ROLE OF THE STATE IN ENSURING DEVELOPMENT IN A COUNTRY Essay Example for Free

ROLE OF THE STATE IN ENSURING DEVELOPMENT IN A COUNTRY Essay INTRODUCTION A state may be simply defined as a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government. Claude Ake (1992) defines a state as: The organized aggregate of relatively permanent institutions of governance. It is seen as a set of associations and agencies claiming control over defined territories and their populations. The main components of the state are, consequently, decision making structures (executives, parties and parliaments), decision-enforcing institutions (bureaucracies, parastatal organizations and security forces) and decision-mediating bodies (primary courts, tribunals and investigatory commissions). The character of the state in any particular country is determined by the pattern of organization of these institutions at specific points in time. The government is usually used interchangeably with the state but it however represents the people or officers in power who change from time to time but the state does not change. see more:the role of youth in nation building The state plays a major role in the development of a country as it is the government/state that enacts key policies are key to economic success and development in a given country. There has however been a lot of contention especially in African countries about the role of the state in regards to development of a country. This is because many African states relied and still rely heavily on foreign markets and expatriates for development in the country. For example in southern Africa most post colonial states depended on expatriates for the formulation of national developmental plans that ran for 5 to 15 years. These plans were also still financed by foreign donors. AÂ  similar case was seen in Tanzania whose first phase of its ambitious 15 year development plan was funded by external powers with domestic funding being only a fifth of the raised capital. Hence the there is debate as to whether development is brought about by the state or by market forces that are independent. The role of the state in development The state plays the following roles that facilitate development in a country. These roles can be divided into the following categories: a. The role of the state in current development programmes b. Development of good governance c. Development of policies Implementation of reforms These reforms include structural adjustments in the country that manage and control pricing of commodities in the country. Also the state has the powers to control various institutions including private institutions. The state should aim at implementing stable property rights, enforcing the rules and laws of the land and elimination of corruption. The state should also provide supervision over the provision of public goods and services such as transportation and security. Implementing development programs The state plays a major role in implementation of development programs that form a back bone other which development takes place. For example in Tanzania there was implementation of a 15 year development plan with funding from both the state and foreign markets. In Kenya the vision 2030 is another good example of a state drive n development plan that aims at achieving development in the country through various started. The vision 2030 aims to create a globally competitive and prosperous nation with a high quality of life by 2030. The pillars for this 2030 development program include: economic pillar that is aiming at a 10% gross domestic product increase by 2012 by targeting tourism, agriculture, whole sale and retail trade, manufacturing, IT services and financial services. The second pillar in Kenya’s 2030 development program is the social pillar. This pillar aims at investing in the people of Kenya in order to improve the quality of life for all Kenyans by targeting education and training, health, environment, housing and urbanization, youth and sport development, gender children and social development. The state’s role in improvement of these factors will have a direct influence in development in the country. For example the improvement of education by ensuring that all people receive formal education and professional training to create a pool of qualified work force that will supports the economic pillar of development and hence increase in the GDP. The third pillar of the vision 2030 development program is the political pillar. This aims at moving into the future as one nation and envisions a democratic system that is issue based, people centred, result oriented and is accountable to the public. This pillar aims at creating a transparent and accountable government. The vision 2030 for development has already commenced in Kenya with 120 transformational and flagship programmes across each pillar already in progress. This shows one of the roles of the state in implementing development programs and monitoring them. Implementation of quality governance. The state has the function of implementing stable rules and laws that govern the country. These rules protect property rights and create an entrepreneur friendly environment for local and foreign investment in the country. Studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between good governance and the level of per capita income in the country. Establishment of quality