Perspective on Wakanda free essay sample

Last week, Marvel released yet another one of their star-studded movies. This is no surprise as they have a history of doing so with great success. Spiderman, The Avengers, and X-Men are just a few successful big screen productions that Marvel Studios were directly responsible for. Marvel superhero movies tend to attract an immense amount of attention, annually breaking their own records and raking in huge revenue totals. Their newest movie, however, attracted attention for different reasons, starting new conversations and opening new doors within the action genre. Likely in celebration of the 48th Black History Month, Marvel Studios opted to uncharacteristically release the movie Black Panther in February. This movie was seen as monumental within the black community as most felt it offered a certain representation that was never before seen in a movie. While there have been other more diverse superheroes, in this particular movie, most of the major roles were filled with people of color. We will write a custom essay sample on Perspective on Wakanda or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Again, this was unheard of in a movie that was expected to get as much attention as Marvel cinematics generally do. It was released with an extreme amount of anticipation and, based on the returns, it did not disappoint. On March 24, it became the highest grossing superhero movie of all time, bringing in over $624 million at the domestic box office. This is a movie that is leaving its mark culturally and historically. Earlier in my essay, I stated that the Black Panther movie offered a different representation for people of color on the big screen. This is not done in the original Black Panther comic book storyline. Ta- Nehisi Coates, a highly renowned writer, was responsible for the revision of this movie. The â€Å"third world country† Wakanda, located in Africa, is believed to be less advanced, unprofitable, and to an extent, weaker than the rest of the world. However, it is revealed that Wakanda is actually more advanced technologically than the rest of the world due to the rare resources it possesses. In this fictional universe, people of color possess the abilities and capabilities of a world power which isn’t a reality. They isolate themselves so that they are not poisoned by the rest of the world, even less so by â€Å"colonizers.† This depiction was a welcomed sight on the big screen. Ta- Nehisi Coates is a renowned journalist, who is known for using his voice to shed light on his experiences as a black male in America. He is also well known for his second book Between the World and Me, which is essentially a letter to his son explaining the world around him, and its history with people of color. He explains to his son that the world is not safe for him and there is nothing he can do about it. He simply gives advice on how to maneuver through it, in order to put himself in a better position to be successful in life. This perspective is a grim one, but is a reality that people of color know all too well. Once again, Ta Nehisi Coates is voicing the black perspective for everyone to understand and listen. Too often, the struggles of people of color are belittled, overlooked, or dismissed altogether, and he refuses to let this happen. Coates forces the conversation about racial disparities to take place by triggering emotions such as sympathy and guilt from the reade r. He hopes to have the reader understand the sadness and disappointment that comes with having to tell your child that the world is not built for you to succeed, and spark initiative within people who will make change a reality. Last year, another movie unique to its genre was released. This movie, however, was not met with the same anticipation and high expectations. A horror movie, Get Out, introduced a new perspective, to say the least. The main character, Chris, is invited to meet the parents of his girlfriend, Rose, for a weekend. Initially, Chris recognizes that his skin color may be an issue and prompts his girlfriend to take it into account before allowing him to come. She dismisses his concerns, insinuating that his color will have no effect on the way the weekend plays out. Chris brushes off his doubts and agrees to go nonetheless. His doubts proved to be legitimate as the entire weekend he would feel ostracized due to the color of his skin and would even have his life th reatened because of it. Oscar-winning writer Jordan Peele told this horror story knowing that it would evoke a feeling that is all too familiar to people of color. He expressed (although slightly exaggerating) the fear that comes with being the only person in the room who looks like you. Peele uses this fear as his tool for connecting the audience to the actor. Throughout the movie, there is an increasingly awkward aura that surrounds and corners the character. The unfamiliarity he feels begins to couple with the fact that he is the only one who is not on the same page. Mentally, he is reduced to a lamb in a house filled with wolves. He can never truly feel safe or relaxed because he is clearly the outsider. For a great portion of the movie, Chris is searching for something to put him at ease in an uncomfortable situation. On three separate occasions, he attempts to level with the only people of color he can find, as an escape from his girlfriend’s guests treating him like an exotic artifact or animal (Get Out 42:30- 44:00).In this particular situation, the audience is unaware that the guests are observing him and weighing his value. As the viewer follows Chris, they begin to understand how their comments may seem to have kind intentions but are patronizing or belittling. From the outside looking in, it is clear the guests’ comments are odd and a bit out of line. In the real world, this scenario is not an exaggerated turn of events. People are sometimes truthfully unaware when they are saying something offensive, especially in terms of race, gender, and other prevalent distinctions. By allowing those who may not usually be placed in this situation to experience it through the eyes of Chris, they can experience a scenario that showcases discomfort for minorities of all categories. Everybody is afraid of something. Even the bravest of people shiver at the thought of hearing that they need to complete a certain task. Fears vary from public speaking to slaying a dragon. In any case, it is something everyone has experienced. Knowing this, Get Out and Between the World and Me both grab the hearts of those who choose to open their ears. Coates fears for his son’s future because of the world he lives in. There will be too many