Essay on Barack Obama Leadership

Essay on Barack Obama Leadership Choose an example of a successful leader from the public/political or private sphere; and explain why s/he is a good example of leadership personified. Support your claim and bolster your argument with the theories and concepts in the text and lectures. Be sure to use facts, statistics, figures, and academic or scholarly articles to support your claims INTRODUCTION Leadership is the art of motivating or inspiring a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. A leaderÂÂ  stepsÂÂ  upÂÂ  inÂÂ  timesÂÂ  ofÂÂ  crisis, and is able to think andÂÂ  actÂÂ  creatively in difficult situations. There are numerous leaders out there who have been successful in leading a group of people, an organization or the general public. Functions of a leader includes: Engaging followers, integrating them, catering to their needs, aspirations, and goals in a common organization while making them better citizens, followers and leaders. (Simmons, 2008). A good example that fits this category of leadership is Barack Obama. Barack Obama was catapulted into national prominence, in part, because of his skill at building bonds of empathy with supporters from a seemingly impossibly broad political base (Noble , 2009). Conservatives marveled at his use of language and metaphors that resonated with their core beliefs, while Liber als and progressives believed that the rise to prominence of a self-identified African American with impeccable civil rights credentials represented a triumph for their own core agenda (Noble , 2009). This paper will focus on the leadership of Barack Obama; how he made history and was able to lead the country during the time of crisis. Furthermore, the theoretical standpoints of postmodernism and transformational leadership will be implemented to discuss some of the reasons he was successful as a leader. BIOGRAPHY Barack Obama was born in 1961 to a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas. He was raised with the help of his grandfather, who served in Pattons army, and his grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management at a bank (Luce 2008). After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, he moved to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants. After that, he went on to attend law school, where he became the first African-American president of theÂÂ  Harvard Law Review (Luce, 2008). After graduation, he returned to Chicago to help lead a voter registration drive, teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and remain active in his community. Barack Obamas years of public service are based around his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose. In the Illinois State Senate, he passed the fir st major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents (Luce, 2008). As a United States Senator, he reached across the aisle to pass ground-breaking lobbying reform, lock up the worlds most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by putting federal spending online (Luce, 2008). HISTORIC ELECTION November 4, 2008 was an historic day for Americans, as they celebrated the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President.ÂÂ  The election was the longest presidential campaign and the most expensive in history (Green Roberts, 2012). Moreover, the historic event marked the first time that two US senators ran against each other. New York Senator Hilary Clinton was the first serious female presidential candidate, while Senator Barak ObamaÂÂ  was the first African American nominated by a major party for president. For the Republican Party, Arizona Senator John McCain had hoped to become the oldest person elected president to a first term in America. His running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was the first woman vice president candidate for the Republican Party (Green Roberts, 2012). The whole presidential race was full of historic moments and it was an election like no other. During the historical presidential race, the media and other experts would often discuss whether a multiracial candidate could win. Some observers argued that Obama may not win because of his racial background. Conversely, other observers viewed him as a post-racial candidate (Green Roberts, 2012). Other opponents mentioned that Obama was too inexperienced, untested, and unready to become the president. Nevertheless, his political savvy, innovative election strategy, and charismatic personality was enough to make him victorious. The former Senator has managed to inspire astonishing numbers of people from different races (Black, White, Latino, Asian etc.) with his wisdom, optimism, wit, and exuberance. In one of his speech that took place on 27 July 2004 at the Democratic National Convention in Boston he spoke of his belief that, Theres not a liberal America and a conservative America, theres the United States of America. Theres not a Black America and White America and Latino America and Asian America; theres the United States of America. (Noble , 2009). TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP After the end of George Bushs presidential reign, the American people had grown tired of the same political atmosphere. Voters wanted something new that could bring change to the country. Transformational leadership places intrinsic motivation on their followers, thereby creating a massive appeal to supporters (Green Roberts, 2012). Bass and Riggio (2005) suggested that transformational leadership assist followers to grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers needs, by empowering them, and aligning the goals of the individual followers. Transformational leaders possess the personal characteristics of other effective leaders, especially charismatic leaders (Dubrin, 2013). Transformational leaders who possess a clear and compelling vision can impose their views of reality on followers violating the foundational principle of individual and collective knowledge creation autonomy characteristic of the postmodern value system (Green Roberts, 2012). During the 200 8 presidential election, there was a strong desire by many