Monday, December 30, 2019

The Gospel Of Wealth By Andrew Carnegie Essay - 918 Words

Since the nineteenth and twentieth century, there has always been a division between the wealthy and unfortunate. During these times the higher class continued to prosper while the lower class remained at the bottom, the separation continues to grow. Three men vocalize their views on the social division, capitalism, and individualism. Andrew Carnegie, an industrialist, believed the rich should distributed their wealth to benefit society while they’re alive. Carnegie elaborates this idea in his article, The Gospel of Wealth, written in 1889. Russell Conwell, a philanthropist, expresses in his speech, Acres of Diamonds, men should utilize their surrounding opportunities to make themselves wealthy. Edward Bellamy, a socialist, wrote Look Backward about a wealthy young man, Julian West, who enters hypnotic sleep in 1887 and awakes 113 years later. Although, the men state similar matters their views contrast, Carnegie and Conwell would most likely be critical to Bellamy’s vision. Julian West is educated and the third generation of his family to have great fortune. West’s life of luxury succeed through â€Å"support from the labor of others, rendering no sort of service in return (Bellamy).† When West enters hypnotic sleep and awakes in 2000 he realizes the 20th century is very different from the 19th. Bellamy’s Looking Backward was vastly popular particular among the middle class. His vision is desired by the middle class because it’s better than today’s world. Bellamy’s visionShow MoreRelatedAndrew Carnegie And The Gospel Of Wealth957 Words   |  4 PagesAndrew Carnegie (1835-1919) is a prime example of the phrase, from rags to riches. During his early and teenage years, Carnegie went through poverty. After coming up with crafty investments and going through various jobs, he rose to great prosperity. Because he has experienced poverty and knows that it is a well-known problem, â€Å"Carnegie sought to u se philanthropy to provide opportunities for individuals to help themselves.† Unlike Carnegie, William Graham Sumner (1840-1910), an influential professorRead MoreAndrew Carnegie Gospel Of Wealth1161 Words   |  5 Pages Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish immigrant, born in 1835. His first foray into the world of work was as a bobbin boy, at the age of 13, where he earned $1.20 per week. Carnegie quickly gained skills and proved his work ethic, until he landed a job with the Pennsylvania Railroad, and was promoted to superintendent by the age of 24 (Carnegie.org, 2015). From there, Carnegie’s vision and success grew exponentially, and now his name is often mentioned alongside the likes of Henry Ford, ThomasRead MoreThe Gospel Of Wealth By Andrew Carnegie1180 Words   |  5 PagesWealth can be defined as a surplus. This surplus is distributed among a society. The distribution creates associations among the people of the society with respect to wealth. The Gospel of Wealth, written by Andrew Carnegie, describes two classes and the association of wealth between them. Adam Smith’s passage, Of the Natural Progress of Opulence, similarly, includes a reciprocal relationship of production between the town and country. Unlike the other essays, Marx’s, Communist Manifesto, debunksRead MoreAndrew Carnegie The Gospel Of Wealth Summary1044 Words   |  5 PagesAndrew Carnegies The Gospel of Wealth: Why Now? Makayla Newberne, The Times’ Editor in Chief In case you missed reading the June, 1889 issue of the North American Review, Andrew Carnegie submitted some words of wisdom entitled â€Å"The Gospel of Wealth†. In this article, Carnegie shares his beliefs as to what the moral obligations of the wealthy are to their fellow citizens. Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrate to the United States in 1848, is a self-made millionaire and agreeable one of the richestRead MoreEssay on The Gospel of Wealth, by Andrew Carnegie975 Words   |  4 PagesIn the â€Å"Gospel of wealth†, Andrew Carnegie argues that it is the duty of the wealthy entrepreneur who has amassed a great fortune during their lifetime, to give back to those less fortunate. Greed and selfishness may force some readers to see these arguments as preposterous; however, greed is a key ingredient in successful competition. It forces competitors to perform at a higher level than their peers in hopes of obtaining more money and individual wealth. A capitalist society that allows thisRead MoreAndrew Carnegie on the Gospel of Wealth1250 Words   |  5 PagesAndrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835. His father, Will, was a weaver and a follower of Chartism, a popular movement of the British working class that called for the masses to v ote and to run for Parliament in order to help improve conditions for workers. The exposure to such political beliefs and his familys poverty made a lasting impression on young Andrew and played a significannot role in his life after his family immigrated to the United States in 1848. Andrew CarnegieRead MoreAdam Smith And Andrew Carnegie And The Gospel Of Wealth1260 Words   |  6 Pagescontinuous disparity of wealth and income can cause constant economic problems within a society. Although it is not apparent all the time, there are