governance leads to increase of per capita income in the country. A good example is China that has experienced exponential growth over the last decade. State-centred accounts attribute China’s economic success to the organizational capacity of local government to monitor and intervene to promote the development of township and village enterprises (Walder 1995). This has seen china change to a strong capitalist economy and by-pass other nations such as the former Soviet Union i.e. Russia that were the favourites to see increased economic and development growth. China boasts of a strong authoritarian national leadership and an elite state bureaucracy that pursues developmental goals and industrial policy (Wade 1990). However this role of the state in development, that is the implementation of good governance has been criticized because in developing countries of which a majority of African countries are there are no resources to implement good governance. This is due to lack of adequate skilled man power and capital to implement close supervision of state development projects. There is also neglect of various areas when development is taking place with localized development of capital cities and major towns at the expense of national development. This leads to most developing countries shifting to economic marketism with privatization of most institutions and the role of development shifts from the state to the market forces and foreign influence that comes with its own disadvantages in that development in the region in a situation of minimal state intervention remains low when compared to the era of economic nationalism, which seems to have recorded higher levels of social development (Khabele, 2002). Implementation of policies The state has the role of implementing policies that increase development and economic growth in a country. In most developing countries the policy challenge is not to get the state out of the way on the assumption that a capitalist market economy is already in existence and that the problem is to make it work better by removing excessive government regulation. The policy challenge is to create market and this should be reinforced by the state. The state should formulate policies that will ensure innovation in the country, structural transformation in terms of infrastructure and industrialisation; policies that will ensure creation of jobs for the people of the country and hence aid to lower poverty in general and increase per capita income in the country. The state has the role of implementing policies in Kenya that will shift the policy in agriculture from neglect of the agriculture sector to active support to farmers through rural infrastructure, developing of linkages between agriculture and other sectors such as foreign exchange and industries. The government should also implement policies to aid in financing agricultural projects and improve the use of technology in agriculture. The Kenyan population rely heavily on agriculture for income and concentration on this resource can increase development in a country. The state also has the role to implement industrial policies that will enable increase in industries and manufacturing in a country. It should also ensure proper attention is paid to the education and training system in the country so that there is a pool of workers for the industries. Increase in industrialisation leads to economic growth and hence developments. The state should also implement good trade policies both locally and internationally. Good trade policies supplement the industrial policy and support the trading environment to maximize on the attractiveness of a countries products and services in the region and globally. Lack of implementation of proper trade policies can hinder economic development and development. A good example is Zimbabwe that had failed to implement a comprehensive national trade policy. This lead to the decline of export earnings by 49% from US$2.6 billion in 1997 to around US$ 1.3 billion in 2008. This limited export of good lead to increased foreign debt of about 25.3% of the GDP in 2001 that greatly hindered economic development in the country. (Khabele et al 2002) the government of Zimbabwe has now realised the need for implementation of proper national trade policies in order to successfully participate in regional and global market. Zimbabwe has now implemented the National Trade Policy whose policy vision is to have trade as the engine for sustainable economic growth and development in Zimbabwe. CONCLUSION The role of the state in development has been an issue of heated debate at theoretical and policy arenas in the African especially since the attainment of independence of most of the countries. Two main alternative or contrasting development agendas that have driven the debate were those of the nationalist political elite or the state (economic nationalism) on one hand and those of foreign capital (economic marketism) on the other. State intervention, as a key policy thrust of a development process is much stronger in respect of economic nationalism, which in itself is an expression of the political commitment of African states to chart independent development paths for their countries. However the role of the state in development is not independent of marketism as foreign and local markets play a huge role in the development process. The ideal situation would be for the state, foreign markets and private sectors to work together I good relation to ensure development in the various A frican countries. REFERENCES 1. African Development Indicators, Drawn from World Bank Africa Database, The World Bank, Washington D.C., 2001 2. Ake, C., ‘Democracy and Development in Africa’; The Brookings Institution, Washington DC., 1996 3. Khabele M., ‘The role of the state in development in SADC region’; council for development in Africa, Ghana, 2002 4. The ministry of Industry and commerce of Zimbabwe data base: ‘www.miit.gov.zw/policies’, 2012

