Wednesday, October 30, 2019

London Guide Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

London Guide Book - Essay Example You can get pretty much any drink from a giant skull head filled with punch to a volcano that erupts with your favorite drink of choice. Also a restaurant, Tonteria really has it all. A phenomenal DJ, a good crowd, great drinks and food. Sounds like the perfect Monday to me. A gentlemen’s club? A speak easy? A place for happy endings? To most passersby, La Bodega Negra can mislead anyone. The exterior’s effervescent neon signage displays â€Å"Adult Video† and â€Å"Peep Show†, concealing the exciting restaurant within. With its Mexican street cuisine and the provocative feel of the interiors, the place caters to all your senses. A perfect place for after-work drinks or a full-fledged feast with friends, La Bodega Negra never fails to bring the fun atmosphere, no matter what day of the week it may be. With its impressive menu of cocktails, with special emphasis on its array of specialty tequilas, it may be in your best interest to also peruse the impressive list of tapas and

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Organizational Dynamics And Human Resources Management Management Essay

Organizational Dynamics And Human Resources Management Management Essay The terms Human Resource Management and Human Resources have replaced what was known as Personnel Management when it comes to describing the processes involved in managing people in organisations. The current trend towards people-oriented activities can serve the modern business challenges more effectively than the traditional Personnel Management approach. Naturally in a rapidly and constantly changing business environment, there is a call for more human resources involvement and more focus on human resource strategies in conjunction with the business strategies. Meanwhile there is evidence of devolving traditional human resource activities to line managers instead of personnel specialists. Recently, much of the work traditionally done by the human resources department has been devolved to line managers, who are now expected to take charge of people management activities such as, recruitment, selection, appraisals and training needs. This trend is encouraged as it leads to a closer relationship between line managers and employees, and hence leading to better employee performance and increased managers effectiveness. Torrington and Hall (2009) suggest that sharing HR activities between line managers and HR specialists is the key for a strategic HRM future, where HR specialists focus on business performance rather than operational concerns. This report highlights the significant role that line managers in HR activities while emphasising the importance of an HR specialist role for long term performance benefits. The Concept of Human Resource Management: HRM is defined as an approach to the management of people, the most valued assets of an organisation with their individual and the collective contribution to the success and achievement of the business objectives. Furthermore, Alan Price identifies HRM in Human Resource Management in a Business Context (2004) as the qualitative improvement of human beings who are the most valuable assets of an organisation. Hence HRM is concerned with the effective management of an organisations employees to achieve the strategic objectives of the business. Dave Ulrich (1996) defined four fields for the HRM role Strategic business partner Change management Employee champion Administration However, HR professionals have struggled to prove their value as a strategic business partner and were mainly concerned with the reactive roles of administration and employee champion despite the modern approach to devolve HR activities to line management. The Role of Line Managers in HR: Line managers have a major role in influencing employee behaviours and attitudes which reflects on performance and motivation. The increased responsibilities are mainly focused on people management where line managers could transform HR policies into practices to be embraced by employees leading to commitment, quality, productivity and ultimately, business performance (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003). The CIPD highlighted the areas four areas where line managers can influence people management practices: Training, coaching and guiding Performance appraisal Dealing with discipline and grievances Recruitment and selection Moreover Hutchinson and Purcell (2007) explored the critical role of line managers in key HR areas including reward, training, learning and development, and identified that line managers do not only implement and bring HR policies into life, but also play a significant role in influencing employee attitudes and experiences. A case study at Selfridges indicates evidence that line managers in the retail store helped improve employees attitudes and behaviours. This change in the line management role mainly focussed on improvements to people management behaviours and skill sets. (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003) However, a survey by Employment Review show HR practitioners disagree that line managers are applying these responsibilities effectively and training for