few benefits of discrepancy itself such as individual wealth, capital, and labor. Both Smith and Carnegie have distinct beliefs about wealth that differentiate from one another, yet are similar in certain ways. Adam Smith confined all his ideas about the common man in his â€Å"Wealth of Nations†. Whereas, in the â€Å"Gospel of Wealth,† Andrew Carnegie had distinct beliefsRead MoreAnalysis Of Andrew Carnegie s The Gospel Of Wealth1950 Words   |  8 PagesOld Money Spoils There are many dangers of leaving great sums of inheritance money to the children of those who accumulated their own fortunes. Andrew Carnegie, a self-made philanthropist millionaire who gave away $350 million and built 2,509 libraries before his death in 1919, sees this as a great problem as well and writes about it in â€Å"The Gospel of Wealth;† along with how he believes that the highest obligation of those who have amassed a great fortune is to return their money to the societies whereRead MoreEssay about The True Gospel of Wealth: Andrew Carnegie.698 Words   |  3 PagesTrue Gospel of Wealth: Andrew Carnegie The True Gospel of Wealth, an article written by one of the richest, most powerful men of the 19th century, is a guide to a nation virgin to mass amounts of wealth, and power. Carnegie is a self made millionaire, who immigrated to the United States with less than a dollar in his pocket. This fact would serve important in Carnegies epic rise to fortune, also in developing such philosophical understandings as, The True Gospel of Wealth. Andrew CarnegieRead MoreJessica Avalos Avalos 1. Professor1114 Words   |  5 Pagesindustrialist, such as Andrew Carnegie, there were many differences of opinions on the execution of capitalism between these industrialists and their workers. Andrew Carnegie expressed his ideas and views in article, â€Å"The Gospel of Wealth,† in which he outlines the duties of industrialist to better the life of their workers and community. On the other hand, a working man wrote â€Å"A Work Mans Prayer,† a sarcastic response to Andrew Carnegies â€Å"The Gospel of Wealth,† clearly against what Andrew Carnegie believes and

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Influence of the Media in the Anti-War Movement of the...

During his testimony to the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations, John Kerry mentioned that in his opinion, â€Å"there is nothing in South Vietnam which could have happened that realistically threatens the United States of America.† In that same testimony, Kerry discussed that most people â€Å"did not even know the difference between communism and democracy. They only wanted to work in rice paddies without helicopters strafing them and bombs with napalm burning their villages and tearing their country apart.† The Fulbright hearings were an eye-opener to the millions of Americans who watched them. They convinced many that opposing the war and patriotism were compatible. The movement against the Vietnam War could be said as one of the greatest†¦show more content†¦Similar to African Americans, women disliked the draft because it disenfranchised generation of young men from better opportunities. Moreover, when the Johnson administration employed the search-an d-destroy military in Vietnam, search-and-destroy became associated with negative connotations of Americans. On top of that, Operation Rolling Thunder introduced the application of napalm; this led many women in America sympathizing with the Vietnamese civilians. Women protested the use of napalm, a flammable weapon created by the Dow Chemical Company and used as a weapon during the war, by boycotting Saran Wrap, another product made by the company. Women mobilized to create several antiwar groups, such as Women Strike for Peace (WSP), and Another Mother for Peace; these groups allowed women to become proactive and paved the way for the liberation of women. Arguably the largest source of discontent regarding the Vietnam War came from the students. Students joined the antiwar movement because they were morally opposed to all wars and did not want to fight in a foreign civil war. The students had credibility in their disapproval, because most of those subjected to the draft were too young to vote and therefore did not have a say in the direction of the war. The best-known national student organization for opposing the warShow MoreRelatedPopular Culture And Music Affect U.s. Public Opinion On The Vietnam War2148 Words   |  9 PagesTo what extent did popular culture and music affect U.S. public opinion on the Vietnam War? I.B. Internal Assessment Chavez, Miguel History HL Port Chester High School Word Count: 2,131 May 2016 â€Æ' Table of Contents Part A: Plan of Investigation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 3 Part B: Summary of evidence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...Page 4 Part C: Evaluation of sources†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 7 Part D: Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 9 Part E: Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreAmerican Presidential Election Vs. The President Of The United States Of America Essay1661 Words   |  7 Pagesin 2016. Secondly, the media in both America and Canada has an extreme bias to put their own views forward and