The Top-Down Theory Of Policy Implementation Essay Example for Free

The Top-Down Theory Of Policy Implementation Essay There are three well-defined theories on the implementation of policies.   One of these is the top-down school of thought, led by Van Meter and Van Horn (1975), Nakamura and Smallwood (1980) and Mazmanian and Sabatier (1983), which describes the act of putting policies into action as a hierarchical operation of a centrally-defined policy plan.   Unlike the bottom-up theory of policy implementation (Hjern and Hull, 1982) which is motivated by daily problem-solving tactics, the top-down theory focuses on the capacity of the decision makers to generate clear and definite policy goals and management strategies during policy implementation. The theory is based on the premise that a motion has been formulated by a decision-making body or central council.   The tenet of this theory is that there is a direct correlation between a policy and an actual outcome, and in turn, take no consideration of the effect of implementers on the actual delivery of the policy.   This rigid approach perceives the theory in a simple straightforward formula wherein the policy is the input itself and the implementation as the actual output.    In addition, the employment of a chain of command in the top-down theory creates an impression that this school of thought is a â€Å"governing elite phenomenon.†Ã‚   Thus, the idea of implementation actually means that bureaucratic measures are to be launched to guarantee that the policies will be perfectly carried out.   Such setting will require a reliable amount of resources, since the theory acts on a command-level basis.   Several agencies will be necessary for the monitoring and implementation of policies, making sure that the goals per level are accomplished to the exact detail and expectation. There are a number of variables that influence policy implementation using the top-down approach—1) the policy objectives should be clear and consistent, 2) the program is based on a legitimate causal theory, 3) the implementing personnel or officials are committed to the objectives of the program, and 4) the implementation program is properly configured. The theory seems to be strong and reliable, but knowing the principle behind the top-down theory, this will entail a huge network of personnel that will individually work out their assignments at their respective control level.   The precise functioning of such hierarchical structure is therefore very difficult to actually execute unless the program heads or leaders are extremely driven to see the ultimate results of their policy implementation. Another shortcoming of the top-down theory involves the characteristic that the policy goals can not be changed.   This setting requires that a policy and its goals can only be modified after a consensus is reached by the governing body.   However, before a consensus is achieved, several evaluations and reassessments are necessary, in order to convince the majority of the governing body that a change is necessary and justifiable.   Therefore, a successful strategy for policy implementation should involve a meticulous, cautious and rigorous program design that will withstand problems relating to the implementation of a policy through a sequence of authority. References Hjern, B. and Hull, C. (1982). Implementation Research as Empirical Constitutionalism. Eur. J. Polit. Res.   10(2):105-116. Mazmanian, D. and Sabatier, P. (1983):   Implementation and Public Policy. Glenview: Scott. Nakamura, R. and Smallwood, F (1980): The Politics of Policy Implementation. New York: St.Martin’s Press. Van Meter, D., and Van Horn, C. (1975):   The Policy Implementation Process. A Conceptual Framework. Administration and Society   6:445-488.

Establishment of the Silk Route Essays -- Chinese History

Currently living in the twenty first century we can take modern travel methods from airplanes, vehicles, trains, and ships for granted, altering our perception of the distance we travel significantly. These advanced distribution systems we now employ allow us to exchange culture, products, technology, and ideas by breaking down barriers, truly globalizing the world. Similar to the modern travel marvels we make the most of today, years ago before human’s relationship to machine, the silk route provided that ability to connect multiple countries. This important trade route developed over time transferring numerous products like silk from China to several countries in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Europe and Ancient India. In addition, the silk route was more than just a trade route that brought products to and from because it developed into a transcontinental network carrying goods, information, religion, language, and technology. The Silk Route is indisputably one of the oldest international trade routes consisting of a series of roadways laid over land primarily, until the introduction of sea travel. What initiated the overwhelming interest in trade was one of the oldest fibers known to man, silk, that originated in China. Silk is a luxury fabric that can be woven into textiles, producing a rich texture and luster like no other material. Dating back to 2500BC this exotic material was used exclusively for Chinese royalty, but gradually expanded to become a bigger part of the Chinese culture. Since this unique material was considered more valuable than gold at the time, as soon as word got out to neighboring countries the overwhelming interest was inevitable. The demand for this appealing material brought silk westwar... ...esearch. Web. 14 May 2012. . "Silk History: History of Silk Fabric; History of Chinese Silk; Silk Road History Silks History." Silk History: History of Silk Fabric; History of Chinese Silk; Silk Road History Silks History. TexereSilk, 2011. Web. 14 May 2012. . "Silk Road - Its History, Development, Operation and Significance to the East and West." Silk Road - Its History, Development, Operation and Significance to the East and West. Web. 14 May 2012. . "Silk Road Culture Exchange, Religion and Technology Introduced into China via Silk Road." TravelChinaGuide. Web. 14 May 2012. .