line managers in people management should be compulsory. (Nadia Williams, 2008) In addition line managers agree with HR practitioners perception, as they struggle with the work overload and conflicting priorities to find time for people management activities. A research conducted by CIPD (2007) emphasise the extent of devolvement in the NHS, where ward managers effectively take responsibility for recruitment, selection, induction, appraisal and personal development plans, planning and delivering training, mentoring, communication, absence control and managing difficult people. The additional responsibilities are not welcomed by line managers who linked the lack of time and increased stress to the increased work load. Despite the trend to devolve HR activities to line managers, Phil Brown, in Why HR Must Empower the Line Manager (2008), believes that HR professionals are holding on to power and are unwilling to provide line managers with the tolls and information to perform HR duties effectively. Therefore CIPD stressed in their 2009 report that line managers need the following to fulfil their HR duties: Time to attempt management roles Carefully selected behaviour competencies Support by strong organisational values Sufficient people management skills training Career opportunity linked to training and development Involvement in decision making But above all, line managers need self-confidence, a strong sense of job security and development in the organisation. Support by HR professionals is welcomed by line managers as they take more accountability of implementing HR people management activities. This allows HR professionals to fulfil their own potential in defining policies and strategies that are adequately aligned with business strategies. Strategic HRM: The nature of Human Resource Management has changed from being reactive, prescriptive and administrative to being proactive, descriptive and executive (Boxall, 1994). Moreover, Guest (1997) highlighted the contribution of HRM in improving an organisations performance and overall success while Katou and Budhwar (2007) outlined three perspectives for HR practices. The Universalistic practice assumes the best of HR practices and implies business strategies and HR policies are independent in determining business performance. The Contingency practice implies a fit between business strategies and HR policies in determining business performance. The Configurational practice implies an interaction between business strategies and HR policies based on an internal and external fit of the organisational context in determining business performance. These perspectives highlight the growing contribution of HRM as an integral part of business strategy and success. Consequently, the term Strategic human resource management evolved which Guest (1987) outlined to be largely concerned with integration of HRM into the business strategy and adaptation of HRM at all levels of the organisation. In line with the emergence of SHRM, Budhwar and Sparrow (2002) proposed four generic HR strategies: Talent acquisition Resource allocation Talent improvement Cost reduction Strategic HRM is based on the integration of HRM and business strategies for the effective management of human resources. Barney (1991) suggests that organisations achieve competitive advantage by creating unique HRM systems that cannot be imitated. Recently, the pace of change in the global market has identified a significant number of contemporary issues emphasising the growing influence of strategic HRM and the importance of a human resources specialist to manage these challenges effectively. Contemporary Issues in Strategic HRM: HR professionals are struggling to catch up with the pace of transformation in global markets. Evidently, HRM faces an increasing challenge to use policies and strategies in the best interest of organisations and employees to maintain profitability and stability. The following are three basic examples of these challenges. Globalisation: The changes in international markets due to globalisation have a major effect on businesses in general and on how businesses manage human resources in particular. Although globalisation has many benefits, there are problems that have been attributed to the following factors: Reduction in job security because work can be moved from one country to another. Undercutting of one countrys wages by another, leading to erosion of wage rates. Increased working hours and exposure to health and safety risks to cut costs. HR professionals are struggling to ensure proper staffing and development with the required knowledge and skills for the changing business environment and according to Alan Price (2004), HR professionals are expected to be: Role models displaying appropriate company behaviours and values Fixers, adapting corporate values and mission statements to local circumstances Networkers, making connections between local managers and other parts of the business Coaches or mentors, transferring knowledge to local managers A major task for HR professionals is putting significant effort in the training and development of line managers to implement the relevant HR policies which can consistently be applied across different locations and cultures. Talent Management: One of the