suppress that of the opposition, slandering any politician, especially Trump, who isn’t from the left wing. Not only is the media biased, but there is a small group of companies that have a monopolized these biases which we easily learn from the radio, television and internet. Finally, to emphasize the point of ideological diversity, I compare the recent movement in America, that I haveRead MoreEmerging From The Restrictive Culture Of The 1950 S Essay1765 Words   |  8 Pagesculture of the 1950’s, the counterculture of the 1960s challenged the prescribed n orms, roles and expectations of the previous generations that outcasted youth found restrictive and alienating. Baby Boomers retained the abstract goals of mainstream society; they sought individual freedom and opportunities for self-determination. But their vision of the American dream widened the traditional definitions of freedom to include bodily, psychological, and political freedoms. 60’s counterculture disagreedRead MoreWho Has Access to the American Dream1152 Words   |  5 Pagesendowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† Today the â€Å"Dream† is more of a struggle for success. For some it’s a fantasy while for others, it is a long term goal. The media defines society today, thus it’s only natural that it defines the American Dream, one which is no longer focused on freedoms or liberty, but rather money and success. The American Dream not only calls for financial success but also emotional successRead MoreIn A World Filled With Hate, There Are A Select Few That1884 Words   |  8 Pagesthey believe in. For many years individuals have fought for the peace movement. People will go to extraneous lengths to send their message of peace. Some might ask what is peace, well as defined in a lecture on January 4th by Dr. Collin Macollough peace is and can be a variety of different things.†Peace is an attractive concept, something that is openly discussed, even while preparing for war.Can be defined as â€Å"the absence of war† – implies that it is an irregular state o f affairs.Peace is a process:Read MoreControversial Themes in Black Popular Music Essay1767 Words   |  8 PagesControversial Themes in Black Popular Music Controversial themes have always been explored in popular Black music. Because Black experiences influence Black mainstream culture (as with any culture), the social climate of historical eras influence how these themes are explored in popular culture, specifically in the form of music. The presence of controversial themes like racisms, sex and violence in black forms of music like the Blues, Ramp;B/ Soul, Disco, Funk, and Hip-Hop are shaped by the happeningsRead MoreWomen s Rights Movement : Lucretia Mott3104 Words   |  13 Pagesthis gave women a financial status and freedom. Many women who were active in the abolitionist movement then became interested in the women’s rights movement. Women were already discriminated because of their sex. Now some of these brave women wanted to help the African Americans gain their freedom and their right to vote as well. â€Å"Female abolitionists sometimes faced discrimination within the movement itself, which led to their politicization on the issue of women’s rights† (National Women’s HistoryRead MorePopular Culture at the Beginning of the 1960s Essay3766 Words   |  16 PagesPopular Culture at the Beginning of the 1960s The early 1960s was a period of time where standard of living was rising and there was more consumer goods to buy and people were on higher wages so could now afford luxury items which they would of never thought of buying. The 1960s was a period of great change, particularly in the younger generation of people. A good quote from the Prime Mister at the time sums up the early 60s in a way which many would agree with, youveRead MoreStruggle for Black Americans: Civil Rights Movement Essay2552 Words   |  11 PagesReconstruction, long before the civil rights movement would be headlining in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The struggle would not just be for freedom but also in terms of education and employment from the police brutality and general day to day discrimination. This abuse would compel individuals, such as the more famous Black civil rights leaders to launch efforts to assert their constitutional rights and improve their standing in society; through the use of media, that through time would be shown right inRead More The Myths of Vietnam Essay5554 Words   |  23 Pagesversions of the Vietnam War and the antiwar movement began to develop even before the war ended. The hawks version, then and now, holds that the war was winnable, but the press, micromanaging civilian game theorists in the Pentagon, and antiwar hippies lost it. . . . The doves version, con trarily, remains that the war was unwise and unwinnable no matter what strategy was employed or how much firepower was used. . . Both of these versions of the war and the antiwar movement as they have come down

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Marijuana Legalization an Annotated Bibiliography Free Essays

