The Role of the Judicial Branch of Government in the US Free Essay Example, 500 words

Although the judicial branch is one of the most powerful in the US, not everyone is in agreement with this fact. This is because according to Americans, persons elected by citizens run a country, but this is not the case since most members of the judicial branch such as federal justices and judges are because of appointment (American Government). This essay aims at relaying information touching upon judiciary s outright political involvement as well as whether its independence is indispensable. Are Judges Political? In my opinion, judges are political; this is evident in their numerous involvements on matters such as abortion, criminal rights and environmental protection whereby presidents have always dealt with certain types of judges. According to Sunstein (3), the Supreme Court rarely reviews decisions made by lower courts, this is because according to the supreme courts, it is only their decisions that matter. Therefore, the court of appeal ends up playing a major role in not only settling disputes but also deterring the directions of law (Sunstein 3). It is due to this that votes from lower court nominees normally pay a major role in national debates. The debate on judges being political has been in existence for decades. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the Judicial Branch of Government in the US or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now A number of polls held in the US portray judges as impartial and unfair when it comes to making rulings (Bybee 8). Thirteen surveys on public opinion conducted from 1989-2009 revealed that most people have no faith in the judicial branch. This is because according to the survey, whereas 70 percent of those interviewed claimed that politics was largely at work in the judiciary, 67 percent also stated that state judges were impartial (Bybee 8). Republican and Democrat AppointmentsAccording to Bar and Zussman (3), votes from judges are normally influenced by the president s party affiliation. This is because, just like professors, judges also make decisions whereby they have no major direct stake though they materially affect others. Studies show that votes conducted by judges appointed by Republican presidents normally differ consistently with those of judges appointed by democrats presidents. Judge RankingsIn my opinion, judges who rank in the minority normally behave differently compared to their high-ranking counterparts holding top edges such as 2-1 or 3-0. This is because since low ranking judges do not have much power such as those granted to others, this makes them more loyal hence are rarely involved in political activities. Whereas judges ranked as a minority have limited powers in their hands, high-ranking judges have more powers to the extent that apart from their ability to declare a federal law as unconstitutional, they are also capable of overruling them (American Government). It is clear from readings that nomination of judges who rank as minority normally takes long before presidential confirmation. Although the president takes the nominations, in most cases these judges rarely do they receive their confirmations (Asmussen 1). Is judicial independence an indispensable element? In my opinion, judicial independence is an indispensable element. This is because by the judicial system is independent, judges are in a position to come up with decisions regarding freedom, rights and duties of not only natural but also legal persons in their jurisdictions ( Legislationline ). In the case of decision-making, judges ought to have freedom so that they are in a position to make impartial decisions in accordance with the law. ConclusionFor decades there have been numerous debates regarding the roles conducted by the judicial branch in the US. According to many Americans, through surveys conducted, many American judges are not only political but also unfair in most of their rulings. Judges involvement is rife to the extent that their votes normally depend on the president s party affiliation. According to studies, there are normally consistent differences when it comes to votes conducted by republican and democrat judges. In my opinion, judges ought to be independent, this enables them to make proper decisions on matters regarding peoples rights and freedom.

Average National SAT Scores for 2013

More than a million high school students registered for the SAT for 2013. If youd like to know how your cohorts did, here are some results from the national SAT scores for 2013. Overall SAT Scores for 2013 These are the mean, or average, scores of all students who took the SAT from the fall of 2012 through June 2013, by section (they are identical to the the scores from the year before):   Here are the mean scores for all testers by section: Overall: 1498Critical Reading: 496Mathematics: 514Writing: 488 (subscores: multiple-choice: 48.1 / essay: 7.3) SAT Scores by Gender Here are the years scores separated by gender: Critical Reading:Males: 499Females: 494 Mathematics:Males: 531Females: 499 Writing:Males: 482Females: 493 SAT Scores by Reported Annual Income The results indicate consistently that students from wealthier families score higher on the SAT than kids from families with lower incomes. This doesnt mean that higher incomes produce smarter kids. Parents with more wealth might be more willing to purchase SAT prep  or retakes of the test. Here are the results: $0 - $20,000: 1326$20,000 - $40,000: 1402$40,000 - $60,000: 1461$60,000 - $80,000: 1497$80,000 - $100,000: 1535$100,000 - $120,000: 1569$120,000 - $140,000: 1581$140,000 - $160,000: 1604$160,000 - $200,000: 1625$200,000 and more: 1714 SAT Scores by Ethnicity There is no causal relationship between ethnicity and scores, but there are different results based on ethnicity: American Indian or Alaska Native: 1427Asian, Asian-American or Pacific Islander: 1645Black or African-American: 1278Mexican or Mexican-American: 1355Puerto Rican: 1354Other Hispanic, Latino, or Latin-American: 1354White: 1576Other: 1501No response: 1409 To spot trends, you may compare all the above data to the 2012 SAT results.   Other SAT Score Categories There are other categories of mean SAT scores, including the  average SAT scores for students entering the  top public schools  and the  scores for the top private schools.   2013 SAT Scores Summary These statistics represent the mean, but not the individual. Having nothing in common with the groups scoring the highest on the SAT doesnt mean that you cant secure a top-notch score. If you havent taken the SAT or are planning to retake it, there are  free SAT practice quizzes  and free SAT apps  you can use to help prepare yourself. Another authority suggests these additional ways of getting ready: Know the test structure.Write practice essays.Ensure that you have a calculator and spare batteries.Know when to guess on a question and when to skip it entirely.Get a good nights sleep.