main challenges for HRM is to attract, develop and retain talented individuals though a recruitment, selection and development process. Nestlà © is a case in point as it uses a talent puddles initiative to overcome the shortage of skilled applicants. The process consists of small puddles each containing potential talents for each function rather than the whole company. (CIPD report 2007) The strategy managed to reduce the time and cost for filling vacancies and selecting suitable candidates. Other considerations include management of labour turnover and emphasizing employer branding in attracting the right candidates. Marks Spencer, the major high street retailer, conducted an analysis to understand and redefine its employer brand to keep ahead of the competition. This analysis explored the factors that increase job satisfaction and highlight the factors that make working at MS a unique experience. The analysis resulted in a better communication between the company and its employees that drove improvements across the business as well as increased levels of commitment and productivity. (CIPD report 2007) HR professionals invest considerable effort into finding new trends to attract and retain the right talents; however, their role is surpasses ensuring a faultless selection process. HR critical responsibilities include initial job design planning, defining the required qualifications and conducting accurate selection methods to ensure compliance with litigations and to avoid any legal case for discrimination or sexual harassment. Therefore HR professionals need to have the skills and knowledge that are required to handle these tasks effectively. Managing Diversity: For over thirty years the emphasis and progress on equality and diversity has been ongoing but slow. Globalisation and demographic change is putting further pressure on organisations to develop and manage equal opportunity and diversity strategies to improve performance and promote competitive position. (Torrington and Hall 2009) Furthermore the CIPD defines diversity as: valuing everyone as individuals as employees, customers and clients so diversity is a broader term of equality which aims to improve the opportunities of disadvantaged groups within an approach inclusive of all employees rather than focusing on the disadvantaged as in equality approach. Some of the main diversity issues may include: Age discrimination Bullying and harassment Disability Equal pay Race discrimination Religious discrimination Sex discrimination A recent case of bullying and harassment concerned British Gas, whose workers have been balloted for strike action over alleged bullying at the company. The GMB union sent ballot papers to 8,000 members at British Gas to vote over claims of bullying and plans for job cuts. It said the management culture was undermining employees terms and conditions. (PM online, 11/03/2010) It is worth noting that managing diversity is not solely an HR job but there is a great emphasis on the line managers role in promoting and achieving diversity in a workplace as well as handling conflicts before developing and becoming harder to resolve. Conclusion: Human resource management has evolved from the traditional personnel perspective and continues to evolve due to rapid change in the global business environment: in customer trends, competitors strategies and advancing technologies. Indeed factors such as globalisation, credit crunch and creation of multinational corporations have resulted in increased pressure to maintain the competitive edge while reducing operative costs. Clearly the daily HRM activities have become integrated in line operations; however, an investment is needed in time and effort to up skill managers to fulfil their HR responsibilities properly. HR needs to provide and integrate well designed policies and strategies in frameworks and systems to enable line managers to perform effectively. Despite an obvious trend to devolve more human resource activities into line management, clearly many of the new challenges require special skills and knowledge that line managers may not generally have. Therefore HR specialists and line managers must collaborate to achieve the business objectives within a frame of legislation and compliance. Hence the role of an HR specialist is moving towards a strategic partnership aligned with the business strategies while coordinating, advising and supporting line managers in performing the HR activities required. Obviously, line managers have a responsibility towards their staff, given the close relationship and direct daily connection and interaction. Line managers are expected to implement and deliver the policies and strategies that are devised by HR specialists. There are many areas of HRM like talent management where line managers need more responsibility to manage activities, such as attracting, retaining, developing and motivating. Moreover, line managers must have authority and responsibility to control and reward the staff which in turn will improve their people management and leadership skills. Finally it is evident that there is a correlation between HR professionals and line managers in certain HR activities that require further development. The report focussed on line managers as a front line management role, though HR knowledge and skills should be a requirement for middle management. Managers need be given adequate training and sufficient time to take on HR activities; these requirements should be included in HR strategies to achieve a high performance workforce objective.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Good Use - The Customer is Always Right Essay -- Teaching Writing Educ