Colin Morris Ms. Morgan English 102-053 1 March 2013 Is it time for the Federal Government to Bud out of States’ Rights? : An Annotated Bibliography Cohen, Micah. â€Å"Marijuana Legalization and States Rights. We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana Legalization: an Annotated Bibiliography or any similar topic only for you Order Now † FiveThirtyEight Marijuana Legalization and States Rights Comments. The New York Times, 8 Dec. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. Summary: This article starts off by asking a new question about the legalization of marijuana. It doesn’t ask whether or not it should be legal, but if the government should change it’s laws on drug enforcement. The polls show that in most of them polls, half of the pollsters believe that it should be left up to the states that have legalized marijuana to decide the laws. It concludes by stating that even though some believe it should be left up to the states, 49% of those people are still opposed to legalization. Analysis: This article makes some very interesting points that are not really brought up in a normal legalization debate. The issue of states’ rights brings a whole new side to the debate. He also does a very good job of keeping his bias out of the article. There are some places in his writing where his bias could have shown but he kept it out. Cohen’s numerous polls do all come to one conclusion; not everyone believes marijuana is a bad thing. Those supporting the issue of states’ rights could help turn the tide in this ongoing debate. What he lacks in this article is a way that pro-legalization leaders could use this new strategy to help their cause. A way to do this would be to show that there are average Americans who could have a say in this debate and not just stoners. Peterson, Bo. â€Å"Legal Pot in South Carolina? DonAt Hold Your Breath. † The Post and Courier. The Post and Courier, 13 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. Summary: This article draws support from unions and civil rights advocates in the Charleston area. These groups all agree that South Carolina should follow with Colorado and Washington. But these groups are countered by senators who believe this issue not only has no ground, but has no chance of happening with this current legislation, due to it’s conservative nature. Analysis: Looking at this article as a South Carolinian, it just shows how for as long as I can remember, our state legislature has had a hard time getting anything accomplished. This article points out the ever growing gap between the people and the government in this state will be the main reason why marijuana will have a hard time being legalized. Bias is not an issue in this article, the writer addresses both sides and draws support from both sides. Even though this article has the general idea that legalization will not happen in South Carolina for awhile, the fact that there are people who think that it should happen, helps the cause as much as it can. Robillard, Kevin. â€Å"Medical Marijuana Bill Unveiled in House. † POLITICO. POLITICO, 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. Summary: In this article, a bill was brought before congress that would help lay out a plan for the government to eventually legalize marijuana. Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer did this in an effort to shed some some light on the federal pot policy. Surprisingly this bill has 13 co-sponsors. These sponsors happen to come from both parties, one is a Republican from California. Though his bill isn’t likely to pass, bills in New Hampshire, Illinois, New York and Maryland are expected to pass to make medicinal marijuana legal. Analysis: This article does nothing but give hope to the pro-legalization crowd. These bills that are circulating through various state Houses are nothing but good news. This writer does a nice job of bringing in people for sources who are actually close to the issue. One of these sources has the idea that medicinal marijuana could help troops with post-traumatic stress. That would be affective but would require a motion from not only people within legislature, but an idea could be to bring in some military execs to help back their claims. But the issue still remains that there are still people a lot of pro-legalization people who do not have a voice. But until there is one solid voice for this issue, it will not go anywhere in the House or the Senate. Pack, Lauren. â€Å"Marijuana Summit Counters Legalization Movement. † Dayton, Ohio Network News, Weather, Traffic, Sports. WHIOTV, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. Summary: This article was on a regional marijuana summit in Ohio. This event brought in people from all sides of the issue, from the business, medical, education, law enforcement and government. Since there are 18 states that have legalized pot, Ohio is looking to push into that group. The usual arguments were brought up from the pro crowd, but the anti-legalization brought up a valid point, 10 percent of card holders in those states actually have a legit reason to have them, but 90 percent use them for headaches etc. But the summit came to the conclusion that if it is about business then they can support it. Analysis: This kind of summit is something that tends to be happening more and more across the country. These summits bring people together who can actually make a difference when the legalization issue comes up. What people don’t realize is that when there is an issue that needs attention all it takes is important people in numbers getting behind then. This kind of summit could actually help progress the pro-legalization cause. The smartest part of the way this summit is constructed was by bringing in people who held power in all parts of the local government. If this method was used across the country, the pro-legalization group would have a much better chance of succeeding. Ludwig, Mike. â€Å"Is America ready to Legalize Marijuana?. † Truthout. Truthout, 7 Feb. 