The Korean War

The Korean War Abstract This study examines the relationship between declining public opinion towards the Truman administration during the Korean War ultimately leading to the dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur. In hopes of succeeding in Korea, President Truman appointed General Douglas MacArthur as commander of the United Nations forces and both anticipated a short military ordeal.[1] Research findings discuss the tendency for a decline in public support as a conflict lasts longer than anticipated.[2] Although The Korean War experienced an initial backing by the American public, surveys taken after the start of Chinese involvement display a gradual decline in support for the Truman administration.[3] Public opinion polls are used to determine the nations stance on a given issue. As the war continued, with no end in sight, approval ratings dropped and President Truman faced increasing criticisms. Truman had to make a decision to continue military efforts under the guidance of General MacArthur and hope not antagonize the American Public or to dismiss the hero of the Republican Party in an attempt to save the remainder of his presidency. Ultimately Truman decides to dismiss MacArthur on April 11, 1951 and experiences a backlash; public opinion for the president continues to decline due to the dissatisfaction from MacArthur supporters.[4] Introduction Individual actors play a key role in the establishment and implementation of foreign policy. Disagreements between these actors can result in conflicts and difficulty in making decisions. Throughout the Korean War President Truman and General Douglas C. MacArthur experienced such a situation. At the start of the Korean War the American public had gone through numerous hardships. The nation was still healing from two world wars and the great depression. These difficult times had unified the country like never before. When President Truman came into office his transition from Vice President to President proved to be challenging. At the time vice presidents had minimal impact in policies implemented in the United States let alone foreign policy.[5] Truman stepped into office in a time of global turmoil. Communism was a key issue for American foreign policy. When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25th, 1950 the Truman administration felt that it was necessary to become involved.[6] The United States had to make a statement; communism anywhere in the world would not be tolerated. The same factors that created a cohesive group of American citizens allowed for the public to rally behind the government.[7] Americans would not tolerate any countrys attempt to oppress freedom. Research shows that shorter wars receive higher approval ratings. Initially the Truman administration along with General MacArthur reassured the public that military efforts in the east would be short and victorious. [8] As the war continued weak media censorship educated the American public as to what was occurring on the warfront.[9] The nation began to criticize and question if the Korean War would truly be a victorious anti-communist campaign. Public opinion continued to decline after Chinas decision to take part in the war in November, 1950.[10] American citizens had already experienced two world wars in a short period of time and found themselves fearing a third. The following year only lead to greater concern and less support towards the Truman administration. Increased spending in hopes of rearming the United States military required the use of money that could have been allocated towards domestic programs and policies. Democrats and republicans alike began to strongly oppose the Korean War.[11] The Truman administration became aware of their declining approval ratings. In an attempt to regain support the government attempted to inform the nation as to why the war was necessary. When these attempts failed Truman realized that the Korean war had no end in sight and felt that the United States should take on less aggressive tactics. General MacArthur disagreed with the president and was ultimately dismissed leading to more disapproval.[12] By comparing public opinion trends, errors and commonalities to the Korean war and the government this paper will attempt to analyze the factors leading to a consensus of overall disapproval in the Truman administration. In doing so it becomes evident that regardless of what the government attempted to regain public support the nation could not be convinced. The following sections will discuss how times of war greatly impact public opinion and how the conflicts between President Truman and General MacArthur lead to increased criticism of the Korean War. Literature Review: Public Opinion Polls According to Marshall Gordons Dictionary of Sociology public opinion polls can be looked at as the measurement of opinions on specific issues through interviews with a representative sample of a group whose views are to be described. Polls can vary in the material in which they cover; however, the most common types of opinion polls focus on voting intentions, political party support, views on the government of the day and its policies and views on major current public issues. This information can be crucial in understanding how much support a political group is receiving especially throughout war times or conflict.[13] The results of public opinion polls have proven to be important in assessing the nations perception and understanding of a given theme. Because of its significance, one must take into account the problems and errors present within the polling process. A large percentage of inaccuracies or misrepresentations of the data occur at the survey taking stage and can lead an invalid data set. Richard G. Hall, among others discusses the increasing use of public opinion polls over recent years. Media outlets place emphasis on results to give a sense of the American publics stance on a given issue. However, one must take into account that one opinion poll on a specific issue may influence future polling relating to the same issue. This could create an inaccurate representation of the population as a whole, favoring the dominant group from the previous opinion poll, thus raising the question do opinion polls merely analyze or do they also help create the opinions?[14] Research shows that the majority opinion on a topic can be looked upon as the societal norm. By having a norm established, a type of precedent may occur, causing those who may be polled on the issue in the future to change their previous stance to match up with societal norms. This leads to a skewed interpretation of the general population, which in turn makes the opinion poll fairly unreliable.