scenarios in which he won’t have control over what happens to him. In particular, Coates discusses how expendable the â€Å"black body† is in America. With Trayvon Martin as his example, he explains to Samori Coates that his â€Å"body† is not valued as it should be. He is an outcast and the world would not care if something happened to him. Nearly identical, Chris is the outcast on a much smaller scale. Due to the fact that his material value outweighed his capabilities in the eyes of those who surrounded him, he was almost forced to fold to the wishes of those around him. This fear extends to the Black Panther universe as well. Wakanda is an isolationist country. They hide their rare and valuable resources (vibranium) from the world around them. They understand that in the event that other countries discover their secret, they will begin to weigh Wakanda’s material value as well. After being captured, Klaw, a secondary antagonist, begins to spread Wakanda’s secret (Black Panther 54:30- 56:45). He tells an American CIA agent about their massive hordes of vibranium and how it is used to power their nation. Since vibranium is the rarest, strongest, and most valuable resource in their world, Wakanda has used it to better their own nation. If other nations knew of this, that would only place more complications on their doorstep. Already, Klaw has shown that people would be willing to make weapons and further their own agendas with this material. Because of this, Wakanda has been forced into hiding, keeping them from acting out against injust ices such as slavery. Their vibranium would hold more value to others than the country itself, making them expendable. Expendability is a common theme displayed in these three works as it is overall how some people of color feel they are looked at in the bigger picture, and this scares us. Therefore, Jordan Peele, Ta Nehisi Coates, and Ryan Coogler shower this feeling over the viewer in the hopes that they can realize not only how the world views people of color, but how we view the world. These three depictions while moving towards similar goals, also take extremely different routes when it comes to getting their point across. Between the World and Me casts a large shadow of the world, showcasing that people of color are often insignificant when it comes to making a difference because we are not only too few in number but we lack power and capability. Get Out exemplifies the uneasiness of being colored in a world essentially run by white people. When you are surrounded by people who do not look like you, there is a lingering uncertainty that can make you uncomfortable in any setting. For example, towards the beginning of the movie, Chris and his girlfriend come into contact with a police officer after they hit a deer on the road (Get Out 12:20- 13:10). Even though Chris and Rose are the victims of a car accident, the police officer begins to antagonize Chris, going as far as to demand to see his license. As Chris begins to submit, Rose immediately grows more hostile, calling the officer out. Each character holds two different perceptions of the way things are, forcing them to react the way they do. Chris sees the world the way it is described in Between the World and Me. He understands that some things are unfair and out of his control, so to prevent the situation from escalating he concedes. Rose, however, does not. She realizes the discrimination taking place, and does not back down. She does not recognize any danger in becoming hostile with an armed officer, most likely due to her upbringing and perceptions of life around her. In response, the officer backs down. The audience is able to release a sigh of relief and almost smile as Chris was able to avoid tragic situations similar to those of Mike Brown or Philando Castile. Situations that have been a dark cloud hovering over our community stand as a constant reminder that life is not fair. In contrast, Black Panther is a movie where people of color are the majority, controlling a growing, profitable nation. In the world of Wakanda, there is a feeling of confidence and motivation seeing that people who look like you are responsible for great innovations. As opposed to being hindered by the world around you, they created and developed their own. This movie doesn’t seek to depict the struggles that people of color have, rather it seeks to be motivational.Wakanda is a representation of what we can be capable of if we put our minds to it, no matter what life consistently tries to embed in our minds. Similar to how Superman represents the best parts of human nature, the Black Panther is supposed to do this as well, but from a more relatable standpoint. These texts are extremely important to the current perception of Black America. The black perspective has not received an abundant amount of representation. Many movies where it was showcased, only glorify the negative s of the community. Black Panther and Get Out attempt to revise the lens in which we are viewed. No longer are we to be used to depict areas of low income; we can and will be used to depict characters worthy of being role models, and/ or relatable figures. In addition to revising the lens, great minds are now branching out and creating new ones. In a country where African Americans represent less than 15% of the American population, but nonetheless, represent just under 40% of the prison population, it is a breath of fresh air to have them viewed in a much more respectable and understandable light. In both movies, the protagonists are relatable. We fear with them, we fight with them, but most importantly, we can understand them. This is the goal of both Jordan Peele and Ta Nehisi Coates, who both understand how black people have perceived whether it be professionally or socially. By providing a lens for the viewer to see through the eyes of a person of color, they are contributing to a world with less discrimination. These three depictions of black culture are literally worlds apart. One is a nonfiction recalling, another is a realistic fiction horror story, and the last is a fictional fantasy. However, each of these three stories serve a common purpose. That purpose is to not only remedy but contextualize the black perspective. By putting our perspective on the forefront of everyone’s minds whether it be for two hours or two hundred pages, we hope to secure a future in which we are better understood and easier to relate to. In turn, the silent hatred that some may have for those who look different then they do, may finally evaporate. These pieces of art are more than just entertainment, they are a part of a movement, a movement to allow nothing less than equality.

