The domestic reforms of Alexander II Essay Example for Free

The domestic reforms of Alexander II Essay During Alexander IIs time on the throne he introduced many reforms that changed the face of Russia. Some historians argue that the Tsar wanted to prevent more drastic change and protect the autocracy, for example the main reform that the Tsar is remembered for, is the emancipation of the surfs. This can be seen as the single greatest liberating measure in the history of Europe and it also gave motivation to further reforms. However Alexander made a speech saying; It is better to abolish serfdom from above then to wait for the time when it begins to abolish itself from below this speech starts to question why the Tsar was really instigating the reforms, it shows that he was very aware of the feeling of unrest among the peasants, and as they made up 80% of the Russian population, the Tsar felt it would be wise to improve their situation and as a result this would strengthen Russia as a whole. This can therefore be seen as an act of the Tsar to keep control of his country and his seat in power. For that reason I feel that this shows that the main intention of this reform was to prevent any radical changes. Another reason why I feel that the emancipation of surfs was designed with the Tsars interest and fears of revolution at heart was when the serfs were freed, their landlords were given compensation for the loss of their land from the state. However the peasants were then forced to the make redemption payments to the Obshchina (community/village) over 49 years. In fact the peasants ended up with around 1/5 less land than before, due to the fact that they now had to pay for it. This showed that the Tsar did not create the reform solely for his people; he created it to help his economy and to prevent any radical change that may have been caused by an economic ruin. However some people argue that this was not his main intension in all reforms. For example they feel that the Military reforms were beneficial for the country, as it would help Russia defend itself. The Tsar divided the empire into different military districts each able to make its mobilisation more efficient. I feel that this was not a defence against radical change but in response to the resounding defeat suffered by Russia in the Crimean War (1856), and to an awareness of military advances implemented in other European countries. I also see the new judicial system that he created as a not have the prevention of change as its main intention, as I feel that it was very important for the surfs to be tried fairly which meant there was less corruption in the state. However some may see this reform as being guilty of having an underlying feeling that the Tsar was creating it so that the people were happy as they were now being tried fairly, therefore trying to prevent drastic change. However I feel that it is unfair to completely dismiss emancipation as some see it not as a reform that focused the Tsars sole desire to prevent any drastic change but as a reform that was designed to give freedom to a class that had before been denied any form of independence, to me this shows that not all reforms were designed by the Tsar to prevent drastic change. In conclusion I feel that Alexander IIs main intension in all of the reforms was to prevent more drastic change in Russia, as I feel that each of the reforms that he created have and underlying feeling that each was designed so that the autocracy benefited from it in some way, or so that there wouldnt be anything that could lead to any radical change like an revolution of some kind.

The Stand Essay -- essays research papers

The Stand by Stephen King was a very detailed, and engulfing story about a possible end to mankind. This â€Å"extermination† is caused by a man-made variation of the flu that is 100% fatal and spread through the air. It wipes out 99% of the world’s population in a month, leaving around 1 million people in the entire United States. The story is about how the population is split between good and evil and the battle that goes on between the two colonies. The story is presented from many different point of views, because there are around ten to fifteen different main characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of all the characters, Harold Lauder is probably the most interesting and developed in the whole story. His personality changes drastically from one extreme to the other throughout the book....