How I would interpret and stage the supernatural in ‘Macbeth’ Essay

Macbeth is a thrilling, tragic play written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth was written in the early sixteen hundreds, however the play is set in the early 11th century. The play was written in the Jacobean times, during this time King James the first wrote a book called ‘Demonology’. This book was based on witchcraft, which was contemporary at the time. This could of inspired Shakespeare to incorporate the supernatural into Macbeth. The opening of Macbeth is very dramatic and theatrical. It opens with thunder and lightening this is visually arresting. In those days they would have used torches or candles to create the lightening and probably a sheet of metal, which they would shake to generate the illusion of thunder. However compared to the effects of today this is all very basic. In today’s world lasers are used to produce the false impression of lightening. These modern methods of creating illusions are visually stimulating, but as the language in the sixteen hundreds is much more complex as it uses a lot of imagery; this can be mentally stimulating as it creates images in your mind you, which can be just as effective as new technology. You can see this when Lady Macbeth says. â€Å"Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty;† (Lady Macbeth Act 1, Scene V. Lines 38-41) During the thunder and lightening three witches enter, they only appear in three scenes of the play but their effect is all persuasive. Every time the witches speak it is very important what they have to say. Even though the witches are cackling they have to be clear enough as the audience needs to know what is said. When the witches speak they have a chanting sound. This is created by rhyming couplets â€Å"again† and â€Å"rain† this is followed by a tipple rhyme â€Å"done† â€Å"won† â€Å"sun†. In this opening scene the witches say two important things. The first is that they are going to meet with Macbeth. â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth.† (Third Witch Act 1 Scene 1 Line 8) The second is, â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;† (All Witches Act1 Scene1 Lines 11-12) This is saying that what is good and innocent on the outside, maybe bad and corrupt on the inside. This is referring to Macbeth. These quotes raise questions amongst the audience – Why? Why Macbeth? However the answers lie in the audiences understanding of witchcraft and how it creates mischief and evil. These ideas are contemporary to Shakespeare even though the play is set 500 years earlier. Macbeth is the instrument of witches because the witches know that there is something in him which is bad and corrupt hence â€Å"Fair is Foul, and foul is fair† saying. This scene echoes a major theme of the play which is, â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;† (All Witches Act1 Scene1 Lines 11-12). This saying could affect how you would make the witches appear. I think if I was directing Macbeth, I would make at least one of the witches look attractive and young to show innocence, because this would prove that â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;† However in Shakespeare makes the witches look old and withered, you know this when the witches meet with Macbeth and Banquo, and Banquo describes them when he says. â€Å"What are these, So withered, and so wild in their attrie, That look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth,† (Banquo Act1 Scene3 lines 39-41) This is traditional interpretation on how the witches look like. The witches cannot kill people personally so they use people or the weather as instruments to do it for them. At the beginning of Act 1 scene 3 we learn how limited the witches powers are. They tell us a story about a sailor’s wife and how they keep her husband out to sea by manipulating the weather. â€Å"I’ll drain him dry as hay;† (First Witch Act1 Scene3 line 19) Some people argue weather that this part with the witches should not be in the play as they say it slows down the excitement of the play, and this would be the time during the play when the audience would get up for some refreshments. Nevertheless I think that this is a vital part of the play as it may explain why the witches have involved Macbeth into their wicked ways to cause pandemonium and evil. In Act 1 Scene 3 Macbeth says his first words in the play these are: â€Å"So foul and fair a day I have not seen.† (Act1 Scene3 line38) These words echo what the witches said at the end of Act1 Scene1, and this links Macbeth with the witches straight away. If I were directing the play I would have Macbeth and Banquo at the back of the stage and the witches in front of them, to emphasize there evil I would have a red spotlight shone on the witches and a smoke machine to create an eerie atmosphere. Macbeth and Banquo then see the witches and they greet each other. Each of the witches greet Macbeth personally the first witch says â€Å"All hail Macbeth , hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!