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. Summary: This article tracks another bill that is circulating from the House rather than the Senate. The democratic Rep. from Colorado is proposing a bill that would help lay out a plan that could start a motion to legalize marijuana within the next few years. Support is drawn from polls that are stating that slightly more than half of all Americans belief that adults should be able to purchase marijuana like they do alcohol or tobacco. The bill proposes to remove pot from the Controlled Substance Act. Analysis: This article like most others on the subject, gives marijuana users hope that one day they will not be discriminated. Seeing that there is more than one person in Congress trying to make this works makes users believe they can use freely soon. The more that I look into these articles, the more I find that there really are a good amount of people who actually want to make this happen. By bringing in the idea that we are spending too much money on the war on drugs, the argument for pro-legalization grows new legs. By laying out a plan for all of the money America could be saving, more people could gather around this idea that the debt that keeps going up, could eventually come down to a more manageable amount. Hale, Gary. â€Å"What Is the Best Regulatory Framework for Legalized Marijuana? † Baker Institute Blog. N. p. , 31 Feb. 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. Summary: In this article, the writer addresses the issue of what exactly would be legal when it comes to the future of marijuana. It addresses the issue of the new business side as well Dispensaries would have to gather numerous permits and would rapidly increases in numbers in just a few months. But first the government would have to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substance Act. Until that happens, all of this talk is just speculation. Analysis: This article brings some new ideas to the table as well as some more roadblocks that are not normally talked about. With marijuana being on the banned drugs list, that is the largest hurdle that is left for marijuana to be totally legalized. Right now it is in the same category as LSD and heroine, some people would find that a little excessive. In my opinion marijuana does not even come close to being as dangerous as LSD or heroine. The writer does a nice job at keeping his bias out of his writing. He does an even better job at making hard to detect what side of the argument he falls on. But outside of that the article lays down so pretty interesting ideas that the pro legalization crowd could use in later arguments. How to cite Marijuana Legalization: an Annotated Bibiliography, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Importance of Accountability free essay sample

INTRODUCTION This essay will seek to explore the importance of accountability in a world where no-one and everyone is in charge. There are many different types of accountability that apply to government each of which empathises a different value such as legal, political, professional, managerial, financial and so on (Boston and Gill, 2011). Whatever the type there is a fundamental requirement in a democratic system for accountability at all levels of government, so that they act in ways that are broadly approved by the community. After all, government organisations are created by the public, for the public, and need to be accountable to the public. Accountability within governments means that there is someone within an organisation who can accept ‘praise or blame for a particular decision or action (Hughes, 2003). This easy will explore the importance of government accountability and reveal the expectations of citizens. The Debelle Royal Commission 2013’ is the case study that is used in this essay; it reveals how simple procedural, communication and accountability failures by departmental staff can impact on the integrity of government departments. We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Accountability or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ACCOUNTABILITY Businessdirectory. com defines that accountability is the obligation of an individual or organisation to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner. CITIZENS ACCOUNTABILITY EXPECTATIONS A study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (A Measure of Australia’s Progress) in relation to people’s expectations in ‘Democracy, Governance and Citizenship Progress’ reveals that the wellbeing of society can depend on factors such as the fairness of our political system, the health of our democracy and the confidence that people have in government and public institutions. A healthy and stable democracy needs citizens who care and are willing to partake in shaping the common agenda of society. Public trust in government fragile, further evidence of public disharmony has been from the public opinion polls that have provided increasing evidence that citizens trust in politicians and government is in decline. The Australian Collaboration reports a growth in government ‘protest parties’ such as One Nation and the Australian Greens and political slogans such as ’Keep the Bastards Honest’ are all reactions to this mistrust. Better citizen engagement and participation procedures have been identified as measures that could reduce community anger and frustrations that promote benefits for both the citizens involved and the governments and authorities which serve them. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNABILITY Accountability is essential to the good of government and is one of the cornerstone values of a democratic society; it has become an ever increasing and important factor for governments of the day. Corruption and integrity scandals are media sensations which have toppled the careers of politicians and government employees. It is therefore in the government’s interest that all levels of government promote standards of professionalism, accountability and transparency. Leaders of government are responding to the concerns and demands of citizens, this has been addressed by both the former and current Prime Ministers. In April 2008, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stated in an address to senior executives and agency heads that the government’s agenda included â€Å"rebuilding a culture of accountability across all levels of government†. Prime Minister Rudd identified the need for public servants to meet the expectations of the community, he discussed seven future visionary elements for the public service, which included ‘strengthening the integrity and accountability of government’. Current Prime Minister Tony Abbott has pledged that his government will â€Å"restore strong, stable and accountable government†, with changes that will â€Å"simplify the management of government business, create clear lines of accountability and ensure that departments deliver on the government’s key priorities. † (Thornhill, 2013) The responsibilities of federal government are set out in section 51 of the constitution; the states have residual power to cover other areas of responsibility. Local governments are not included in the constitution; they are generally controlled through state legislation and are accountable to the state. There is an unavoidable overlap of responsibility between state and federal government, however federal power has the upper hand, financially due to vast funding capabilities and legally due to federal legislation over ruling state powers. There are state and federal accountability organisations and also extensive legislative powers to investigate all manner of corruption. These agencies operate both overtly and covertly utilising extensive powers to obtain evidence and uncover wrongdoing. The Independent Corruption against Corruption ICAC) in NSW choses to hold very public corruption hearings, the ICAC website media releases contains details of operations Jasper and Acacia in 2013 which revealed corruption within the mining industry involving ministers and members of parliament. This resulted in the ICAC making 26 several recommendations including accountability reforms to govern the conduct of NSW parliamentarians. The newly formed ICAC, the corruption watchdog in SA will conduct all of its hearings in private. The commissioner of the ICAC will determine what matters will be released into the public domain. Persons breaching the confidentiality of processes related to the ICAC face legal penalties under the ICAC legislation. Interestingly SA in 1972 was the first state to have an Ombudsman and the last state to have an independent body to investigate government corruption which opened its doors in August 2013. Corruption agencies however are expensive costing governments millions of dollars in funding. During the debates regarding the formation of an ICAC in SA former Premier Mike Rann remained unconvinced that it was a cost effective way to prevent or reveal corruption. He stated In other states, ICACs have been proven not to be a cure-all in upholding and maintaining public integrity in our government bodies, most of them cost tens of millions of dollars a year to run, spend far too much time investigating vexatious claims and are inefficient (Dornin, 20111). Achieving accountability can have some negative impacts, in a paper by Bovens in 2010 notions were raised that accountability obligations have progressed well beyond the point of diminishing returns and more accountability does not necessarily produce better government. Accountability overkill discourages innovative and entrepreneurial behaviours in public managers who get better at meeting requirements posed by accountability measures to the detriment of policy making and public service delivery (Bovens, 2010). ACCOUNTABILITY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR GOVERNMENT EMPOYEES The Royal Commission into Public Service Administration in 1979 (The Coombs Report) recommended improvements for accountability