Speaking Spanish Has Always Been A Struggle Free Essays

She played a huge role in teaching me how to speak Spanish. The only language she would speak to me while growing up was Spanish. As I grew up I never realized the method that was being used which was direct method until now. We will write a custom essay sample on Speaking Spanish Has Always Been A Struggle or any similar topic only for you Order Now She was teaching me on how to communicate with others while speaking another language. My grandmother only spoke to me in Spanish though I had a rough time understanding and trying to speak it back to her, she was determined to teach me. The role of the teacher who in this case is my grandmother is to teacher me on how to become a communicator. Not merely to learn vocabulary or grammar but to know whom, when and what to say or how to ay certain things. The role of my grandmother was to acquire a learning system which was not focused too much on how to write or learn vocabulary but to learn the proper way to use Spanish first. The students role is to accept the corrections as well as absorbing and putting my Spanish speaking skills to test. Though till this day I am not that great at speaking my second language, know the basic fundamentals of this language, my language in this case would be â€Å"Spangling†. This is where I incorporate both Spanish and English while speaking to Spanish speakers, which my grandmother isn’t too fond of. One characteristic that is good for teaching Spanish would be proficiency, in order to teach a foreign language you must know the language yourself. One must learn how to speak it, read it as well as write it. It was easy for my grandmother to teach me because she was well educated in that language. She was able to exhibit a high level of accuracy in Spanish because of her background with the language. As for the learning process I was able to surround myself with other family members to communicate and improve in my foreign language. As well as watching my grandmothers intense Spanish wows which educated me more and taught me on how to express myself. The nature interaction between my grandmother and I wasn’t too bad, though I struggled in the beginning as time went by I was able to learn it eventually, not as good as I had wished though. It was harder for my because growing up because had a New Yorker accent so for some words had a hard time saying in Spanish, and for that my grandmother made fun of me but thought it was adorable. Plenty of corrections were made during my process of learning Spanish which better my knowledge and understanding in this language. While learning Spanish it was pretty difficult and frustrating especially since I had an accent which was harder for me to comprehend in also my sisters made fun of me because of it Especially when it came to rolling the Or’s that was the most difficult part of Spanish was being able to roll letters. As well as learning on how to speak very fast in my language, normally all Spanish speakers have a tendency to speak very fast, still haven’t gotten the hang of that but I’m learning. When speaking Spanish I have made plenty of mistakes but I was able to remind myself that it’s okay to make mistakes, but to ask ND seek help from people who are great in speaking Spanish. Speaking Spanish in my household was and still is a must, the only way to communicate to my grandmother was through speaking Spanish. Especially since it is my second language it is important that I know how to speak it. Am also able to expand my horizons and know more and how my language works. It’s not just about learning a new language and how to speak it but you learn about its culture as well. It’s important so we can empathic with people in our country who struggle to learn English, so therefore learning more engages and about different cultures will help us develop more knowledge of other languages. The area of language that is emphasized are vocabulary and grammatical structure. Vocabulary is very important for every language especially so you’re able to use it in the correct form. I know for myself whenever use the incorrect word while speaking to my grandmother she looks at me with a confused face and waits for me to correct myself. Vocabulary is an important factor because you want your sentences understandable while using the right terms. As for grammatical, its important to govern the compositions of harass, clauses and words so you can acquire a better sense of how to use these while speaking to an individual. As a child my grandmother would have me repeat every word after her in Spanish and once we did that, she told me what each word meant. Of course we started off with the easy terms first such as animals, fruits and parts on our bodies. As we did those every day as a child my vocabulary increased and little by little began to understand the basics, once we did that we moved onto the harder stuff. Learning different terms helped me improve in this engage and gave me a better sense on how to use them and when to use them. As only able to speak Spanish whenever I would see my grandmothers, or went to visit people in my country. My native language which is English is Of course my strongest skill but speaking Spanish has given me the opportunity to explore more in my foreign language and not rely so much on my native language. The role of my native language should not be used when learning another language, should be able to get out of the habit of not depending so much on it and being able to be open to learning different languages especially my own language. How to cite Speaking Spanish Has Always Been A Struggle, Papers