Telling Time in Mandarin Chinese

Telling Time in Mandarin Chinese When navigating everyday life, it is important to know how to tell time in order schedule meetings, meet up with friends, know that youre running on time, and so on. The Chinese time system is fairly straightforward, and once you have learned your numbers you just need a few more vocabulary words to be able to tell the time. Here is an introduction on how to tell the time in Mandarin Chinese so that you can make plans while in a Chinese-speaking region. Numbering System Before learning to tell time in Mandarin Chinese, you need a solid grasp of Mandarin numbers. Here is a quick review of the Mandarin numbering system: All number vocabulary is based on the numbers from zero to ten.Multiples of 10 are expressed as 2-10 (20), 3-10 (30) etc.Numbers above 10 are expressed as 10-1 (11), 20-3 (23) etc.The number 2 has two forms: à ¨r when counting, and liÇŽng when used with a measure word (as in telling the time). Time Vocabulary This is a list of time-related Chinese vocabulary words. Audio files are included to help you with pronunciation and listening comprehension skills.   Ã¥ ° Ã¦â„¢â€š xiÇŽo shà ­: houré ËœÃ©   ­ (traditional) / é’Ÿå ¤ ´ (simplified) zhÃ… ng tà ³u: hour分é Ëœ / 分钟  fÄ“n zhÃ… ng: minuteç §â€™ miÇŽo: secondæâ€" ©Ã¤ ¸Å  zÇŽo shang:  morningä ¸Å Ã¥ Ë† shng wÇ”:  morningä ¸ ­Ã¥ Ë† zhÃ… ng wÇ”: noonä ¸â€¹Ã¥ Ë† xi wÇ”: afternoon晚ä ¸Å  wÇŽn shang:  eveningÃ¥ ¤Å"è £ ¡ / Ã¥ ¤Å"é‡Å'  yà ¨ lÇ : late  night甚é º ¼Ã¦â„¢â€šÃ¥â‚¬â„¢ / ä »â‚¬Ã¤ ¹Ë†Ã¦â€" ¶Ã¥â‚¬â„¢? shà ©nme shà ­hou:  when?Ã¥ ¹ ¾Ã© »Å¾ / å‡  Ã§â€š ¹? jÄ « diÇŽn:  what time? Time Format Mandarin time is most commonly expressed in â€Å"digital format, which means one would say 10:45 rather than â€Å"a quarter to eleven.† However, the word bn (Ã¥ Å ), which means â€Å"half,† is often used for 30 minutes past the hour.   Examples Now that you know your numbers and some basic time-telling vocabulary, lets put it all together. What can you say when someone asks you ç  ¾Ã¥Å" ¨Ã¥ ¹ ¾Ã© »Å¾Ã¤ ºâ€  Xinzi jÄ « diÇŽn le, or What time is it? 10:30Ã¥  Ã© »Å¾Ã¥ Å  / Ã¥  Ã© »Å¾Ã¤ ¸â€°Ã¥  Ã¥Ë†â€  shà ­ diÇŽn bn / shà ­ diÇŽn sÄ n shà ­ fÄ“n11:00Ã¥  Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã© »Å¾Ã© Ëœ shà ­ yÄ « diÇŽn zhÃ… ng12:15Ã¥  Ã¤ ºÅ'é »Å¾Ã¥  Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¥Ë†â€  shà ­ à ¨r diÇŽn shà ­ wÇ” fÄ“n1:00ä ¸â‚¬Ã© »Å¾Ã© Ëœ yÄ « diÇŽn zhÃ… ng3:20ä ¸â€°Ã© »Å¾Ã¤ ºÅ'Ã¥  Ã¥Ë†â€  sÄ n diÇŽn à ¨r shà ­ fÄ“n5:55ä ºâ€Ã© »Å¾Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¥  Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¥Ë†â€  wÇ” diÇŽn wÇ” shà ­ wÇ” fÄ“n8:00 in the morningæâ€" ©Ã¤ ¸Å Ã¥â€¦ «Ã© »Å¾ zÇŽo shang bÄ  diÇŽn2:00 in the afternoonä ¸â€¹Ã¥ Ë†Ã¥â€¦ ©Ã© »Å¾ xi wÇ” liÇŽng diÇŽn9:05 in the evening晚ä ¸Å Ã¤ ¹ Ã© »Å¾Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¥Ë†â€  wÇŽn shang jiÇ” diÇŽn wÇ” fÄ“n

Project management for business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project management for business - Essay Example mwork demonstrated by Arup management with the help of consulting the technical experts from engineering, management and mechanical departments, whose collaborative planning and implementations of the same could turn out to be triumphant in making the Olympic event as a great accomplishment in the eyes of jury, participants, spectators and experts alike. The report on the foundation of the given case study has reached the conclusion that Arup’s hiring services and consultation of skilled and proficient experts as well as taking risks out of their expertise has also contributed to the extraordinary success of the project they had articulated and presented on the eve of Olympic Games held in China, and hence won first prize from association of project management (APM) subsequently. This report has been created by making evaluation of the Water Cube project, which had been planned, managed, introduced and presented by Arup project management team as a venue for conducting of Summer Olympic competitions 2008 (Arup, 2008). One of the most essential reasons behind writing this report includes the exploration of project management by paying particular heed to the project planning, and project monitoring and control. Support has also been sought from the theories associated with the under-examination projects on one side, and practical steps taken by Arup for the successful accomplishments of their Water Cube project on the other (APM, 2008). Two theoretical frameworks including Project Constraints and Project Lifecycle have been included in this report, both of which had been selected by Arup management while planning, executing and administering their under-examination project. A project simply refers to a unique, transient endeavour undertaken to achieve planned objectives (APM, 2012). A project is a temporary organisation created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed business case (Team FME 2013, p. 9). In other terms,