[15] The polling process is comprised of numerous individuals being asked questions privately; however, a collective behavior amongst the masses has posed problems for public opinion data. Mass behavior and crowd action are two distinct types of collective behavior that fundamentally impact public opinion results. Mass behavior is defined as collective behavior of an aggregate of individuals giving an appearance of unity of attitude, feeling, and motivation.[16] If mass behavior is to take place during the polling process, the results from one individual to the next would appear very similar, resulting in an overwhelming majority on the issue. Crowd behavior focuses on the influence a whole or group can have on the individuals within it. While in a crowd, a single individual may feel less responsibility and make decisions solely based on the whole, thus relinquishing prior opinions and beliefs for those of the crowd. The concept of crowd behavior would impact public opinion astronomically ; if the data gathered and the opinions expressed are not the beliefs truly held by those surveyed, their polls may as well be considered null and void.[17] Public opinion polls serve a simple purpose, to identify the wants and needs of citizens. A common complaint concerning polls is that of knowledge. Higher educated individuals have been quoted as feeling a lack of confidence towards the outcome of polls based on the answers given by less educated and less informed individuals. Similarly, American citizens are not made aware of every minuet detail of a political issue.[18] Therefore, their perceptions and interpretations of the given issue may be skewed and bias, causing public opinion to simply reflect the misunderstanding plaguing society as a whole The notion of public opinion polls allows United States citizens to feel involved in the democratic process. Elections from the local level to the presidential emphasize a government run by the people; public opinion polls reaffirm this idea. Citizens are given the opportunity to assess the status of the country in times of tranquility but also in times of struggle. However, as stated previously, if a majority of individuals surveyed are ill-informed or simply following societal norms, the outcome may not be relevant enough to base a governmental decision. In addition to the problems with the polling process listed above, another type of error causes a great deal of confusion and inaccurate results. Similar to sampling errors in the electoral process, citizens may frequently change their opinions on a given issue. Late swing and disproportionate refusals, although commonly used in electoral errors, can formulate bias in the polling system. An individual who votes one way while surveyed but feels another way may causes representational errors; changes in opinion can be legitimate or dishonest. Another form or error can come from disproportionate results, meaning that the individual taking the poll or casting their vote may refuse to be interviewed and discuss their position before hand.[19] Public opinion polls do not always adequately portray the thoughts and concerns of a nation, but the data is still taken into consideration and ultimately may have some say as to how the president makes a decision. President Truman realized that by early 1951, American Citizens had grown tired and weary of the Korean War. This coincided with Trumans desire to end the war and bring troops home. Although it was in Trumans nature to pay little attention to public opinion polls[20], his own wants aligned with those of the general public in terms of ending the war. The increased amount of aggression and force General MacArthur used towards the Republic of China not only went against Trumans wishes, but also the wishes of a vast percentage of the population. Truman had to not only evaluate his own wants but also that of his country in deciding whether or not to dismiss MacArthur.[21] The Feuds between President Truman and General MacArthur portray two distinct public opinions. Those who felt that the war should be over soon and feared what any more involvement would cause sided with the president. MacArthur did not lack support from the entire country; there were still individuals who considered the general to be the hero of the Republican Party. He was viewed as someone who bravely led the United States. After MacArthurs dismissal, he was still thought of as a hero and was welcomed back with praises and gratitude by many.[22] The conflict between President Truman and General MacArthur may have impacted approval ratings by splitting the country through party affiliations. However, one must not look at the issues between them as the principal reason for a decline in public support. During times of war numerous factors are introduced to the American public. Citizens find themselves living their lives differently, missing loved ones, experiencing economic difficulties and coping with death. These factors alongside others play a large role in declining opinions.[23] Scott Sigmund Gartner and Gary M. Segura discuss correlations between overall public opinion and the introduction of stressors brought on by conflict. When analyzing public opinion data in relation to casualties it seems that the public is sensitive to relatively small loses at the start of the war and only to large ones towards the end.[24] On the surface it may seem as though increased causalities would be the sole factor in determining how the public views the situation. However it takes various factors to influence public opinion, this may include; mounting economic costs, impact of a soldiers absence from home, anxiety as a result of being involved in a war in addition to the overall number of deaths. The longer a war lasts the greater chances there are for a decline in overall public support. The initial stages of a conflict have a tendency establishing a rally-around-the-flag mentality.[25] In which citizens experience a sense of unification and support the decision to go to war in hopes of solving the problem. However as the war drags on initial approval ratings begin to decrease and a new sense of opposition forms. Because of this shorter wars typically have higher approval ratings, while longer wars face immense amounts of criticism.