Advance Directives

What are advance directives? Advance directives are extremely important. It is essential that everyone make some sort of arrangement before an unfortunate situation happens to them where these decisions will need to be made. An advance directive is basically a living will or a written statement in which people state the type and amount of care they wish to receive during a terminal illness and as death approaches.Medical Law and Ethics stated that â€Å"Advance directives limit the type and amount of medical care and treatment that patients will receive if they should become incompetent and have a poor prognosis. It is important that directives are placed in writing; it is not sufficient for a person to just tell someone what his or her wishes for treatment are. The courts typically enforce written advance directives. † (pg 313) There are four types of advance directives.They are a living will, durable power of attorney for healthcare, uniform anatomical gift act, and a do not resuscitate order. The living will is a â€Å"document that a person drafts before becoming incompetent or unable to make healthcare decisions. † The durable power of attorney for healthcare is â€Å"A legal document that empowers another person (proxy) to make healthcare decisions for healthcare for an incompetent patient.It goes into effect after the person becomes incompetent and only pertains to healthcare decisions. † The uniform anatomical gift act is a â€Å"law that allows persons 18 years or older and of sound mind to make a gift of any part of their body for purposes of medical research or transplantation. † The do not resuscitate order is â€Å"an order placed into a person’s medical chart or medical record. It indicates that the person does not wish to be resuscitated if breathing stops. † (pg 103)

About the Speaker of the House of Representatives

The position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is created in Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution. It states the House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers... Key Takeaways: Speaker of the House The Speaker of the House is designated by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution as the highest-ranking member of the House of Representatives.The Speaker of the House is second in the line of presidential succession, after the Vice President.The election for Speaker of the House takes place at the beginning of each new congressional session.While the Speaker is designated as the presiding officer of the House, this day-to-day duty is usually assigned to another representative.The 2019 annual salary of the Speaker of the House is $223,500, compared to $174,000 for rank-and-file Representatives. How the Speaker Is Chosen As the highest-ranking member of the House, the Speaker is elected by a vote of the members of the House. While it is not required, the Speaker usually belongs to the majority political party. The Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected member of Congress. However, no non-member has ever been elected Speaker. As required by the Constitution, the Speaker is elected by a roll call vote held on the first day of every new session of Congress, which begins in January following the November midterm election thats held every two years. The Speaker is elected to a two-year term.   Typically, both the Democrats and the Republicans nominate their own candidates for Speaker. Roll call votes to select the Speaker are held repeatedly until one candidate receives a majority of all votes cast. Along with the title and duties, the Speaker of the House continues to serve as the elected representative from his or her congressional district.   Speaker of the House, the Role, Duties, and Powers Typically the head of the majority party in the House, the Speaker outranks the Majority Leader. The salary of the Speaker is also higher than that of the Majority and Minority Leaders in both the House and Senate. The Speaker rarely presides over regular meetings of the full House. Instead, they delegate the role to another representative. The Speaker does, however, typically preside over special joint sessions of Congress in which the House hosts the Senate. The Speaker of the House serves as the presiding officer of the House. In this capacity, the Speaker: Calls meetings of the House to orderAdministers the oath of office to new membersEnsures that order and decorum are maintained on the floor of the House and in the visitor galleriesMakes rulings on disputed House procedures and parliamentary issues As any other Representative, the Speaker may take part in debates and vote on legislation, but traditionally does so only in exceptional circumstances — such as when his or her vote could decide very important issues (like resolutions declaring war or amending the Constitution). The Speaker of the House also: Appoints the chairpersons and members of standing House committees and select and special committeesAppoints a majority of members to the important House Rules CommitteeExerts power over the legislative process by setting the House legislative calendar determining when bills will be debated and voted onOften utilizes this power to help fulfill his or her responsibility of making sure bills supported by the majority party are passed by the HouseServes as chair of the majority partys House steering committee Perhaps most clearly indicating the importance of the position, the Speaker of the House stands second only to the Vice President of the United States in the line of presidential succession. The first Speaker of the House was Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, elected during the first session of Congress in 1789.   The longest-serving and perhaps most influential Speaker in history was Texas Democrat Sam Rayburn, who served as Speaker from 1940 to 1947, 1949 to 1953, and 1955 to 1961. Working closely with House committees and members from both parties, Speaker Rayburn ensured the passage of several controversial domestic policies and foreign aid bills backed by Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. The 2019 annual salary of the Speaker of the House is $223,500, compared to $174,000 for rank-and-file Representatives. Source The Constitution of the United States of America. Constitution Center.