and campaigning for Randall Forsberg as a write-in candidate for Senate, in defiance of John Kerry’s support of the war powers act. This last effort resulted in 25,000 write in votes for Forsberg, according to Brookline Peaceworks. The group has worked many hours in an effort to end the war with Iraq. Groups such as Boston Peaceworks aim to educate Boston residents, but to many they seem useless, ineffective, and to some, downright annoying.

Graduation Speech: Explore. Dream. Discover :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I am about to give you a final challenge as a high school student. I am about to ask you to do something you were sure you wouldn’t have to do again for a while with the ending of high school. I am asking you to think. Please, just this once, take a moment to put that educated mind to work. Think of something you really want right now, go ahead, don’t complain, just do it. What do you really want? A few of you searched your minds and out of the millions of things you are sure you want, not one could surface above the rest. The most common thoughts you had were probably "I want to eat" or "I want to sleep" or, "I want to move this hanging thing over to the other side of my cap now so that I can be on my way." There’s something in common with what everyone just thought about. It’s something to make you happy. In a world of ever-growing business and technology, we hear about the new millionaires captured by stocks and the booming world of computers and along with them the amounts of money beyond the comprehension of most of us. This year, I believe I speak for the majority when I say we’ve felt so poor, cutting back on McDonald’s and TCBY to save up for an expensive trip to prom, a grad night party and college applications for which you sent the money away and weren’t even guaranteed anything but probably a nice postcard in return. Now, all of a sudden if we end up somehow with a $5 bill in hand, we think we’re all set and ready to go. A $5 bill is endless possibilities. The truth is, you won’t miss your $30 application fee in a few years, you’ll be happy if you have a job you look forward to every day. You won’t miss the money you spent on prom in 10 years, you’ll be happy if you are content with your life. Perhaps for you this means a family. As Einstein once said, "Happiness is the ability to enjoy the passage of time." Different people can reach happiness in so many different ways, but to everyone it is all that really matters. At this point in our lives it’s difficult not to think that happiness is had by material products — the newest technology, the nicest clothes around, or that car you probably aren’t getting for graduation.