[26] General Douglas MacArthur had originally predicted that the Korean War would be a short campaign for the United States. American troops took part in the Korean conflict in large part as a stand against communism. The anti-communism movement and hope that the war would end quickly established a rally-around-the-flag mentality of the American people. Due to collective experiences such as World War I, the great depression and World War II American established a sense of commonality. This unified front and desire to end oppression resulted in support. However, as the war waged on citizens began to openly criticize the Truman administration and disapprove of any involvement in Korea. Methodology This study examines how declines in public support of the Truman administration lead to the dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur. To better understand the lack of support experienced by the government public opinion polls from the 1950s had to be analyzed. Online data bases were used to research public opinion polls in the broader sense. Articles from archival data bases clearly explained the importance of public opinion, what influences opinions, how they impact governmental processes and lastly the errors relating to them. This allowed for a comprehensive foundation for the study. Once the introductory research was conducted a relationship was formulated between public opinion throughout the war and the Truman administration. To gather pertinent information news paper articles, magazine stories (primarily from Life Magazine) and scholarly articles pertaining to the Truman administration were used. These resources were chosen because of data availability, at the time newspapers and magazines were the most popular forms of media outlets. Life magazine proved to be an intriguing and informative reference. The magazine began extensive coverage of the Korean War from the start and released weekly articles. The Stories covered all aspects of the war, from life in Korea to how the war had impacted the lives of a soldiers family. Archived articles from Life Magazine allowed for an interesting perspective of public opinion. The stories brought insight into how the American public felt about the war as things began to change. An issue released on July 10, 1950 titled Sy camore Backs the President discussed support of the Truman administration and their decision to enter Korea. Then after the Chinese invasion an article released on December 25, 1950 titled Sycamore Revisited interviewed the same individuals form the July 10th article to see where they stood. Those interviewed no longer approved of the Korean War.[27] Scholarly works such as journal articles and books allowed for an understanding of the chronological events taking place throughout the war. The conflict between Truman and MacArthur was made evident. By correlating public opinion trends to actual events one could begin to develop an idea as to why Truman dismissed MacArthur when he did. This allowed for a deeper comprehension of the stresses faced by the Truman administration and the factors leading to declining support. Findings: Factors Resulting in a Decline of Public Support President Harry S. Truman was supported by the American public when the decision was made to enter the Korean conflict. After North Koreas attack on South Korea on June 25th 1950, Trumans administration decided to take immediate action to repress any communist hostility. The decision to fight back was not solely based on the actions of North Korea; Truman feared a grand communist movement thus beginning a period of military reform. Trumans reform efforts allowed for a rearming of the military for immediate use in the Korean conflict and also for the long term application against communism.[28] The Truman administration began to implement new domestic reforms alongside the changes being made to the military. The fair deal built on Roosevelts New Deal and aimed to guarantee economic and social stability to the American public. The Korean conflict ultimately led to the demise of the fair deal. Increased spending on a permanent defense economy resulted in less funding available for domestic programs. The United States spent a substantial amount of money during the course of the Korean War. By wars end the defense budget rose from $13.5 billion to approximately $50 billion. The massive budgetary increase caused inflation. To handle inflation Americans entered a period of government control on wages, the price of goods and raw materials, raised corporate taxes and tightened credit. By implementing government controls the Truman administration was able to maintain support from the American public, both democrats and republicans seemed to trust the administration.[29] Along with military reforms President Truman appointed General Douglas C. MacArthur as the Commander of the United Nations forces during the first phases of the Korean War. General MacArthur gained recognition as a commander for the allies in the Southwest Pacific during World War II and was ordered to oversee the post-war occupation of Japan. At the start of the war it seemed as though the relationship between Truman and MacArthur would greatly benefit the United States, however, the opposite occurred. Truman and MacArthur frequently clashed on how to handle the war. As the administration began to be criticized and the overall consensus of the American public was that of leaving the war, Truman was forced to reevaluate the United States participation in the war.[30] The United States was able to successfully avoid mass economic havoc until China entered Korea in November 1950. Not only did the invasion cause a substantial amount of military stress but also economic struggles. The introduction of China as a player in the Korean War brought on the fear of a third world war. To counteract this fear the Truman administration began to speed up their military rearmament efforts, this resulted in increased inflation. November 1950 plays a pivotal point for Truman, at this time republicans and even democrats began to disapprove of the administration.[31] Criticism of the Truman administration and the war as a whole continued to rise as the end of the year approached. Life Magazine, which began publishing stories about the Korean War a week after its start, steadfastly discussed the issues facing the United States due to Chinas involvement in the Far East. An article titled Once More, We Got a Hell of a Beating published on December 11, 1950 stated that Chinas participation in the war changed everything and that Korea is an entirely new war as stated by MacArthur. United States troops had to mobilize quickly to suppress the Chinese; however according to the article mobilization was slow moving and consisted of weak man power. As the American public gained knowledge of the war through media outlets such as Life Magazine overall faith in the Truman administration began to deteriorate. Democrats and Republicans alike who had originally supported American involvement in the war found themselves questioning whether or not it was worth it.[ 32] In January of 1951 the Peoples Republic of China attempted to reach a peace agreement by asking for a 7-power conference to discuss the fate of Korea and Chinas position in the United Nations. President Truman along with the American government decided that it would not be beneficial to give China a seat in the United Nations; instead they censured the republic for aggression. Although China had been excluded from the United Nations MacArthur continued to torment the Chinese. In March he engaged in an ultimatum with the Peoples Republic of China. General MacArthur insisted that the Chinese remove troops from Korea. MacArthur then added that if Chinas troops were not removed they would face dire consequences. Truman was enraged with MacArthurs actions; President Truman did not appreciate how severely a single individual could impact foreign policy. The President realized that something must be done.