Media producer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media producer - Essay Example A considerable and significant relationship is cropping up between the audience and media producers. The audience is actually playing the role of a media producer in a way. This is because television producers need the audience for their programmes. Without the audience, there no need to produce a media text. Hence, the taste, age, gender, lifestyles, income, and television watching and reading habits of the audience determine the choice of a media text (Wilson, 2011). Because of this, media producers seek to satisfy their audience in producing the media text in order to remain commercially active. Additionally, many media producers are also the audience and vice versa. The audience chooses and influences the media texts to consume through interactions and discussions. Thus, the audience dictates the media texts to be produced thus acting as a media producer. I have acted as a media producer in relevant ways. Through online forums, mobile phone, and physical interactions with fellow fans and people interested in my favorite media texts. Indeed, we discuss the progress of a certain programme, its content, and its timing. We consequently air our suggestions and possible disappointments to the media producers that are available online. In some occasions, we have complained on missed programme episodes, changed the programme airing time, and even requested for replays. In conclusion, the quality of the engaged audience dominates over the quantity of the audience in the modern media

Effects Of The French Revolution

Effects Of The French Revolution French revolution is a bourgeois revolution that happened on 14th. July 1794. It is the bourgeois revolution of the largest, most complete revolution. The revolution began with the storming of the Bastille was besieged by Pairs. The revolution gone through hardships and passed a tortuous progress. In this revolution, representatives of bourgeois democratic and republican overturned the absolute monarchic together. French revolution is a symbolic time in French history. The revolution happened by many reasons. It came not only because France was backward, but also because of economic and intellectual. Under absolute monarchy, the countrys economic and intellectual was not matched by social and political change. People live in Pair increasingly difficult life. The economic pressure became heavier. Most people had a fat lot rights. What is more, the asset class and the feudal class have the implacable contradiction. So, with a lot causes came together that make a revolution happened. Th e revolution had a profound influence in history and it also had an extraordinary influence on the making of the modern world. In the period of Louis xv regime, since the people responded angrily to under Kings rule. People suffered by various attacked. And this formed of enlightenment. Under enlightenment, the thinking of national rights, constitution monarchy, separation of the three powers had been around. What is more, the development of capitalism has a contradiction with the feudal autocratic rule. Half of the 18th century, capitalist economic had a great development in France. Textile, metallurgy and mining industrys most rapidly. Its level of development ranked first in Europe. Foreign trade had developed quickly. But the feudal autocratic rule has become an obstacle to economic development of capitalism in France. The feudal government continued to raise taxes; checkpoints were set up everywhere around the country; feudal ownership of land still exist. All this made the bourgeoisie very unpleased. They asked for abolition of feudal land ownership, abolition of feudal privileges and against authorita rian rule. Their requirements and ideas, is reflected in the political ideology of bourgeois Enlightenment. The appearance and the spread of enlightenment had prepare for French revolution and the bourgeoisies showing on the political stage, in the aspects of ideologie and public opinion. The sharp classes contradiction is also a propellant that caused the revolution. The French revolution started about 150 years later than the Britain revolution, the French was still in the feudal autocratic reign of the Bourbons when the British had completed bourgeois revolution and had begin the industrial revolution, the class relations