citizens for change in leadership. There were a number of things that needed to be fixed such as, the imploded housing market and the collapse of the economy. The bush administration achieved one of the lowest approval ratings in history (Green Roberts, 2012). During the presidential election, there was a cry for change. Young voters wanted a leader who inspires and possesses a clear vision. This was exactly what Barack Obama did as a leader. He captured the young voters attention and gave the American people the change theyve been longing for. He is a good example of a transformational leader. LEADING DURING CRISIS Barack Obama got sworn into office during the time of an economic crisis. The country was undergoing a recession but nonetheless, he came into office ready to take action. One of his first priorities after getting into office was to tackle the financial crisis. His stimulus package and some of the carryover from the Bush administration pushed money into the economy when it was needed the most. His auto bailout gave manufacturing a lifeline (GM, Chrysler, Ford), and his support for credit starved banks, slowed down the spread of subprime contagion (Barmak, Beer, Brearto, Castaldo, Cowan, 2012). Even though some believe he did not make the economic life better in his first four years in office, he certainly prevented it from getting much worse. And on re-election day, voters rewarded him for that. According to exit polls, more than half of voters still blamed George W. Bush for the sluggish economy. Only 38% blamed the president (Barack Obama). Surprisingly, four in ten people told po llsters they believed the economy was getting better. Among that cohort, 88% sided with Obama (Barmak, Beer, Brearto, Castaldo, Cowan, 2012). In the last full quarter before the second election, real GDP in the U.S. grew at a slow rate of 1.3% and Joblessness remained very high. No sitting president had ever won re-election with unemployment above 7.4% in the months leading up to a vote (Barmak, Beer, Brearto, Castaldo, Cowan, 2012), but Barack Obama was able to pull it off. During his second and most recent presidential campaign, ObamaÂÂ  argued that the only solution to Americas deficit problem was a mixture of increased revenues and lowered spending. In contrast, Mitt Romney consistently maintained that he could eliminate the deficit without raising taxes. He even promised to cut them below their current rates. Mitt Romneys plan was not realistic and his political agendas were rather inconsistent. Obamas plan was a far more realistic approach. By promising to increase marg inal rates on the very wealthy-essentially by allowing some Bush tax cuts to expire-Obama offered a path that, while not perfect, at least heads in the direction of future deficit reduction (Barmak, Beer, Brearto, Castaldo, Cowan, 2012). POSTMODERNISM According to research, younger generation in the United States and throughout the developed world now possess a more postmodern and post-materialist value system. For the first time in American history, there are four generations co-existing in the workplace. Which are, the Greatest Generation (1922-1945), the Baby Boomer (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), and Millennial (1981-2000) groups (Green Roberts, 2012). It became clear that Obamas campaign communication methods and message appealed to the Millennias sense of community involvement. Barack Obama used the opportunity to connect with his generation and the younger voters population. The Bush administration was not able to meet the new set of values and expectations that the millennial generation is driven by. Some core postmodern traits include challenging authority, attacking conventional wisdom, tolerating ambiguity, accepting diversity, and building constructive reality (Green Roberts, 2012). Consequently, postmodernist s find themselves distrustful of institutions and hard facts. Baby Boomers leadership style is characterized by an autocratic mentality while Millennial are governed by a democratic approach (Green Roberts, 2012). These divergent generational leadership traits inspire some followers while inhibiting others. It is important for a leader (Presidential Candidate) to understand the cultural differences of this postmodern generation in order to win them over as followers/supporters. For example, Barack Obamas inclusiveness regarding the issue of religion was consistent with postmodern assumptions that reject mutually exclusive truth claims (Green Roberts, 2012). He was also able to connect with the younger generation through the internet (e.g. twitter) and was successful in getting more than the usual amount of youths to go out and vote for him. Therefore, one may conclude that Obamas understanding of post-modernism and all the cultural differences of the new generation made a big diff erence for his campaign and contributed to his success as a historic leader. CONCLUSION To summarize in short, Barack Obamas knowledge of postmodernism and his appeal to the different cultural groups across America (Blacks, Latino, Whites and other races) are some of what contributed to his success as a leader. He is a good example of a transformational leader. Barack Obama was catapulted into national prominence, in part, because of his skill at building bonds of empathy with supporters from a seemingly impossibly broad political base. His charisma, honesty and wit made him a unique leader. He believed in the slogan of Change which was what the American people wanted after the Bush administration left office. He was also able to connect with the younger generation through his savvy communication methods and through the internet which got more than the usual amount of the younger generation to go out and vote. This paper analysed the leadership of Barack Obama; how he made history and led the country during the time of crisis. It also incorporated the theoretical standp oints of postmodernism and transformational leadership to discuss some of the reasons why he was successful as a leader. His leadership during the time of crisis was also touched upon with some credible statistical data to back it up.