CD Review :: essays research papers

Jay-Z Blueprint Here you have it, all you Jay-Z fans; a much anticipated review of the hot new CD!! 1)The Ruler's Back 3:49 This song is Jay-Z singing about...Jay-Z. In this song he sounds very conceded. He is 'the Ruler', and when he says "I'm back n***a", there are trumpets playing in the background, jsut like you'd imagine them being played for royalty. He talks about how rich he is, and how he doesn't care if he goes to court, he says"What's a couple dollars to me?" and the only thing he cares about is that you respect him. I dunno, it's kinda tough respecting someone with that big an ego. But it's kinda cool, in the beginning the beat goes with his laugh, it reminds me of how we're supposed to get the virbrato on flute, the whole "hahaha" thing. 2)Takeover 5:13 I like the beat to this song. it's the type you'd go cruising with, turn the bass waaayyyy up. so that you can't even hear the words. Int his song he advertises his record label Roc-A-Fella, and how powerful he is, and how he and his rappers are "runnin' this rap sh*t". He talk about how many more records he's sold than DMX, and disses him. At one point he uses a DMX clip where they're shouting "NOOOO!" And every time, it never fails, I jump out of my seat, it sounds as if someone is sitting right next to you screaming bloody murder. 3)Izzo (H.O.V.A.) 4:00 This is one of my favorite songs on the cd, in fact, this song is the reason I bought the cd. This song has a peppy beat, and talks about how he, inspite of everything that has happened to him, he comes out on top. Honestly, i have no idea what "H to the izzo, V to the izzy" is supposed to mean. The chorus has a girl singing that line, and Jay-Z saying "Forshizzo my nizzo, used to dribble down in VA", then the girls sing "H to the izzo, V to the izzy" again, and then Jay-Z says "That's the anthem, get your da*n hands up". It's the type of song you can't help but bop your head to. It's also the perfect length, by the end of it, you aren't tired of the song unlike some of the other songs on this cd. 4) Girls, Girls, Girls 4:35

Of Mice and Men †Life in America in the 1930’s Essay

â€Å"Of mice and men† by John Steinbeck tells the story of life in 1930’s America during the great depression, about the dreams, lifestyle, racism and sexism, which had become a way of life for the characters in Steinbeck’s book. I will be discussing these points to determine exactly what life in 1930’s American was like. Life in 1930’s America was very lonely, George tells us that â€Å"†¦guys like us†¦are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Many of the other ranch hands share the same feeling. This is also made apparent by the fact that most people think that there has to be something wrong if two men travel together because nobody takes that much care of somebody else, Slim’s comment to this is â€Å"†¦ I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George and Lennie’s new boss is also suspicious, he asks George, referring to Lennie, â€Å"†¦what stake you got in this guy?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George feels he has to lie and tells the boss that Lennie is † †¦my†¦Cousin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The other ranch hands don’t interact with each other this is shown when Candy says to George â€Å"†¦a guy on the ranch don’t never listen nor he don’ t ask no questions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this quote emphasises how private the menn keep their lives. Slim is an exception to this as he is always willing to talk if others wish to. However many of the others, despite their urge to talk, seem to be less inviting or trustworthy. George and Lennie seem to be an exception to this general life. They â€Å"†¦got somebody to talk to that gives a damn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Slim describes what living on a ranch does to a man and really how lonely it is that â€Å"†¦they get mean†¦ they get so they don’t want to talk to anybody†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The average ranch hand gets â€Å"†¦ fifty bucks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  they â€Å"..go in old susy’s place†¦ you can get a shot for two bits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  they describe this as â€Å"†¦ jus’ the usual thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and George describes how most ranch hands are constantly moving from ranch to ranch â€Å"†¦they come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go into town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The conditions in which the migrant workers lived were primitive. Bunkhouse walls were whitewashed, the floor unpainted. There were eight bunks in the bunkhouse, which showed that there was a lack of privacy for the men. Even their few personal