Good Use - The Customer is Always Right Does "I respectfully submit my resignation," convey the same meaning as, "I quit?" Certainly the tone of voice is different, but do these two phrases say the same thing? Which one is correct? In answering these questions we are making decisions about what constitutes good use in writing techniques. According to Orwell's Advice for Writing, one should, "Never use a long word where a short one will do." Following this line of thinking one would logically conclude that "I quit," a phrase of only five characters in length, is by far the better choice when comparing it to the thirty-two character alternative, "I respectfully submit my resignation." However, there may just be a bit more to proper usage in writing than choosing between longer and shorter words/phrases of the same meaning. In fact, the most important aspect of usage may just be the audience for which the writing is intended. (in other words, it's not the size that counts, it's whose using it!) For example, J. D. Thomas point s out that in technical writing, "Efficient communication depends upon a 'middle' range..." or writing that will be utilized by people with varied educational/technical backgrounds. Technicians use jargon that may not be understood by an otherwise well educated person. Therefore, if a technician wants to write a paper explaining some revolutionary way of manufacturing to a potential investor, she's going to have to adjust her writing to suit her audience so as to successfully convey her message. However, the same paper would have to be amended to include specific, object-oriented terminology if it were targeted towards the technician's peers. Another important aspect of good usage, according to T. Cliffo... ... audience is the determining factor of good use. The two phrases mentioned earlier, "I quit," and "I respectfully submit my resignation," illustrate the power the audience has in writing. Without knowing for whom the phrases are intended, the author can't make a decision between the two. "I quit," is short and to the point, but who is the writer talking to? Will the abrupt nature of the phrase cause tension or will the audience simply ignore it as insignificant babble? If it's an employer that she is expecting a good reference from, perhaps, "I respectfully submit my resignation," is the way to go. On the other hand, if shock value is the intent of the writer, an entire realm of discontinued-employment phrases may become appropriate. Metaphorically speaking, the audience is the customer in the department store of writing styles, and the customer is always right.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Immanuel Kant and American Psychological Association Essay

For this paper, I will explore the ethical issues in Psychology, more specifically the violation of basic human rights in the example of the Stanford Prison Experiment. The following questions will be addressed: Was the Stanford Prison Experiment worth the consequences it had on the participants? Was it morally right to put the participants in these conditions without their full consent? I will first begin by discussing the experiment and then explain how it was conducted. I will also briefly explain the American Psychological Association guidelines relevant to this example using three of their APA codes: beneficence, autonomy and justice. Then, I will discuss two contrasting theories, the first will be the theory of utilitarianism and if the consequences of the experiment justify the means; in this experiment it seems that the findings justify the actions that took place. The second theory will focus on the Kantian ethics, more specifically the Categorical Imperative 2 where the experiment will be categorized as morally justified or morally unjustified; it seems that using the Categorical Imperative 2 makes the experiment morally unjustified. Finally, I will present my point of view on the ethics of this experiment, which is derived from both theories such that I believe that the findings of the experiment can morally justify the actions that Zimbardo permitted the prison experiment. First of all, what are human rights? As stated by Murthy (2010) human rights are: â€Å"another basis for making ethical judgments. The most basic human rights are to have claims or entitlements that enable; a person to survive, to make free choices, to realize one’s potential as a human being (a right means that a person or a group is entitled to do something or entitled to be treated in a certain way). † The Stanford Prison Experiment was a violation of human rights because the prisoners’ rights were revoked. The Stanford Prison experiment took place in 1971 by Professor Philip Zimbardo. This experiment was held at Stanford University. The aim of this study was â€Å"to investigate how readily people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that