Romeo and Juliet Dramatic Effects

Analyse the dramatic importance of Act 3 Scene 5. Act 3 scene 5 is of huge dramatic importance as it is pivotal to the plot of the play. Act 3 scene 5 takes place the morning after Romeo and Juliet have spent their first night together following their marriage. In the first part of the scene, they are very happy and also very romantic as Romeo says â€Å"How are you, my love? † This shows that Romeo cares for Juliet and it also shows how much love, Romeo has just been banished from Verona for killing Tybalt and is preparing to leave.This makes Juliet very upset as they haven’t even spent a day together. The nurse comes to warn them that Juliet’s mother is coming to see her to discuss her marriage to Paris. After Romeo has left, Juliet bursts into tears. When Lady Capulet arrives, Juliet cries even more but Lady Capulet thinks she is crying because of her cousin’s death. Lord Capulet explodes with anger when he hears that Juliet disagrees with the marriage. The nurse unexpectedly advises her to marry Paris. The key themes highlighted in this scene are: happiness, love, parental conflict, anger and sadness.In this scene we learn a great deal about the characters of: Romeo, Juliet, Capulet, Lady Capulet and the nurse. In the previous scene Romeo and Juliet get married and the Montagues and the Capulets have a fight which leads to the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt. Romeo is banished from Verona for murdering Tybalt because Tybalt has murdered Mercutio. Lady Capulet seems to support and comfort her daughter, but when Juliet argues and shouts she simply hands it over to Lord Capulet who will control Juliet. In the time of Shakespeare the men were in charge of the house and the children so the audience would have agreed to the play.Lady Capulet thinks that she can control Juliet, so she informs her of the marriage that has already been arranged. She seems very concerned about Juliet but she cannot control her herself and threatens Juliet â €Å"here comes your father. Tell him so yourself, and see how he will take it at your hands†. She means I will not say anything so see what your father has to say. In the previous scenes she was very quiet and innocent but in this scene she changes from being quiet into a very loud character which reveals her true nature.The Nurse is a very caring character and understands Juliet’s problems but in this scene she disagrees with Juliet as she advises her to marry Paris when she is aware that she has already been married to Romeo. This disheartens Juliet so much as she is the only person who she trusted. The Nurse says â€Å"I think the best thing to do is to marry the count† as if she is speaking to someone she doesn’t know. Juliet relies on her so much that she is shocked when she hears such a thing come out of the Nurse’s mouth. Juliet declares â€Å"from now on I will never tell what I feel in my heart†.She also doesn’t say this stra ight to her face as the Nurse would start avoiding her which would please her parents and lead to Juliet getting into more trouble. The Nurse tries to persuade Juliet of Paris’ superiority and believes â€Å"Romeo’s a dishclout to him†. The image of the dishcloth indicates that Romeo is not worthy of Juliet. This makes Juliet furious because it was originally the Nurse who reported positively about Romeo. In this scene the Nurse is ambivalent because she supports Juliet when Lord Capulet explodes with anger as Juliet refuses to marry Paris.In previous scenes the Nurse is very supportive and thinks of Juliet as her own daughter when she says â€Å"What, lamb! What, ladybird! †, but in this scene she changes from supporting Juliet to letting her down when she asks for her advice. Lord Capulet is a very strong character throughout the play but he does care about Juliet as he claims that he will not do anything against his daughter’s will but in this s cene he orders her to â€Å"go to church on Thursday or never look me in the face again.Don’t say anything. Don’t reply. Don’t talk back to me†. This quote would be very aggressive when said in the play as he is saying it with aggression and anger. Which shows that the old Capulet has gone. In this scene, generally, everyone shows their bad side as it is now getting serious about Juliet’s wedding. In this scene Capulet uses metaphors such as â€Å"when the sun sets, the air drizzles dew. But at the death of my brother’s son, it rains a down pour. What are you, girl? Some kind of fountain? he is comparing the downpour and the amount of tears that Juliet is producing and he is also trying to express that Juliet is not crying for her cousins death but crying for her husband Romeo. He also slams her on the floor while she begs on her knees and as he is not aware that Juliet is already married he repeatedly tells her to marry but the audience kn ows that if she marries she will go to hell as there is a sin if she marries again. This scene would have been very dramatic and sad as the audience would have felt sorry for her.By Capulet doing this creates a feeling of tension and pressure for Juliet as she is begging him. From the audience’s point of view, Juliet is very innocent but Capulet refers to her as a â€Å"disobedient wretch†. This shows the amount he cares he takes for his daughter. If this were to happen in today’s society maybe he would be prosecuted for child abuse. Later in the play Juliet pretends to agree to the marriage but nobody is aware of that. Friar Lawrence gives her a potion that she will have before the night of the wedding so that she will fall into a deep sleep and wake up after 12 hours.Act 3 scene 5 is one of the most dramatic scenes in the play. This scene leads to many misconceptions as the Friar Lawrence was supposed to inform Romeo of the plans but Romeo didn’t get th e message. But he got the news that Juliet had died. Act 3 scene 5 reveals most of the characters’ true natures. This scene is important as this is the scene that leads to the death of Romeo and Juliet and also it reveals the Nurses’ real character as she didn’t really understand the true love of Romeo and Juliet. All of the characters undergo a dramatic change in how they behave in this scene.