belongings were on public display â€Å"†¦over each bunk there was nailed an apple-box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The only places for the men to sit were boxes. George saw that the conditions were also unhygienic when he found a can in his apple-box which said â€Å"†¦positively kills lice, roaches and other scourges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The life style in 1930’s America was not one of luxury, it was full of hard times, low wages and little opportunity. Crooks the Stable buck dreams about going back to a world much like his childhood, without prejudice. Many of the men on the ranch are very racist, including the boss, even though the boss is described as a â€Å"pretty nice guy† he â€Å"give the stable buck hell†. An example of racial prejudice is when Carlson casually refers to the stable buck as a â€Å"†¦nigger†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . George does not react to this reference, which shows that it is a commonly used word. Also the prejudice against coloured people is again shown as the stable buck, who is a coloured man, is not permitted to sleep in the bunkhouse along with the other migrant workers. The stable buck is also not usually allowed to join in with any activities and we are shown this when Carlson explains how, at Christmas, â€Å"†¦they let the nigger come in that night†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The conditions in Crooks room are just as bad as the rest of the ranch, Crooks bed is â€Å"a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung†. Even though Crooks has his own room his life is extremely lonely, being the only coloured man on the ranch the only contact he has with others is when he is asked to do something. Crooks teases Lennie referring to George â€Å"well, s’pose, just s’pose he don’t come back. What’l you do then?† the point crooks was trying to make by teasing Lennie was how its like on your own with no one, and that Lennie is very lucky to have George because, Crooks has no one and isn’t allowed in the bunk house. Again disrespect for the ranch workers is shown when Curley’s Wife refer’s to them as â€Å"†¦a bunch of bindle stifts – a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the ranch workers world seems to contain quite a lot of prejudice, both racial and sexual. Curley’s Wife lashes out at Crooks when he tells her â€Å"you got no rights comin’ in a coloured man’s room† Crooks is forced to draw into himself and add covers of mental protection, because Curley’s Wife show’s how racism is very much a part of life in the 1930’s, her next words to Crooks are some of the harshest â€Å"well keep your place, then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny†. The Sexual prejudice in 1930’s America is very obvious, the men at the ranch make this point clear because, they assume that Curley’s Wife is â€Å"†¦a tart†¦Ã¢â‚¬  because she comes into the bunk house and supposedly gives Slim and Carlson â€Å"†¦the eye†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . It later becomes clearer that what she actually wishes to gain from her visits to the bunk house is company. This shows that the ranch is a very lonely place for her too. Curley’s Wife has a dream, although her dream is different from the men on the ranch. Instead of something to call her own, she wants fame. She is unhappy with her husband , and his constant stories of who is going to beat up next: â€Å"sure I gotta husban’. You allseen him. Swell guy, ain’t he?†. When she is talking to Lennie, alone in the barn, she recounts her obviously well told stories of her offers of fame. She seems to have a deep regret that she didn’t take up either men on their offers â€Å"if I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet†. The scene in Crooks room revealed that Curley’s Wife isn’t really â€Å"†¦a tart†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , she is just extremely lonely, and all she really wants is company and someone to talk to. I think the reason she lashes out at Crooks is because she has just had enough of people not wanting to talk to her, or asking her to go away Crooks tells Curley’s Wife â€Å"now you jus’ get out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ast the boss not to let you come in the barn no more†. Tragically Lennie and Curley’s Wife die, I feel very sorry for the both of them, Curley’s Wife, because she always wished for fame and a comfortable life. Curley’s Wife did not seem likely to achieve her dreams. Even if she wasn’t murdered, she was stuck in a rut with Curley, a rut that she would have gone round and round in until he left her for a new woman, or she finally built up the courage to leave him. Also someone who is referred to throughout an entire story as someone’s possession does not make a likely major character. Their marriage did not seem to be one that was destined to last until they died of natural causes. But Curley’s Wife did die, and her death seemed to be a release â€Å"†¦ discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face†. I also feel very sorry for Lennie, he was also described in the story as some kind of possession, he was George’s companion. Lennie’s child-like-mind and behaviour don’t make the ideal major character, I think all Lennie really thought about during the whole story was â€Å"Livin’ off the fatta the lan'† and â€Å"tending the rabbit’s†. I think Lennie knew