† (Act1 Scene 3 Line 46) â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!† (Act1 Scene 3 Line 47,48) â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, that shalt be King here after!† (Line 49,50) As you can see each comment becomes higher in rank, to King. Banquo response is. â€Å"Are ye fantastical† (Act 1 Scene 3 Line 53) Then Banquo asks the witches to tell him his own future. The witches reply and say: â€Å"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.† â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail Macbeth and Banquo!† These comments that the witches say have now set the events in motion by motivating Macbeth, this has also sealed Banquo fate as Macbeth would need to kill him so that he cant be farther consequently Macbeth’s family is on the throne longer. Banquo is right to mistrust them and he warns Macbeth when he says: â€Å"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence† (Banquo Act 1 Scene 3 Line 124-127) This sums up exactly how the witches work they use people as instruments to manipulate them. Macbeth wants to know more about these preposterous comments made by the Witches, but all of a sudden they vanish. In Shakespearian times they would of used a trap door to create the effect of a disappearance. However today a trap door is still used. When the witches tell Macbeth about the future, it could have awoken or planted the seeds of evil within his soul. The word â€Å"murder† comes into his mind and â€Å"Horrible imaginings†. However the witches cant guide him all the way to evil it will be up to himself and his wife. But he could still hope to be crowed he says, â€Å"Chance they crown me†. As of Scottish succession, which could make him king because if all the royals who are in battle die in Scotland’s war against Norway, he could be the last man standing this makes his crime double heinous. By the time we see the witches again. Macbeth has murdered Duncan, his best friend Banquo and has become a tyrant. However before this there are two instances of the supernatural. The first is when Macbeth is about to execute the kill on King Duncan. He sees a dagger, he goes for it and Macbeth’s hand goes right through it. â€Å"A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?† (Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 38-39) This could have been sent by the witches to give him a push but it is unnecessary as he is already going in that direction, consequently the witches influence no longer matters because he has already taken control. He then draws his own dagger, but all of a sudden the vision changes to a bloody dagger. â€Å"And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before.† (Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 lines 46-47) Then Macbeth starts to talk about which craft Pale Hecate and murder. In them days the stories about Pale Hecate are relevant so Shakespeare puts them in so that the audience can create there own supernatural images. However today you would not include it because of the technology available to create holograms and illusions with lasers. You can see this in Polanski’s version of the play he uses lasers to create the dagger. The other instance of the supernatural is when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost in Act 3 Scene 4. You could stage this in 2 ways. You could have the actor that played Banquo made to look like a ghost, or you could have nothing there so that you would see Macbeth talking to a stool. I would have him talking to a stool because if you had a ghost the audience will see that he is actually seeing one, but if I don’t, and you have Macbeth talking to a stool the audience will believe that he had gone insane. Shakespeare keeps the throne where Macbeth sits empty because this will be the place where the ghost appears, so he has Macbeth socializing with his friends. â€Å"Ourself will mingle with society,† (Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 line 2) Then Macbeth sees that the tables full because Banquo is sitting in his place. Only Macbeth can see the ghost and that’s why Lennox says â€Å"Here is a place reserved, sir.† (Lennox Act 3 Scene 4 line 45) Macbeth recognises the ghost of Banquo is sat in his place at the table; he believes this is a joke by someone who may know he called for Banquo’s murder. ‘Which of you have done this?’ (Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 line 48) In Act 4 Scene 1 Macbeth goes to consult the witches, this own decision to do this. Therefore the witches have captivated Macbeth. The opening of this scene is really about giving the audience a thrill. The witches are conducting an evil spell they use horrible ingredients for it like, â€Å"Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,† (Second witch Act 4 Scene 1 line14) In them days this would of pleased the groundlings. If I were to stage this scene I would have a big cauldron in the middle of the stage with all the witches gathered around, I would have a red spot light shone on them all and a smoke machine so it would look like the cauldron is giving off smoke, this would create an hazy atmosphere. For the ingredients I would have them as nasty and as uninviting as possible this would make the witches even more repulsive to the audience, therefore entertaining the audience. Once they have finished the spell Macbeth knocks at the door of the witches home, then ironically a witch says, â€Å"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:† (Second witch Act 4 Scene1line 45) Macbeth enters the witch’s home a he is determined to know the future, no matter what the cost. â€Å"I conjure you, by that which you profess, however you come to know it, answer me.† (Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 line 50-51) The witches oblige him with three apparitions. The 1st apparition is an armed head this could be interpreted as Macduff, or Macbeth’s head or ‘the head of rebellion’. The 2nd apparition is a bloody child. This is referring to Macbeth being ripped from his mother’s womb untimely. This could imply that he was born via cesarean section which in them days was not normal this could explain why Macbeth has turned wicked. The last apparition is a child crowned with a tree in his hand; this could be interpreted as Malcolm or James 1st. They all assume that Malcolm is intended in that he gives the order to hew down branches, although it could be about James 1st. It was known that James 1st was crowned in the cradle, so the tree could be a family tree. Shakespeare would of stages these apparitions using just actors and props, for the armed head they could of used a fake head with armor on it, and for the other two apparitions they could of just used a real child and used make up to create the illusion of blood. However in the 21st century the effects you can create for this scene are overwhelming for the armed head its possible to have a real head floating in mid-air, this can be done using holograms. The same techniques could be used to create illusions for the rest of the apparitions. If I were to stage ‘Macbeth’ today I would make a film rather than a play doing this would enable me to input more special effects. I would go along the same route as Pulaski’s version because I liked how he made one of the witches young and beautiful to echo the â€Å"Fair is foul† saying. After reading the play, I’m bewildered, how could a potential hero be so taken in, unless he wanted to be? I think from birth Macbeth had something evil in him that needed someone or something to trigger the evilness off, so I believe that the witches were the ones that pulled the trigger that resulted in the total destruction of Macbeth.

Stalin in Power Essay - 1364 Words

The leadership capabilities give a person freedom to decide which way to use them. One can use them to reach the power; another can use them to enrich others. In Stalin’s case having leadership resulted in policies that had negative effect on country stabilization. The millions of people lost due to Stalin’s regime was a devastating blow to the Soviet Union. Although, the Soviet Union made more progress under Stalin than under any other leader of the Soviet Union, but it happened at a great cost. The enforced policies were meant to improve the overall standards of the people but they had the opposite effect and created chaos. Vladimir IIyich Lenin was one of the biggest influences on Stalin and the way he would come to rule the Soviet†¦show more content†¦They raised, rather than lowered the goals and intensified the pressures to meet them. Stalin said,†We are bound by no laws. There are no fortresses the Bolsheviks cannot storm, (Kort 202)†That was a way of symbolizing how powerful he was and what things they were capable of. Stalin’s chaos started with the First Five-Year plan which was introduced in April 1929. This policy called for drastic increases in industrial production, heavy industry, coal, pig iron, and electricity. â€Å"If the First Five-Year Plan was anything at all, it was a propaganda piece signaling the regime’s intention to push the nation ahead at a reckless speed, regardless of the costs (Kort 201)†. Collectivization was another part of the First Five-Year Plan and consisted of forcing people to move from urban areas to collective farms to produce more agricultural products. â€Å"By March 1930, less than three months into the campaign, almost 60 percent of the Soviet Union’s peasants-about 15 million households totaling 70 million people had been driven from their homesteads into collective farms. (Kort 204).