simulated prison life (McLeod, 2008). † The men that were chosen to do this experiment went through a series of tests. Zimbardo chose twenty-four participants that were randomly assigned to the role of guard or prisoner. This experiment would last two weeks and each man would be paid 15$ a day. The guards were the first to have a meeting and were told to keep order in the prison. They were also given uniforms and mirror-reflective sunglasses. The prisoners were, on the other hand, arrested without notice at their home were strip-searched without consent. They were to wear white robes and had a chain to their ankle. Within a very short period of time the participants started to settle into their roles. The guards quickly became more authoritative and also sadistic, they started to harass the prisoners and became very violent. They were enjoying their role of power. The prisoners became more submissive. After thirty-six hours, one prisoner had to leave the institution because he started to â€Å"have uncontrollable bursts of screaming, crying and anger; his thinking became disorganized and he appeared to be entering in the early stages of deep depression (McLeod, 2008). † Following this episode, more and more prisoners started to show signs of depression. The experiment that was supposed to last fourteen days ended after six. The American Psychological Association is the largest organization representing psychology in the United States and Canada (APA, 2013). The mission of these psychologists is to â€Å"advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives (APA, 2013). The APA has a set of five major guidelines in their ethics code, which are: beneficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice and respect for people’s rights and dignity (autonomy). In the case of the Stanford Prison Experiment, some of the principles such as beneficence, justice and autonomy were not put into effect. â€Å"Beneficence means to maximize benefits and minimize harm (Shaugnessy et al. , 2006 quoted by Xavier, 2013). † Zimbardo did not try to minimize harm because although the prisoners were humiliated, in distress and experiencing psychological stress, it took six days for the experiment to shut down. â€Å"Justice means fairness in receiving the benefits of research in addition to accepting the risks (Shaugnessy et al. , 2006 quoted by Xavier, 2013). † Here justice was not respected because the participants did not consent to the full experiment. They weren’t properly informed about what really was going to take place in the prison and therefore did not make a decision on the entirety of the facts. â€Å"Autonomy (or respect for people’s rights and dignity) implying respect for individuals was not present (Shaugnessy et al. , 2006 quoted by Xavier, 2013). People’s rights and dignity were not taken into account. The dehumanizing process began at the beginning of the experiment, when prisoners were instructed to strip naked and accelerated from then on. If this experiment were to be done in today’s society, it would be turned down. â€Å"If modern guidelines were followed, the Stanford Prison Experiment would never have been allowed to take place as it would constitute a serious branch of ethics in accordance to the guidelines of the American Psychological Association, not least because of the fact Zimbardo and his fellow researchers failed to respect the rights of their participants by failing to tell them exactly what they were getting themselves in too (Burgemeester, 2011). † From a Kantian point of view, can we morally justify the actions by Dr. Zimbardo in the Stanford prison experiment? The answer to this question is in Kant’s Categorical Imperative. Kant’s second Categorical Imperative states that â€Å"So act that you use humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never means† which in basic terms means â€Å"don’t use people†. It is important to remember that Kant believed that human beings have a special dignity because of their rational nature and that therefore humans deserve a special kind of respect (Van Der Wee, 2013). When taking the example of the Stanford prison experiment, many of the participants’ human rights were not respected. First of all, the prisoners were arrested at their homes, without notice. They were brought to a police station where they had their fingerprints and photographs taken. They were then blindfolded and driven to the Stanford prison where they were stripped naked and then put in a cell. This is a perfect representation of how the prisoners’ were striped of their rights. They had not in anyway consented to this: â€Å"Participants were deceived; an example would be that their consent forms were not complete and did not properly address all that would take place (Shaugnessy et al., 2006 quoted by Xavier, 2013). † After a day in the prison, the participants already started to take their roles more seriously. The prisoners were more submissive and the guards were more aggressive: â€Å"It was not long before the situation rapidly worsened as the behavior of the prison guards became increasingly sadistic and more prisoners succumbed to psychological stress (Burgemeester, 2011). † Prisoners wanted to leave the experiment but weren’t allowed to: â€Å"Several of his participants requested withdrawal numerous times, but he discouraged this and almost forced them to carry on (Zuczka, 2012). † Although the experiment was supposed to last fourteen days, it was stopped after six. Many researchers wonder why it was not stopped after the first time a prisoner was beaten. References Alkadry, M. G. , & Witt, M. T. (2009). Abu Ghraib and the Normalization of Torture and Hate. Public Integrity, 11(2), 135-153. American Psychologists Association. (n. d. ). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological Association (APA). Retrieved April 29, 2013, from http://www. apa. org/ethics/code/index. aspx? item=3 Burgemeester, A. (2011, June 21). What are the Zimbardo Prison Experiment Ethical Issues? | What is Psychology?. What is Psychology? |. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://whatispsychology. net/what-are-the-zimbardo-prison-experiment-ethical-issues/ Cherry, K. (n. d. ). The Stanford Prison Experiment – Overview of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Psychology – Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://psychology. about. com/od/classicpsychologystudies/a/stanford-prison-experiment. htm Dreifus, C. (2007, April 3). Finding Hope in Knowing the Universal Capacity for Evil. The New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://www. nytimes. com/2007/04/03/science/ McLeod, S. (2008, January 1). Zimbardo – Stanford Prison Experiment. Simply Psychology – Articles for Students. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from http://www. simplypsychology. org/zimbardo. html Murthy, C. S. (2010). Chapter 3: Normative Ethics in Management. Business ethics (Fully rev. ed. , pp. 74-79). Mumbai [India: Himalaya Pub. Book. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from http://dc153. dawsoncollege. qc. ca:2440/lib/dawsoncoll/docDetail. action? docID=10415475&p00=business+ethics. Van Der Wee (Winter 2013) In Class Notes & PowerPoint Xavier, R. (2008, January 5). The Stanford Prison Experiment: Exploring the Ethical Issues. Yahoo. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from voices. yahoo. com/the-stanford-prison-experiment-exploring-ethical-563843. html? cat=37 Zuczka. (2012, February 5). Zimbardo’s prison experiment: do the ends justify the means of the ethical implications? | Psycho4Stats. Psycho4Stats | Because we all love: Psychology Statistics. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://zuczka. wordpress. com/2012/02/05/zimbardos-prison-experiment-do-the-ends-justify-the-means-of-the-ethical-implications/.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Resurgence of Conservatism

DBQ 15: The Resurgence of Conservatism, 1964-2005 Liberals had dominated American society for most of the 1900s. The 1960s was widely known for being the age of counterculture, social reforms, and liberals. The era witnessed many advancements like racial equality such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a strong advancement in political liberalism, and a significant increase in the power and influence of government-funded social programs as a result of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society reforms.Beginning with the election of Nixon, however, followed a gradual return to conservatism whether religiously, politically, or economically. The resurgence of conservatism in American politics and government in the years 1964-2005, was caused in reaction to 1960s liberal political, economic, and social policies as well as the rise of religious political groups and the controversy over the Vietnam War. The government's political and economic policies contributed to the rise of conservatism. Most no table of the federal reforms were initiated by liberal Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson and his Great Society schemes.His â€Å"War on Poverty† speech, delivered on March 16, 1964, called for a war on poverty to give people a second chance by spending millions on education, job training, housing, and healthcare. Johnson's intention was in some ways a conservative one. He wanted to give people a hand-up, not a hand-out and make them dependent on the money earned from taxing the more fortunate (Document A). Reflecting the liberal mood of the 1960s, voters flocked to the polls to vote for Johnson because in part by their faith in Great Society programs. Johnson received 61. 1% of the popular vote and 90. % of the electoral college vote and captured all but six southern states, traditionally Democratic â€Å"solid south†, who were alienated by Johnson's advocasy for civil rights (Document B). The higher taxes involved in the Great Society programs, however, were resented by cons ervatives, who saw the social programs as a sign of the increasing government influence. Richard Nixon promised a policy of New Federalism, transfering some of the powers previously held by the federal government to the states, to counter the Great Society programs. He also apppointed four conservative justices to the Supreme Court including Chief Justice Warren Burger.Nixon and other conservatives denounced the previous court under Chief Justice Earl Warren, whose decisions drastically changed sexual freedom, the rights of criminals, and the role of religion in schools. At the representation of two Supreme Court justice nominees in 1971, Nixon stated that it is the duty of the judge to base his decisions on strict interpretation of the Constitution and not on his personal political or social views, indirectly referring to the liberal Supreme Court of Earl Warren. (Document E). By winning the presidential election of 1980, Ronald Reagan confirmed the return of modern conservatism.He received 50. 