[33] A few months after MacArthurs increased aggression towards China the general leaked news that he planned to use Chinese nationalists forces from Formosa in the Korean War. This plan of action was a complete contradiction to Trumans diplomatic policies leading to MacArthurs dismissal. Although Truman succeeded in firing General MacArthur the process was a difficult one. MacArthur had acquired a great deal of support and a substantial following from the Republican Party. Public opinion polls showed that MacArthur was incredibly popular in the eyes of the American Public. Because of this President Truman could not simply fire MacArthur without a valid reason and a warranted explanation.[34] Trumans decision to dismiss General MacArthur has been referred to as one of the major setbacks during the Korean War. After MacArthurs dismissal on April 11, 1951 media outlets released story after story on the conflict between Truman and MacArthur. Life magazine published an article on April 17th titled The Role of MacArthur an editorial piece chronicling his role in the Korean War. A later article released on May 7th titled Mac Rolls On focused on MacArthur as the hero of the Republican Party and embraced the general. Those who supported General MacArthur did not approve of Trumans decision to dismiss him resulting in declining public support.[35] General MacArthurs dismissal became a popular news story. Another topic gaining momentum was that of the Korean War leading to World War III. American citizens fear of this only increased after Chinese Involvement. The Public went from being told that the war would be a stand against communism to a long term global war. American citizens were still healing from World War II and lived with a constant fear of taking part in a similar conflict. The atomic bomb created an entirely new threat, one of complete and total annihilation. The impact of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima was catastrophic on the Japanese. The nuclear strength of the atomic bomb surpassed any bomb created before it. The American Association of the Advancement of Science discussed the use of the atomic bomb by the United States and described its power as follows:[36] Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima, an important Japanese army base. The bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of TNT. It had more than 2,000 times the blast of the British Grand Slam, which is the largest bomb ever used in the history of warfare.[37] After the creation and use of the atomic bomb the worlds superpowers became increasingly eager to develop nuclear weapons to ensure a defense against one another. As stated above the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima was a deadly device. When World War II ended the atomic bombs strength had been compared to harnessing the basic power of the universe.[38] The American public was made aware of the force and destructive ability of the atomic bomb thus understanding the consequences of its use. A life magazine article titled How U.S. Cities can prepare for Atomic War discussed the publics fear of the Korean War ultimately resulting in a third World War. This led American citizens to create protocols and guidelines in case of nuclear warfare. By engaging in atomic bomb drills citizens dealt with a constant fear of being attacked, therefore, to reduce the chances of world war three the United States should end its involvement in the Korean War. [39] In an attempt to avoid a major world war President Truman deployed troops to Europe and provided aid and increased military assistance to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This decision faced a great deal of criticism, primarily from republicans and conservatives. Throughout the Korean War and at the start of Cold War struggles emphasis was placed on communism. Republicans and conservatives desired minimal government intervention in the lives of American citizens. Around this time the idea of McCarthyism began to take hold. Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin accused 205 members of government to being part of the American Communist Party. The stigma which coincided with being anti-American or anti-freedom caused a great deal of controversy. Senator McCarthys primary targets were democrats; he even stated that President Truman was soft on communism resulting in a decline of public support towards the Truman administration.[40] The Truman administration made several attempts to regain the support of American citizens. Although the Korean War did not end while Truman was president he still made an attempt to change his public image. Research shows that Truman did not typically give thought to overall public opinion; it was not in his character. However, the administration did make an attempt to gain support in hopes of having the American Public go along with numerous budgetary changes. The Truman Administrations Attempt to Regain American Support In the spring of 1950 the Truman administration began discussing an increase in defense spending. Government officials realized that public support typically declines during war times and felt that support would be needed when the budgetary changes took place. The administration created an approach to change the nations perspective of the consequences resulting from the war. The approach consisted of a simplistic and exaggerated information campaign, employing arguments that were clearer than truth. This campaign hoped to convince the public that the war a necessary evil. The administration realized that scare tactics would only work for so long; a new approach had to be introduced. Anti-communist rhetoric was constantly in the press. By frequently referring to the communist threat the government believed that the public would pay less attention to increased spending.[41] In the early stages of the Korean War media censorship was very limited. News papers and magazines were able receive information from the front lines and release them to the masses. President Truman was a complete contradiction to the transparent exchange of information from Korea and the United States. He attempted to avoid press conferences and discussions with the press. Truman even disapproved of other members of his administration conversations with the press. [42] Worries of overall public opinion became less of a focus for the administration after the Chinese invasion in late November, 1950. The Chinese posed a serious threat to the United States and their involvement in the Korean War. As a result the government made no deliberate attempt to mask or censor information from the American public. The opposite occurred; the public was then made aware of increased military spending. On December 15, 1950 Truman publically called for an immediate expansion of the armed forces to 3.5 million and declared a state of emergency in hopes of forcing the American public into accepting military rearmament and budgetary increases[43]. The following is an excerpt from Trumans address to the public; In June, the forces of communist imperialism broke out into open warfare in Korea. The United Nations moved to put down this act of aggression, and by October, had all but succeeded. Then in November, the communists threw their Chinese armies into the battle against the free nations. By this act they have shown that they are now willing to push the war to the brink of general war to get what they want. This is the real meaning of the events that have been taking place in Korea. That is why we are in such grave danger.