† If peasants opposed too strenuously, as many did, they were likely to be branded as kulaks who are considered prosperous or kulak sympathizers and divest. Many of the Kulaks were killed or sent to camps in Siberia and forced to live in awful conditions often including malnutrition. The Second Five-Year Plan was enforced inShow MoreRelatedStalins Rise To Power984 Words   |  4 Pages Comrade General Secretary Joseph Stalin’s rise to power in the former Soviet Union was born in the midst of the Russian Revolution of 1917. His association and friendship with Vladimir Lenin also played an integral part in the dictator’s power grab. Stalin participated in the December 1904 oil worker strike in Baku, Georgia, which ended successfully later that month. It was the first time in Russian history that a collective bargaining agreement was signed between oil company owners and oil workersRead More Stalins Rise To Power Essay1190 Words   |  5 Pagesfar did Stalin achieve and maintain what Kruchev described as â€Å"the accumulation of immense and limitless power†, in the USSR between 1924 and 1945? Between 1924 and 1945, Joseph Stalin was able to emerge as the leader of the USSR and maintain what Kruchev described as â€Å"the accumulation of immense and limitless power†. Stalins rise to power was a combination of his ability to manipulate situations and the failure of others to prevent him from taking power, especially Leon Trotsky. Stalin ruled theRead MoreHitler and Stalin: Their Search for Power1178 Words   |  5 Pageskilled under Hitlers control, but it’s said to be around 20,946,000 from 1933-1945. Another leader Joseph Stalin, was the second leader in the Soviet Union. 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His supremacy acted as a drug in hisRead MoreStalin s Power Of The Communist Party Essay3755 Words   |  16 PagesHow was Stalin able to assume control of the Communist Party by 1929? The assumption of power by Joseph Stalin was arguably one of the most significant periods of Bolshevik Russia’s history. Stalin is recognised as one of the most influential men to have ever lead Russia, and he did so through the largest war the world has ever faced, World War II, and through the beginning of one of the most tense periods of modern history, the Cold War. It is easy however, to get lost in the legacy Stalin left behindRead MoreWhy Did Stalin Come to Power and Not Trotsky1370 Words   |  6 PagesHistory Essay: Why Stalin Not Trotsky Stalin’s race to become the all mighty ruler fully started after Lenin died of a stroke on the 21st of January 1924. With Lenin gone, Stalin started to eliminate the other members of the Communist Party: Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Rykov, Tomsky and Bukharin. He very cleverly switched between the left wing and the right wing, by making alliances with one wing the suddenly breaking with them, only to join the other wing, going against everything that they hadRead MoreEssay on Factors that Helped Stalin in his Rise to Power994 Words   |  4 PagesFactors that Helped Stalin in his Rise to Power Following the death of Lenin in 1922, it was simply a matter of time before one member of the Politburo, who announced they would be acting as a collective leadership, gained individual power. The successful individual was Stalin, who hailing from humble beginnings, rose up through the ranks to become the brutal and ruthless dictator of the Soviet State. Stalin managed to do this not simply because of his personal strengthsRead MoreWhy Was Stalin Able to Win the Power Struggle?871 Words   |  4 Pagescontributed to Stalin becoming the next leader are plentiful and can mostly be divided into Stalin’s own strengths and the weaknesses of his most important rival, Trotsky. All the factors can also be linked in one way or another, as shall be seen in this answer. One of the most important reasons why Stalin won the power struggle is that he used his high positions in the Communist party and the power that came with it to his advantage. Several factors fall under this category. Firstly is how Stalin usedRead MoreStalin‚Äà ´s rise to power and his Key Domestic Policies1327 Words   |  6 Pagesresulting in the abdication of the Tsar, resulting in a provisional government being formed. This essay will look at Stalin’s rise to power and the success of his Domestic policies. In April, Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik party returned from exile. His April thesis was popular with the people through his communist ideology and popular slogans â€Å"All power to the soviets† and â€Å"Peace, Bread, Land.† In November a second revolution, organised by Trotsky overthrew the provisional governmentRead More‚Äà ºto What Extent Was the Rise to Power of Stalin Due to Personal Appeal and Ability‚Äà ¹?1222 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"To what extent was the rise to power of Stalin due to personal appeal and ability†? Lenin died in January 1924 and Stalin emerged to power in 1929. Stalin has been described as a â€Å"grey blur† that rose to power. It’s quite hard to pin point the main reasons how Stalin got to power. Some historians may say that Stalin was lucky that he got to power and he benefited off events such as Lenin’s death and that his rival’s weaknesses such as Trotsky who was considered likely successor to Lenin, but Trotsky