8% of the popular vote and 90. 9% of the electoral college votes (Document G). Reagan applied supply-side economics, dubbed â€Å"Reaganomics†, keeping the budget under control and reducing taxes, ultimately stimulating the economy and reducing the federal deficit. He distanced politics from the interventionist government of the 1960s, appealing to conservatives' belief of small government. Between 1981 and 1982, the economy suffered the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s, unemployment reached 11%, and several bank closings occurred.Democrats attacked Reagan's tax and spending cuts, claiming that it favored the rich and hurt the poor. However, it was actually the â€Å"tight money† policies to bring inflation under control under President Carter that caused the recession. In 1983 the recession ended, which seemed to vindicate Reaganomics. Robert Samuelson stated in â€Å"The Enigma† that Reagan's â€Å"presidency was very su ccessful† (Document H). Built-up inflation from the Carter years was gone, the economy was in its second-longest expansion since World War II, and Reagan dealt efficiently with the Soviets.His social agenda of challenging abortion and advocating school prayer was only pirsued half-heartedly. Since the nation under Reagan was going so well, it's no surprise that many Americans turned from liberalism and began to embrace conservatism, and that his effectiveness was even able to convince some conservative southern Democrats to abandon their own party and follow the president. Consequently, the failures of the policies of liberal presidents like Carter and the success of conservatives like Reagan lead to the resurgence of conservatism.The rise of religion in American politics also contributed to the growth of conservatism. The most prominent was a coalition of conservative, evangelical Christians known as the religious right. The Moral Majority, founded by Reverend Jerry Farwell, emerged to combat what they saw as an irreligious and corrupt society. They focused more on the social aspects of government than the economic concerns. They preached successfully against abortion, feminism, and the spread of gay rights and had registered between 2 and 3 million voters.By using multiple media devices like the radio and TV, televangelists were able to reach huge audiences and collect millions of dollars to support political conservative candidates. Ralph Reed stated in his book, Active Faith: How Christians Are Changing the Soul of American Politics, that the Republican's conservative and pro-life position is an important element of the party that garnered the support of millions of pro-life individuals and families in elections, and that they should not abandon their views (Document I).In 1964, representation in the House of Representatives in southern states was mostly dominated by Democrats. However, by the year 2000, the seats occupied became increasingly Republi can (Document J). Most Americans lived in the Bible Belt South and West, where religious Fundamentalism and suspicions of the federal government due to scandals like the Watergate scandal, thrived and so more Republicans than Democrats were elected into their respected offices because they appealed to the Southern citizens with their conservatism.Thus, the rise of religious and moral awareness in politics prompted many Americans to become increasingly conservative and contribute to its resurgence. Another cause for the resurgence of conservatism was the controversy over the Vietnam War. During Johnson's presidency, the war had become the longest and most unpopular war in the nation. He helped escalate the war by authorities granted to him under the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, after which he promptly sent thousands of American troops into combat. As the war wore on, many Americans became weary of it.While Johnson dreamed of a â€Å"Great Society†, his presidency was haunted by the Vietnam War (Document D). Much of the funding he hoped would expand his social reform went towards financing the war. After Nixon's Vietnamization of the war, only 30,000 American troops remained in Vietnam. The powerful federal government of Lyndon B. Johnson as depicted by the controversial Vietnam War, lead many Americans to turn their support towards conservative Republicans who championed small government and contribute to the return of conservatism onAmerican politics and government. The resurgence of conservatism in American politics and government was chiefly a reflection of the liberal 1960s and 1970s. The Moral Majority arose to denounce the irreligious movements such as the sexual and feminist movements that advocated abortion and homosexuality. The government's political and economic policies further herded Americans into conservatives' arms as the government's influence increased and Reagan's conservatist presidency proved effective.