within the public service. The Howard government implemented legislation in 1999 for federal government, state and local governments throughout Australia soon followed with various legislation of their own, Singleton et al (2007). As in most employment institutions federal, state and local government employees are all governed by codes of conduct and or ethics. The Public Service Act 1999 (section 13), Public Sector Management Act SA 2009 (section 4) and the Local Government Act 1999 (part 4) are examples of the legal obligations of employees. Government departments are divided into two areas, by departments which contain other departments, branches and sections and by employment grading, classification or occupation. Actions, conduct and decisions made by government employees can be investigated or revealed through a variety of means such as citizen complains, complaints or reports by government employee’s, revelations through internal and external audit processes or maybe through media attention or reporting. Investigative journalism has proven to be an incredible tool for shaming governments and their employees at all levels. Freedom of Interest legislation has been around for over 30 years, it was eventually introduced after 10 years of political and parliamentary debate after fist being mooted in 1972, Singleton et al (2007). It was seen as an important breakthrough allowing for the scrutiny of government and government information a measure to prevent secrecy and promote transparency. FOI requests are time consuming and costly, with applicants paying only nominal process charges. Today government departments generally fail to meet specific process related deadlines due to the ever increasing number of requests. Government employees are also legally required to report instances of wrong doing within government, a difficult and daunting task when you are an employee. Whistleblower protection legislation is aimed at affording a whistlblower protection from liability, dismissal and from being identified. As reported by the Australian Collaboration in relations to the protection of whistleblowers sadly, due to inadequate protection whistleblowers in total contradiction to the purpose of the legislation can and do face reprisals and punitive action. Interestingly, the Commissioner of the ICAC in SA has recently been appointed by the Attorney General to conduct a review of the operation and effectiveness of the Whistleblower Act in SA. The ICAC website invites interested parties to make written submissions, and adverts have also been recently published in the Adelaide Advertiser. Administrative Appeal Tribunals,, this is a tribunal process which can review a wide range of decisions made by government ministers, departments, agencies and other tribunals. It takes a fresh look at a decision and decides if it should stay the same or be changed. This process is independent of the person lodging the appeal or the organisation that made the decision There is a broad variety of accountability mechanisms available today in addition to what is detailed in this essay. Governments are responding to accountability demands releasing more and more information into the public domain also by utilising modern methods of communication such as blogs, twitter, and facebook to inform, discuss and engage with citizens. TYPES OF ACCOUNTABILITY There are many terms used to describe accountability relationships, two important types of accountability are the vertical and horizontal systems which govern the relationships within government Vertical accountability represents the system of power or hierarchy, when others are responsible or accountable to a person for a particular task, for instance staff within a department can be accountable to the departmental head, who in turn can be ultimately responsible to a Minister, Ministers are answerable to Parliament, and Members of Parliament are answerable to voters. Horizontal accountability sits more at an organisational level where people are more or less equal; this has developed more due to agencies interacting more with other bodies, communities and non-government organisations (Boston and Gill 2011). One way of coming to grips with the broad and various levels of accountability is for every public sector manager having a duty to be accountable upwards, outwards, downwards and inwards (Corbett, 1996). CASE STUDY, A FAILURE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE The following case study is an example of accountability, or rather a lack of it. This is an issue that developed within the Department of Education and Child Development (DECD). Arrogance, rigidity and suggested bullying tactics of staff within DECD contributed to a matter that could and should have been easily resolved. The events which resulted in the royal commission clearly identify how more effective communications and engagement with community groups can avoid high profile and costly inquiries that are embarrassing and damaging. In December 2010 a child in attendance at an Out of Hours School scheme (OSHC) revealed that she had been the victim of sexual abuse by an educator. The educator was swiftly arrested and charged by police, and was later convicted at court. Members of the school governing council were