[44] The Truman administration was facing a dire situation. The American public had been under the impression that the Korean War would be a short term ordeal. However as Truman stated in his address to the nation the Korean war had been pushed to the brink of general war by Chinese involvement. The public was becoming aware of how complex and drawn out the war was becoming. In an attempt to calm the public members of the state department began holding a series of off the record meetings with reporters, news correspondents and columnists to keep the American public informed of the situation on the war front. Discussion and Personal Opinions The Korean War proved to be devastating for the Truman administration. The American public had experienced turbulent times including the great depression and two world wars before the governments decision to take part in the Korean conflict in 1950. One can only imagine how horrifying and stressful involvement in the war would have been to the citizens of the United States. This study focused on the factors resulting in a decline of public support. At the start of the war president Truman was successful in having the American people rally behind the anti-communist cause. It appeared as though the war would eradicate communism from every inch of the globe. The United States, which stood for freedom would not tolerate communist expansion and mobilization. As a current citizen of the United States one can relate to the notion of protecting the rights and privileges of living in a democratic society. Civilians are given the opportunity to take part in governmental procedures by voting and evaluating the status of the nation through public opinion polls and surveys. Unlike a communist regime the American government does place emphasis on the wants and needs of the masses. This had to be protected any way possible. The Korean War therefore could not be avoided and the Truman administration was eager to send troops over. Before the Chinese invasion military efforts seemed to be successful. The United Nation forces under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur appeared to be making progress. As stated previously the overall consensus of the public was to rally-around-the-flag. With an increasing threat of a communist uprising the government and the general public felt that it was the perfect time to end communism once and for all. Propaganda campaigns constantly labeled citizens as communists. McCarthyism took a strong hold and spread like wild fire. People from all walks of life found themselves being accused of supporting the American Communist party, even President Truman and democrats alike were said to be soft towards communism or in other words more accepting of it.[45] One can understand how the threat of communism could have unified the nation in support for the Korean war. Media outlets repeatedly reported on the approval the public had on the war. At the time the public had been promised a short term military effort. The war seemed to be something that would end rather soon and achieve a highly desirable outcome. By winning in Korea the United States would have (1) repressed a communist expansion and (2) made a statement to the rest of the world. A victory in Korea would tell all other nations attempti

The Disease that Infests The District Essay -- Essays Papers

The Disease that Infests The District There is a disease that is sweeping across this country. From this disease, no one person has immunity. It strikes the poorest of families and the richest of families. It has the ability to harm the old and young, male and female. It does not care what your sexual preference is, if it wants to infect you, it will. What is this disease that does not care who it harms? It is the acquired immune deficiency syndrome, better known as AIDS. Even the capital of the most powerful country in the world has a problem with AIDS. In fact, Washington, DC has a major problem with this disease. The rate of new AIDS cases in the District and its surrounding areas is twelve times higher than the national average. â€Å"By the end of 1998, [†¦] there are 19,086 cases of AIDS in the DC greater metro area and 10,750 deaths from the disease (Whitman-Walker Clinic). One of the groups that is most heavily affected by this disease in Washington, DC as well as across the country is homosexual men, though in recent years that trend seems to be changing. It is for this reason that concern was growing in the District about the AIDS problem amongst the homosexual community. This is where the Whitman-Walker Clinic steps in. Located in the Northwest area of Washington, DC, this clinic has been serving the community as early as 1973. The clinic has an array of services mainly for the homosexual population that include testing for HIV and AIDS, support groups, legal services, the list goes on and on. One of the major aspects of the Whitman-Walker Clinic is providing prevention education to those who have not yet contracted the disease. One of the divisions ... ...ed their services to different areas not just here in The District. Primary care clinics are also located in Northern Virginia and most recently Maryland. â€Å"One of the biggest things we just accomplished was expanding primary care to a new Maryland facility. Every here [at the Whitman-Walker Clinic] is happy to see it happen, notes Chip Lewis. The hours that the clinic is open is also changing. â€Å"We realize that people have lives outside of having HIV and AIDS. We are working to expand the hours that all of our clinics are open. Convenience is always an issue; we want to serve as many people as possible† (Chip Lewis) It is about time that â€Å"as many people as possible† are being provided with service to combat AIDS, because too many people have been neglected from services for too long simply because they did not fit the nation’s stereotype of who contracted AIDS. The Disease that Infests The District Essay -- Essays Papers The Disease that Infests The District There is a disease that is sweeping across this country. From this disease, no one person has immunity. It strikes the poorest of families