Choose from the book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Choose from the book - Essay Example The two writers are Steven Schier and Theda skocpol. According to (Schier 124) the reason for political indifference and hence the low voter turnout is due to activating American citizens into political rather than mobilisation as it was previously done. This has led to emergence of progressive movements that have replaced the power that political parties had. These progressive movements are very selective and do not activate all American citizens politically, what they do is select a small group based on their political interest and focus on them. This excludes a large number of American voters from the electoral and political process and therefore most of them have lost interest in being part of elections hence the low voter turnout. According to (Schier 134-150) the earlier 1970s political parties gained influence by mobilising the support of all American voters. This was through carrying out extensive campaigns to appeal to the American people, mass live broadcasting. This method of political mobilisation was extremely effective as it included all Americans and was in no way selective or choosy. This built a sense of belonging among most American citizens and encouraged them to take part in their electoral process. This explains the high voter turnout then. This is no longer the situation; the new era is more focused on lobbying interest groups such high earning American citizens, well educated American citizens and those with high incomes. This has isolated most American citizens who do not fall under this category and most no longer vote. In order to resolve this prevailing situation there is need to restore power back to the political parties as it was in the early 1970s instead of living the whole political process in the hands of interest and lobbying groups (Skier 140-150) This will put control of the election process back to political parties who instead of activation should resort to once again mobilising the entire American population. This will in vite the isolated American population to get involved in the electoral and political system. Although this is a difficult task to achieve, it will completely change the political environment and without a doubt increase voter turnout. I agree with some of Schier’s sentiments as to why there is poor voter turnout in America this is because there is indeed a power shift in American politics as more control is held by the interest groups other than the political parties especially in the election process. I also agree with his commendations to improve the prevailing situation by bringing back mobilisation in place of activation as a political tactic during the election period. I however disagree with Schier when he says that Americans have been isolated from the election process in terms of education level and the level of income. This is because a more than before the election process is fully covered in the media and even social networks. We cannot rationally argue that any Am erican is unaware about the elections due to isolation and give that as a reason for low voter turnout. This is because as much as most Americans may not be involved firsthand in the elections a majority if not all Americans are very aware of the political situation and most times choosing to participate in voting has nothing to do with whether they were mobilised or not. I find Theda Skocpol’s arguments in his book Diminished democracy: From membership to management in American

How to Learn Meditation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How to Learn Meditation - Essay Example There are different types of meditation depending on school and country, but it is possible to learn the basic skills which are common. Like any technique, meditation requires knowledge of theory and regular practice. So first it is necessary to choose a comfortable place for meditation. It has to be friendly and familiar location; there is no need to go outside if you are planning to meditate for the first time. Through meditation on the beach seems like a wonderful idea, it is better to do it later being more adept. Your own room where everything is familiar and where you won`t be bothered is a perfect place. It is possible to sit on the floor or on a special carpet or on the chair.  The second step is choosing a right posture. Two main conditions of a good posture and effective meditation are straight spine and comfort. If you feel relaxed sitting on a floor with your legs crossed then it`s a perfect posture. It `s also possible to take a cushion as it will make sitting less dif ficult. Someone will rather sit on a chair. Your spine must resemble a straight line from the top of the head down to the floor. Yet the posture must not be too comfortable to the point that it will make you fall asleep and you must be able to hold your body weight yourself. Step number four is finding the right music. It is much more comfortable to meditate with appropriate audio when you are doing it for the first time. Calm Indian melodies, binaural rhythms, mantras are those tested sounds which are easy to find on the Internet now. These sounds help to reduce any mental chatter that is going on in your head. Choose the audio that will last for about 10-15 minutes and will not end abruptly. Focusing on your breath is a next and one of the most important steps on your way to becoming a master of meditation. Breathing is the key to concentration and relaxation so you need to be attentive and not neglect to learn to breathe however awkward it may sound.