Poems Poetry and Film Karate Kid free essay sample

‘An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging’ Discuss this view with details reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing. Belonging is to feel an affliction with someone or something. An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging.The Poems â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† and St Patrick’s College written by Peter Skrzynecki explore the different and powerful influences that impact on an individual’s sense of belonging and the different aspects of belonging effectively, using poetic and literary techniques to convey meaning. The Film Karate Kid, directed by Harald Zwart also explores similar aspects of belonging effectively, through the use of film technique.In the poem â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† Peter Skrzynecki, presents a detailed poetic representation of his father Feliks, using visual imagery, poetic and literary technique to help shape the readers perceptions of his father whilst also informing the reader of the relationship Peter Skrzynecki shared with his father Feliks. Feliks identity is represented as a strong, determined and hardworking man who’s personality is marked by inner strength – â€Å"alert, brisk and silent† in that Peter admires.Peter represents his admiration using a Possessive Pronoun in the First Stanza – â€Å"My† is seen as the possessive pronoun to establish the respected relationship between father son Peter also suggests his â€Å"Five years of forced labour† to further emphasis on his father’s inner strength and Peters admiration. Feliks Polish identity is a key component of his identity, which limited his experience of belonging after his migration. Peter speaks of his father’s reminiscences, experiences and cultural interactions shared with friends which enriched his sense of belonging- â€Å"Talking, they reminisced† â€Å"About farms where paddocks flowered with corn and wheat† â€Å"They were skilled in slaughtering† these were the elements that shaped his father’s early life, this is the life (world) that Peter feels alienated and excluded from. This exclusion is caused by the cultural divide of time, place and language in which Peter did not interact with, which cut Peter from the connection his father enjoys.Peter’s lack of interaction is also represented in Stanza 2 where he is seen as the observer of the situation rather than the participant, these acts where the reason of Peters questioning of his father’s dedication (belonging) – â€Å"I often wondered how he existed†. Peter has clearly represented his alienation, not because of migrations process itself b ut by being the son of a person who has taken on such a journey in his life to belong in a country other than his homelands.He observes and listens rather than participates, he acknowledges his father’s connection with his polish friends and with the garden but yet still is not able to share- â€Å"My father sits out the evening with his dog, smoking, watching stars and street lights come on, happy as I have never been† this quote using visual image illustrates that after a life of work Feliks is at rest with himself and his place in the present and seeing the past (watching stars) in the distance.Another poem which presents the interaction of an individual with the others and the world around them in which limited their experience of belonging is â€Å"St- Patricks College†. In this poem Skrzynecki uses literary techniques and imagery to puts forward a bleak portrait of his school life. Throughout the poem Skrzynecki uses a formal tone to present an unenthusiastic feel towards school.Skrzynecki’s attends this school because of his mother’s first impressions of the school uniform. The tone of â€Å"never thought† implies that she has not thought deeply of her choice, leading to a fast decision and being influenced by external appearances, â€Å"Impressed by the uniforms† for his mother believed â€Å"What was the best† but what he believed was just a superfitual education.Skrzynecki’s lack of interaction with the other and the world around him is presented effectively through the Catholicism of College,† Out Lady watched with outstretched arms†, Our lady is seen as a Statue with no spiritual significance as she simply â€Å"watched with outstretched arms† irony is used in this quote as Skrzynecki did not feel belonged or cared by â€Å"Our Lady† even though her â€Å"outstretched arms† were a iming to do this instead he felt no connection and disjointed.The interplay of light and dark is critical part in achieving idea of the lack of interaction with Skrzynecki and others or the world around him, which in this case is seen as the College. The interplay of light and dark is played throughout the poem, â€Å"Her face overshadowed by clouds† Skrzynecki uses imagery to convey the sense of belonging being covered with darkness. Her† is seen as Lady Mary in which he presents as a statue with â€Å"outstretched arms† that is supposed to make him feel belonged and connected with the college, yet her face â€Å"overshadowed by clouds† conveying his hope to belong being covered by darkness which signifies the lack of interaction with the college as he sees only darkness and no light as Lady Mary is the light of the school that is now overshadowed by darkness. Skrzynecki uses a tone of resentment when quoting â€Å"For eight years I walked Strathfield’s paths and streets, Played chasing up and down the stations ten rampsâ€Å", this creates a dreading effect to the reader to effectively emphasis the lack of interaction with others and the world around him he had, no sense of belonging to this place, no reference to him feeling included in the school, no positive references to friendly company or school spirit as he saw others as â€Å"Voices at bus stops†.The Simile â€Å"Like a foreign tourist† emphasises him as being an observer to nature and all the landmarks, with a lack of interaction with the world and others that surround him. This is used to emphasise his sense of alienation and displacement. The word â€Å"foreign† also suggests him being unable to share his thoughts or ideas and having not common links with others or the world around him and feeling isolated. Skrzynecki leaves this world (college) â €Å"Our lady still watching above, unchanged by eight years’ ith closed eyes†, this signifies the previous negative image indicating her as being blind, artificial and unseeing. It also implies that Skrzynecki felt no real spiritual interaction with his college (world), others or his faith. Another medium the explores the interaction of a young boy with the world and others around him that limited his experience of belonging is the film â€Å"Karate Kid† directed by Harald Zwart.