Want to Know More About Expository Essay Topics for Junior High?

Want to Know More About Expository Essay Topics for Junior High? To begin with, you should secure the significance of the expository essay definition and decide on the topic you understand well or at least find it interesting to find out more about. Thanks to the correct selection of presentation style and a thorough understanding of the goals you need to accomplish in your essay, there are many categories essay themes may be broken into. If you're likely to be writing this kind of essay over and over again, you want to know how to compose a good one. Every essay has an identical structure, and you may never fail if your paper has a good introduction, a coherent primary body and a concise conclusion. Very often it becomes hard to choose a single topic either due to the many ideas in the student's head, or due to their complete absence. Tell how you clean your hair. Put simply, everything would be contingent on verifiable fact an expository essay. Don't neglect to bring a strong hook at the beginning (introduction paragraph) and wind up with an impressive conclusion to earn the reader want to talk about the interesting persuasive essay topics of your selection. Get ready to apply sequential, spatial, topical, and lots other patterns to produce your story interesting and detailed. Bear in mind which you want to reveal the best about yourself. If you don't like your paper topic, it's very likely to be boring and you'll have a difficult time seeking to put things together. Then the next step is going to be to find out more about the expository essay structure. Quite simply, it's a guide on how best to do something. The Good, the Bad and Expository Essay Topics for Junior High Teens also have far more accidents. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about an approaching deadline. Are many junior high school and divide it's a way that's logical. Imagine your school does not own a school newspaper. Most middle school students avoid brainstorming sessions and begin searching for sample topics when they get the assignment. A topic tips for high school year! Categories, essay topics could possibly be divided into. Third, selecting an intriguing topic is a crucial skill that you need to master to have a high grade. Each expository essay is going to have definite objective. Creating expository essays is part of your middle school career, and that means you ought to learn how to compose them properly. Try to remember, an ideas which are topic writing was designed in life every one of your preferred subject. Once you comprehend the kind of essay, it's time to choose a topic. To write on an expository essay, you'll need to analyze and investigate the info and the arguments too, in a crystal clear and precise method. There are dozens and dozens of compellin g topics out there which can be meticulously explored, but choosing one that you're interested in would allow it to be a small bit easier and more fun. There are several methods about how to compose an expository essay. The majority of the moment, expository essays are presented by offering a selection of topics and methods to bring up the idea. There are lots of expository essay topics to select from. They may be selected by a student as inquiry. When you're assigned to compose an expository essay, the very first thing you will have to know is the way to write it. Most writing you are going to have to do in your professional life will involve a good deal of expository content too. Pretend that you're a time traveler. From its name, you might guess that you ought to have a very clear picture of a specific thing as a way to give your reader with a very clear and concise explanation.

President Abraham Lincoln Delivered One Of The Most Famous...

November 19, 1863 was the day when at the time President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches in the American History. Lincolns brief but was powerful, Gettysburg Address described the United States as being a pivotal crossroads. While Lincoln credited with creating the â€Å"Government of the People, by the people,† it was really for the older countries. A while after Lincoln was invited to make a few remarks at a ceremony consecrating a new cemetery for the Union Soldiers. That honor went to Edward Everett who was an academic and popular orator at the time. Everett spoke before Lincoln delivering a 13,607 word also 2-hour long speech. Edward Everett was an American politician, Pastor, editor, diplomat, and orator from Massassatchess. Between March and July of 1865, five more states ratified. The last four States to ratify did so in November and December. Georgia was the last state to ratify on December 6, 1865. November 1863, Lincoln came to Gettysburg to dedicate a portion of the battlefield as a military cemetery. In the Gettysburg Address, in less time than it took Senator Ted Cruz to read Green Eggs and Ham, President Lincoln summed up and redefined the meaning of our Constitutional Heritage of Liberty and equality for all people. The Gettysburg Address became one of the best-known orations in American history. Banning slavery in United States narrowly passed the House of Representatives and was sent to the State for ratification. Congress of theShow MoreRelatedWhat Makes A Great Speech So Memorable?1091 Words   |  5 PagesSophie Rice explores with reference to two famous speeches from the last 200 years, The Gettysburg Address and Eulogy for Princess Diana, and the rhetorical techniques used within to portray their messages. 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