and the richest of families. It has the ability to harm the old and young, male and female. It does not care what your sexual preference is, if it wants to infect you, it will. What is this disease that does not care who it harms? It is the acquired immune deficiency syndrome, better known as AIDS. Even the capital of the most powerful country in the world has a problem with AIDS. In fact, Washington, DC has a major problem with this disease. The rate of new AIDS cases in the District and its surrounding areas is twelve times higher than the national average. â€Å"By the end of 1998, [†¦] there are 19,086 cases of AIDS in the DC greater metro area and 10,750 deaths from the disease (Whitman-Walker Clinic). One of the groups that is most heavily affected by this disease in Washington, DC as well as across the country is homosexual men, though in recent years that trend seems to be changing. It is for this reason that concern was growing in the District about the AIDS problem amongst the homosexual community. This is where the Whitman-Walker Clinic steps in. Located in the Northwest area of Washington, DC, this clinic has been serving the community as early as 1973. The clinic has an array of services mainly for the homosexual population that include testing for HIV and AIDS, support groups, legal services, the list goes on and on. One of the major aspects of the Whitman-Walker Clinic is providing prevention education to those who have not yet contracted the disease. One of the divisions ... ...ed their services to different areas not just here in The District. Primary care clinics are also located in Northern Virginia and most recently Maryland. â€Å"One of the biggest things we just accomplished was expanding primary care to a new Maryland facility. Every here [at the Whitman-Walker Clinic] is happy to see it happen, notes Chip Lewis. The hours that the clinic is open is also changing. â€Å"We realize that people have lives outside of having HIV and AIDS. We are working to expand the hours that all of our clinics are open. Convenience is always an issue; we want to serve as many people as possible† (Chip Lewis) It is about time that â€Å"as many people as possible† are being provided with service to combat AIDS, because too many people have been neglected from services for too long simply because they did not fit the nation’s stereotype of who contracted AIDS.

Health care challenges Essay

Our country is set to face a new way of managing health which could potentially change the environment on how nurses deliver care. As our nation prepares for the implementation of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nursing as a healing profession has to be open to what the future of health management holds. The goal is to have all registered nurses reach a high level of understanding and acquire tools necessary to provide the best possible way at a low cost. It is both moral and professional obligation of our leaders to ensure that highly competent and well trained nurses are available throughout this transition. To achieve this goal, nurse educators are the key players to train both novice and seasoned nurses to the change based on the new policies and evidence-based research. However, our Nurse Educators are overwhelmed with their current workload hence causing faculty shortage in the country. A recent study published on 2011 aimed to explore the relation of nursing faculty shortage to their workload, determine if there are evidences that the faculty workload is not equitable and the implication/effect to the nursing research and nursing academic. According to this study, there are multiple factors that influence the nursing faculty shortage such as lack of interest from the nurses to try academic careers, time spends to clinical practice defers pursuance into academic positions, low salaries, high educational costs, nursing education dissatisfaction and most importantly low institutional funding for additional nurse educator positions. Nancy Falk stated in her article that â€Å"despite current critical shortage and growing demand for nurses and nurse educators, federal funding falls far short of addressing these healthcare workforce challenges. Workforce projections suggest that the US will face a shortage of 285,000 nurses by 2015 and 500, 000 by 2025.† (Mason, Leavitt & Chaffee, 2012, p 58). Also, American Association Colleges of Nursing reported on 2011-2012, that nursing schools turned away 75,587 applicants who are qualified for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs because of inadequate nursing faculty including clinical preceptors. These challenges ultimately impact the future of patient care if not addressed. Faculty leaders must work in partnership to create a strategy that will help prevent further faculty shortage by focusing on balanced faculty workload to avoid burnout. This article emphasized on the continuous support by government officials especially adequate funding to nursing education. AACN is allocating its resources to protect federal funding for academic development programs, identify strategies to prevent nursing educator shortage. Additional solution is to create a mentorship program for nurse faculty. This strategy was confirmed by various literature and studies to promote nursing faculty recruitment and retention. Mentorship brings encouragement and direction to clinical educators who are new to the role and prevent burnout. Health care system will be lost without nurses in our society. Statistic shows that there are currently 2.9 million nurses in the United States but nurses with special skills such as in education is extremely needed. Nurse Educators, in some ways, affect the lives of everyone. It is through this role where highly competent, compassionate healers such as nurses are produced. â€Å"The future of the nursing profession depends on a steady supply of nurses to provide the quality care to patients† (Cowen & Moorhead, 2011, p. 60)

Mixed Economic System Essay