what the dream was but for him it was tending rabbits. George and Lennie’s dream is a simple one – they want land to call their own. Candy sums the feeling up well: â€Å"Every body wants a bit of land, not much. Jus’ som’thin’ that was his†. Crooks has also seen it all before: â€Å"I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever’ time a whorehouse or a blackjack game took what it takes†. This shows that the dream of owning land is very common among all ranch workers. George’s dream, although extremely similar to Lennie’s , is probably more detailed and complicated. Lennie thinks as far as â€Å"tendin’ the rabbits†, but George has to worry about whether it would be possible to really â€Å"live offa fatta of the lan'†, or would they starve? I think Candy grasped so readily on George and Lennie’s dream because, Candy knew that â€Å"Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk-houses they’ll put me on the county†, I think he also knows that if he doesn’t get a place soon he is just going to die on the ranch, sad and alone because the men on the ranch wont care. Maybe Lennie did get his dream, in one way or the other. As George is preparing to kill Lennie, he tells him one last time about â€Å"how ità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s gonna be.† This last bedtime story for Lennie seems to describe not a little farm that they might buy, but the heaven someone might go to in their afterlife. As Lennie begs George â€Å"Leà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s do it now. Leà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s go to that place now†, and George replies â€Å"Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta†, and then pulls the trigger, the pair seem at peace with themselves, and each other. George knows what he is doing is right, and he knows that Lennie would agree if he had the time to explain his reasoning to him. If Lennie could comprehend the reasoning behind Georgeà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s actions, he would realise that George was taking Candyà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s unknowingly offered advice: â€Å"I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t ought to have let no stranger shoot my dog.† The American dream is very common in 1930’s America, it seems that every character in Steinbecks novel has a dream which all of them are unlikely to achieve. The world of the migrant workers in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, was monotonous and lonely. Generally speaking there was a lack of realistic ambition for the workers. The conditions in which they lived were cramped and unhygienic and encouraged prejudice and a lack of respect towards everyone. I think that Steinbeck’s novel paints an accurate picture of life and culture in 1930’s America.   

Pride And Dignity By Michael Jackson - 1275 Words

Michael Jackson the late famous singer once stated, â€Å"I m a black American, I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity† (â€Å"Michael Jackson†). In having pride and dignity, comes lots of courage and self-determination. An example of internal pride is exemplified through Jackson’s course of actions and thoughts which resulted in a very successful career for him. As identified on Dictionary.com, pride, an Old English word originating before 1000 b.c. It is a process of feeling confident, often joyful, and proud of others and ones accomplishments and deeds. Pride is not limited to pride in one’s own actions, but also in actions of those around them. Although it is an abstract word, its concept is quite concrete and one can obtain pride through a both mental and physical process. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of pride is â€Å"a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from oneà ¢â‚¬â„¢s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.† Pride is a process consisting of the conversion of ones values to actions without fear of disapproval or discouragement. Pride is essential in order to support an opinion and claim the reason why there is confidence behind ones engagements both emotionally and physically. To understand the importance of pride, one must accept and respect ones cultural and social values. Cultural values areShow MoreRelatedPride And Dignity By Michael Jackson1226 Words   |  5 PagesAlthough pride is an abstract word, its concept is quite concrete and one can obtain pride through both a mental and physical process. It is the practice of using internal values over particular topics confidently to influence choices made in life. Michael Jackson, the late famous singer, once stated, â€Å"I m a black American, I am proud of my race. I am proud of w ho I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity† (â€Å"Michael Jackson†). In having pride and dignity, one must contain courage and self-determinationRead MoreThe Voice of Michael Jackson: Shattering the Dichotomies of Race1918 Words   |  8 PagesThe Voice of Michael Jackson: Shattering the Dichotomies of Race â€Å"Im a Black American. Im proud of my race. Im proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity† – King of Pop (YouTube 2014). The late Michael Joseph Jackson was a 20th-century African-American singer and songwriter who transformed the face of pop music and popular culture throughout his lifetime (Michael Joseph Jackson ). 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