Quantitative Marketing Research

Quantitative marketing research is the application of quantitative research techniques to the field of marketing. It has roots in both the positivist view of the world, and the modern marketing viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process in which both the buyer and seller reach a satisfying agreement on the â€Å"four Ps† of marketing: Product, Price, Place (location) and Promotion. As a social research method, it typically involves the construction of questionnaires and scales. People who respond (respondents) are asked to complete the survey.Marketers use the information so obtained to understand the needs of individuals in the marketplace, and to create strategies and marketing plans. Contents [hide] †¢1 Scope and requirements †¢2 Typical general procedure †¢3 Statistical analysis o3. 1 Reliability and validity o3. 2 Types of errors †¢4 See also †¢5 List of related topics †¢6 References [edit] Scope and requirements This section is empty . You can help by adding to it. (July 2010) [edit] Typical general procedure Simply, there are five major and important steps involved in the research process: 1. Defining the Problem. 2.Research Design. 3. Data Collection. 4. Analysis. 5. Report Writing & presentation. A brief discussion on these steps is: 1. Problem audit and problem definition – What is the problem? What are the various aspects of the problem? What information is needed? 2. Conceptualization and operationalization – How exactly do we define the concepts involved? How do we translate these concepts into observable and measurable behaviours? 3. Hypothesis specification – What claim(s) do we want to test? 4. Research design specification – What type of methodology to use? – examples: questionnaire, survey 5.Question specification – What questions to ask? In what order? 6. Scale specification – How will preferences be rated? 7. Sampling design specification – Wh at is the total population? What sample size is necessary for this population? What sampling method to use? – examples: Probability Sampling:- (cluster sampling, stratified sampling, simple random sampling, multistage sampling, systematic sampling) & Nonprobability sampling:- (Convenience Sampling,Judgement Sampling, Purposive Sampling, Quota Sampling, Snowball Sampling, etc. ) 8. Data collection – Use mail, telephone, internet, mall intercepts 9.Codification and re-specification – Make adjustments to the raw data so it is compatible with statistical techniques and with the objectives of the research – examples: assigning numbers, consistency checks, substitutions, deletions, weighting, dummy variables, scale transformations, scale standardization 10. Statistical analysis – Perform various descriptive and inferential techniques (see below) on the raw data. Make inferences from the sample to the whole population. Test the results for statistical sig nificance. 11. Interpret and integrate findings – What do the results mean? What conclusions can be drawn?How do these findings relate to similar research? 12. Write the research report – Report usually has headings such as: 1) executive summary; 2) objectives; 3) methodology; 4) main findings; 5) detailed charts and diagrams. Present the report to the client in a 10 minute presentation. Be prepared for questions. The design step may involve a pilot study to in order to discover any hidden issues. The codification and analysis steps are typically performed by computer, using statistical software. The data collection steps, can in some instances be automated, but often require significant manpower to undertake.Interpretation is a skill mastered only by experience. [edit] Statistical analysis The data acquired for quantitative marketing research can be analysed by almost any of the range of techniques of statistical analysis, which can be broadly divided into descriptive statistics and statistical inference. An important set of techniques is that related to statistical surveys. In any instance, an appropriate type of statistical analysis should take account of the various types of error that may arise, as outlined below. [edit] Reliability and validity Research should be tested for reliability, generalizability, and validity.Generalizability is the ability to make inferences from a sample to the population. Reliability is the extent to which a measure will produce consistent results. †¢Test-retest reliability checks how similar the results are if the research is repeated under similar circumstances. Stability over repeated measures is assessed with the Pearson coefficient. †¢Alternative forms reliability checks how similar the results are if the research is repeated using different forms. †¢Internal consistency reliability checks how well the individual measures included in the research are converted into a composite measure.Internal consistency may be assessed by correlating performance on two halves of a test (split-half reliability). The value of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient is adjusted with the Spearman–Brown prediction formula to correspond to the correlation between two full-length tests. A commonly used measure is Cronbach's ? , which is equivalent to the mean of all possible split-half coefficients. Reliability may be improved by increasing the sample size. Validity asks whether the research measured what it intended to. Content validation (also called face validity) checks how well the content of the research are related to the variables to be studied; it seeks to answer whether the research questions are representative of the variables being researched. It is a demonstration that the items of a test are drawn from the domain being measured. †¢Criterion validation checks how meaningful the research criteria are relative to other possible criteria. When the criterion is collected later the goal is to establish predictive validity. †¢Construct validation checks what underlying construct is being measured.There are three variants of construct validity: convergent validity (how well the research relates to other measures of the same construct), discriminant validity (how poorly the research relates to measures of opposing constructs), and nomological validity (how well the research relates to other variables as required by theory). †¢Internal validation, used primarily in experimental research designs, checks the relation between the dependent and independent variables (i. e. Did the experimental manipulation of the independent variable actually cause the observed results? †¢External validation checks whether the experimental results can be generalized. Validity implies reliability: A valid measure must be reliable. Reliability does not necessarily imply validity, however: A reliable measure does not imply that it is valid. [edit] Type s of errors Random sampling errors: †¢sample too small †¢sample not representative †¢inappropriate sampling method used †¢random errors Research design errors: †¢bias introduced †¢measurement error †¢data analysis error †¢sampling frame error †¢population definition error †¢scaling error †¢question construction error Interviewer errors: †¢recording errors cheating errors †¢questioning errors †¢respondent selection error Respondent errors: †¢non-response error †¢inability error †¢falsification error Hypothesis errors: †¢type I error (also called alpha error) othe study results lead to the rejection of the null hypothesis even though it is actually true †¢type II error (also called beta error) othe study results lead to the acceptance (non-rejection) of the null hypothesis even though it is actually false [edit] See also †¢Choice Modelling †¢Quantitative research †¢Qualitative research †¢Enterprise Feedback Management †¢Marketing research †¢mTAB †¢QuestionPro †¢Qualtrics Computer-assisted telephone interviewing †¢Computer-assisted personal interviewing †¢Automated computer telephone interviewing †¢Official statistics †¢Bureau of Labor Statistics †¢Questionnaires †¢Questionnaire construction †¢Paid survey †¢Data Mining †¢Brand strength analysis †¢NIPO Software †¢DIY research †¢SPSS †¢Online panel †¢Rating scale †¢Master of Marketing Research †¢Maximum Difference Preference Scaling †¢Urtak [edit] List of related topics †¢List of marketing topics †¢List of management topics †¢List of economics topics †¢List of finance topics †¢List of accounting topics [edit] References †¢Bradburn, Norman M. nd Seymour Sudman. Polls and Surveys: Understanding What They Tell Us (1988) †¢Converse, Jean M. Survey Research in the Unite d States: Roots and Emergence 1890-1960 (1987), the standard history †¢Glynn, Carroll J. , Susan Herbst, Garrett J. O'Keefe, and Robert Y. Shapiro. Public Opinion (1999) textbook †¢Oskamp, Stuart and P. Wesley Schultz; Attitudes and Opinions (2004) †¢James G. Webster, Patricia F. Phalen, Lawrence W. Lichty; Ratings Analysis: The Theory and Practice of Audience Research Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000 †¢Young, Michael L. Dictionary of Polling: The Language of Contemporary Opinion Research (1992)