A mixed economy is an economic system in which both the private sector and state direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight and governmental provision of public goods. Some mixed economies also feature a variety of state-run enterprises. A mixed economic system (also known as a Dual Economy) is just like it sounds (a combination of economic systems), but it primarily refers to a mixture of a market and command economy (for obvious reasons, a traditional economy does not typically mix well). As you can imagine, many variations exist, with some mixed economies being primarily free markets and others being strongly controlled by the government. In general the mixed economy is characterized by the private ownership of the means of production, the dominance of markets for economic coordination, with profit-seeking enterprise and the accumulation of capital remaining the fundamental driving force behind economic activity. But unlike a free-market economy, the government would wield indirect macroeconomic influence over the economy through fiscal and monetary policies designed to counteract economic downturns and capitalism’s tendency toward financial crises and unemployment, along with playing a role in interventions that promote social welfare. Subsequently, some mixed economies have expanded in scope to include a role for indicative economic planning and/or large public enterprise sectors. Advantages of A Mixed Economy In the most common types of mixed economies, the market is more or less free of government ownership except for a few key areas. These areas are usually not the resources that a command economy controls. Instead, as in America, they are the government programs such as education, transportation, USPS, etc. While all of these industries also exist in the private sector in America, this is not always the case for a mixed economy. Disadvantages of A Mixed Economy While a mixed economy can lead to incredible results (America being the obvious example), it can also suffer from similar downfalls found in other  economies. For example, the last hundred years in America has seen a rise in government power. Not just in imposing laws and regulations, but in actually gaining control, becoming more difficult to access while simultaneously becoming less flexible. This is a common tendency of mixed economies. Introduction to Economic Systems There are four primary types of economic systems in the world: traditional, command, market and mixed. Each economy has its strengths and weaknesses, its sub-economies and tendencies, and, of course, a troubled history. In this project examine each system in turn and give ample attention to the attributes listed above. It’s important to understand how different parts of the world function economically, as the economy is one of the strongest forces when it comes to balancing political power, instigating war and delivering a high (or low) quality of life to the people it serves. An economic system is a system of production and exchange of goods and services as well as allocation of resources in a society. It includes the combination of the various institutions, agencies, entities (or even sectors as described by some authors) and consumers that comprise the economic structure of a given community. A related concept is the mode of production. The study of economic systems includes how these various agencies and institutions are linked to one another, how information flows between them, and the social relations within the system. Among existing economic systems, distinctive methods of analysis have developed, such as socialist economics and Islamic economic jurisprudence. Today the dominant form of economic organization at the global level is based on market-oriented mixed economies.

Present How Strategic Planning, Performance Improvement, and Information Systems Are Interrelated and Fundamental to the Delivery of Quality Healthcare Essays

Present How Strategic Planning, Performance Improvement, and Information Systems Are Interrelated and Fundamental to the Delivery of Quality Healthcare Essays Present How Strategic Planning, Performance Improvement, and Information Systems Are Interrelated and Fundamental to the Delivery of Quality Healthcare Essay Present How Strategic Planning, Performance Improvement, and Information Systems Are Interrelated and Fundamental to the Delivery of Quality Healthcare Essay HCA 340 Managing in Health Human Services Instructor: Elizabeth Wells-Beede Latriest Fisher July 18, 2011 Course Learning and Outcomes Read texts that you deem most important or relevant for a course first, particularly when your professor mentions a passage or when a reading is to be covered in class. Prioritize readings by determining what will be reviewed in discussion sections and by knowing test dates and due dates for papers. Be sure that you have enough time to complete your reading assignments by scheduling more time than you think you need. To get the most from your class readings, use the following tips; managing reading assignments, and Reading effectively. Condense information take margin notes and highlight important points within readings. When it is time to study for tests, focus on the notes youve taken and the passages youve highlighted in a separate notebook; write down ideas and questions that arise while youre reading. This will help you think critically about what youve read, and will serve as a guide as you study for tests, write papers, and ask questions in class. Identify sequences of events in your readings and make lists to put events in order. Gain a broader understanding of what you read by visualizing characters and working to grasp their motivations. Be attentive to cause-effect relationships that are central to knowing why events happen. Prioritize your reading assignments, Read the assignments that you deem to be most important first. If you know some readings will be covered in class, or if your professor has mentioned specific reading assignments, those may be your priority. Similarly, you may want to prioritize assignments in which youre reading about things you dont know over assignments that cover subjects that youre familiar with. Generally, you may want to read primary source assignments for a class before reading secondary source is to find a place to read where you feel comfortable. An ideal place to read minimizes outside distractions and is well lit. Evaluate the reading progress you make where you currently study. If you feel you could read better elsewhere, give a new place a try. To become an effective reader, you must be an active reader. That means doing more than just reading the words on each page of a reading assignment; it means becoming involved with material and thinking about it while you read. The basic steps for becoming an active reader are: Know generally what youre going to cover in a reading assignment and why. Make a rough outline of the reading assignment as you go Watch for key terms and take notes with brief definitions Take notes on the main points and general themes Summarize your reading assignments in short paragraphs Write a short reflective response about the reading assignment after youre finished with it . Skim texts and read selectively only if you dont have enough time to devote to reading an entire assignment. To skim a text you need to: Read introductions, conclusions, and summary paragraphs, read the first and last lines of paragraphs look at all illustrations, graphs, and tables read all words and phrases that are highlighted in bold or italics. The Discussion questions that have to be answered each week are a form of seeing if we have read and understood the particular chapter. The process of responding to your fellow classmates gives us the ability to interact with our fellow classmates. To have a view of their opinion as well as gaining a new friend that you may have to call on down the road.