informed of events soon after the educators arrest and suspension; many council members were parents of children who attended the school. The council members felt that parents of children at the school had every right to be informed that a person employed at the school to care for children had been charged with a serious sexual assault. They set about on a course of action to release a letter to duly inform to the school community. In pursuit of this the council were misinformed, misguided, bullied and threatened during their interactions with DECD staff. Information provided by DEDC led the council and others to believe that they were legally prevented from releasing information to parents. The council made several requests for DECD to review and reconsider their decisions particularly when the educator was convicted, sentenced and named in the media. Council member Ms Danyse Soester (Ms Soester) led the councils campaign and endured obstacles including being turned away by eight law firms, a refusal of support by the legal aid commission and limited support from the Ombudsman’s office. Throughout Ms Soester’s persistence it has since been revealed that DECD assumptions and belligerence were from in-house discussions and decisions based on incorrect information and a limited understanding of the confidentiality processes surrounding sexual offence cases. DECD failed to seek any legal advice or guidance (Norvak, 2013). Over two years after the event the school community were eventually furnished with a letter providing them with information about the sexual assault. The determination and persistence of Ms Soester eventually led to this matter entering the public arena. It attracted much media attention and the then Minister for Education and Child Development Gail Portelisi was questioned in Parliament; unfortunately her responses were based on inaccurate information which caused further controversy and anger. Ms Portelisi after much pressure called for a Royal Commission. DEBELLE ROYAL COMMISSION, 2012-2013, REPORT OF INDEPENDENT EDUCATION INQUIRY On 1 November 2012, the Hon Bruce Debelle AO, QC was appointed by Minister Portelisi to inquire into the events and circumstances relevant to this matter. The terms of reference included a review of the circumstances, events and issues relating to the non-disclosure of the sexual assault allegations to the school community. The inquiry took seven months, ninety-eight persons gave evidence and more than 560 exhibits were gathered, the cost of the inquiry reached $442,695. Mr Debelle reported that DECD had failed to inform parents, failed to adequately manage the events throughout this matter, failed to provide correct and accurate advice, failed to obtain legal advice, failed to reconsider its position, failed to provide accurate information to the SA Ombudsman and the Minister, and that some tactics used in correspondence with the School Governing Council and its members were considered to be threats or at least a form of pressure. Mr Debelle made a total of 43 recommendations, he also identified how powerless and disadvantaged the council were having little procedural knowledge and no access to funds to support them in their quest. One of the recommendations was that funds be made available to ensure that community groups such as this can have access to funding if required (Debelle, 2013). The Debelle findings were eagerly awaited; DECD have provided a public catharsis, to help bring this public failure to an end. This is an important secondary effect after something like a royal commission (Bovens, 2010). The chief executive officer Keith Bartley publically apologised to school council members who tried to tell us we were wrong and whom we failed to heed and also to the parents and the particular school community at the centre of the report who should have been informed and were not, we apologise, (Norvak, 2013). Mr Bartley and other executive members have since resigned amid the fallout; other members of DECD face disciplinary action. CONCLUSION ‘Accountability’ and ‘accountable’ have strong positive connotations; they hold promises of fair and equitable governance, political officials and public organisations sometimes free ride on these evocative powers of accountability (Bovens, 2010) Accountability needs to be real and not just government promises and propaganda, there needs to be a continuous commitment to accountability and effective frameworks so that governments can respond to and manage the expectations that citizens have. Governments are no longer immune from scrutiny as they once were. Over the last decade in particular there has been a dramatic increase in accountability measures to ensure and promote greater integrity, transparency and accountability including promises for continued improvement from the former and the current Prime Ministers. To conclude this essay I include a straightforward quote by Behn (2001) ‘the managers and employees of any public organisation have been entrusted with something quite valuable – with entrusting our mutual commitment to fairness. Thus, they have the responsibility to treat all citizens absolutely fairly. They ought to be held accountable for doing so. When they don’t, they ought to be punished’. Word count 2,649