Corporate Finance Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Finance Assignment - Essay Example Mergers and acquisitions create the potential for strengthening the market as well as technological superiority for developing the overall growth of the company with benefits. The cost of production can also be reduced and operational efficiencies can be improved with an emphasis on enhancement of value of brand bringing more goodwill for an achievement that would be spell bounding and financial feasible as well as it is viable for growth (Pautler, 2003). The ideas of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) create an opportunity that would rekindle the companies involved to assess their financial strengths based on an analysis of their products of their money spinners. Some product lines of offering company might be substituted by the divestment of the business involved in that product lines for betterment of turnover because of the offeree company’s strength in the market. This is with certain product lines that would add value addition to the business of offering company. Alternatively, there are circumstances that other big product lines may be pursued by the offering company that contributes nearly 100% of their turnover. Such product lines are strengthened further by the scheme of mergers and acquisitions with the offerree company. Secondly, the advantage in financial terms for a substantial purchase consideration is on the cards while going ahead with the scheme of mergers and acquisitions. For instance, a company with product lines of industrial products contributing less than 15% of the turnover and 85% of the turnover being contributed by real estate in early 1980s could go ahead with a scheme of merger and acquisitions. Such a company after realizing its full potential with realizations of industrial products divested its stake with the scheme of mergers and acquisitions with their real estate arm of business to derive the full potential from both the product lines for a few years. Later when expansion was on the cards for big boom in real estate

The Article by Atul Gawande (2009) New Yorker Term Paper

The Article by Atul Gawande (2009) New Yorker - Term Paper Example Some scholars suggest that the system has drifted out of control: â€Å"Through no planned design or evil intent, our health care system has evolved in ways that better serve a myriad of economic, professional, and political interests than those of patients and families, and the larger public† (Mechanic, 2006, p. ix). Gawande, however, sees a much bleaker picture, and suggests that there are areas in America where doctors and administrators are financially tied into provision, and that this encourages massive amounts of over-treatment, with no benefit to patients. Gawande’s article describes a huge discrepancy in the per capita costs of medical care in two comparable districts, McAllen and El Paso, Texas, while there is no evidence that the higher cost location (McAllen) offers better care or achieves better results. This gives rise to a serious ethical problem: in El Paso patients have much lower rates of access to all kinds of tests and treatments, while in McAllen, t hey have much higher rates. The variation is due to doctor behavior, and not down to the demographics of the citizens, since the two regions are very similar. This is the kind of situation that led to the passing of the 2010 Health Care Reform bill which aims to extend health coverage to from 83% to 95% of the legally resident population. (Tumulty, 2010, p. 1) Unfortunately, however, huge variation in the way that this money is spent will mean that a fair and equal service is not likely to happen. From the point of view of justice, or fairness, such unequal practices cannot be defended, since all American citizens should have equal access to the benefits of our modern technologies. From a utilitarian point of view, there is a deviation from best practice, since in the McAllen hospitals there is little effort to gain the greatest benefit to patients for the lowest cost. Increasing the amount of testing in order to maximise revenue is the very opposite of ethical behaviour on the part of institutions where doctors earn more for ordering more procedures and tests. Gawande suggests that the problem lies with the structures of delivery, and describes the McAllen healthcare model as â€Å"as system that has no brakes† (Gawanda, p. 14). He cites the example of the Mayo clinic, where doctors receive a fixed salary, as a potential solution. Fewer scans are done, and more discussion between doctors takes place to minimize unnecessary treatments, all of which come with risks as well as benefits, and to try to ensure that patients have what they need, rather than what can be sold to them for profit. There is little incentive to cherry pick patients in this kind of system, and hospitals which follow this style find that overall costs are lower, and quality of care goes up. This analysis takes a refreshing look at the way the whole system is set up, and this gives the reader an overview of things rather than just the view of an economist, or a health professional, or an administrator. It highlights the error that patients, and some doctors, often make, in thinking that more testing is always good. The point is to do what is the best for the patient, and not what sustains the system. If there was more of this kind of benchmarking across hospitals with comparable patient characteristics, then perhaps more could be done to eliminate wasteful