was set into opposition sharply. It is as follows: French society was divided into three grades, first grade is priest, and second level is the nobility. They account for less than 1% of the total population in France, but the amount of land they occupied reach 2/3. And they did not bear any tax obligations. Opposed, the majority of third grade has to bear the countrys taxes and other feudal obligations. In particular, workers, urban poor and farmers, living a life in squalor, they demand to change living conditions strongly. Because of sharply antagonistic class relations, the French community as firewood piled everywhere, a revolution would outb reak possibility at anytime. Intensification of the financial crisis is a reason that caused the revolution too. The French authoritarian rulers have been very corrupt. Repeated defeat of foreign wars and rulers extravagant that made Frances budget deficit increased, heavily in debt. The French government fiscal position was on the brink of bankruptcy. All the reasons came together, a long awaited revolution happened. And the French revolution made a far-reaching impact, both of the peoples power and political legacy. Even effected the developed of capitalism. As the French revolution was the greatest bourgeois revolution in 18th century. People have shown great strength in the three uprisings. When get the turning point in the revolution, people were always pushing forward the development of revolution. French revolution also had a deep effect on French political. The French revolution left a compelling and many-sided political legacy. This legacy included, most notably, liberalism, assertive nationalism, radical democratic republicanism, embryonic socialism, and self-conscious conservatism. It also left a rich and turbulent history of electoral competition, legislative assemblies, and even mass politic. Thus the French revolution and conflicting interpretations of its significance presented a whole range of political options and alternative visions of the future. (McKay, J. P., Hill, B. D., and Buckler, J.). Furthermore, the French Revolution was a profound social revolution, which ended a thousand years of feudal rule in France. Trough the revolution, a bourgeois republic has set up in France. As Engels said, It is really fighting for in the end, until the part of noble were eliminated, while the other is the first victory of the capitalist class uprising. In general, the revolution against the French feudal forces and cleared the road of capitalist development in France. What is more, the revolution to the French social ideology, culture and education has far-reaching influence. Even more, the thoroughness of this revolution had set an example to other nation revolution. It has shaken the foundation for the rest of Europe the feudal system. It pushed the development of capitalism in Europe and America. As Lenin said: The revolution of the class that it serves to give the bourgeoisie a lot of things, and the entire 19th century, that is, civilization and culture for all humanity to a century are under the sign of French revolution.. Above all, in the late 18th century, feudal dynasty in the political, economic and social awareness, has emerged all-round crisis, authoritarian rule has become an obstacle to the development of French society. The French revolution was not an accidental event. It is the inevitable outcome of the development of history. The French revolution has promoted the development of capitalism, and pushed people thinking and culture in Europe, even the world.

Public Education Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Public Education Governor Jeb Bush initiated the nation's boldest voucher experiment in June of 1999 when he signed into law his Opportunity Scholarship Program. Florida is the first in the nation with a statewide plan allowing state-paid tuition for children in "F" graded schools to attend private schools or other non-failing schools. Opponents claim that giving parents the choice to use state education funds at private schools could end up bankrupting the public education system so many children rely upon. Proponents of vouchers argue the voucher program will give parents a way to help children trapped in failing schools. Matthew Berry, a staff attorney with the Washington, D.C. based Institute for Justice, believes, â€Å"As far as public money going to private education, it's just like college students who use their [federal] Pell grants to go to Notre Dame†(Soriano 18). I was happy that on March 14, 2000 Leon County Circuit Court Judge Ralph Smith declared the voucher plan a vio lation of Florida's constitution. I don't believe that vouchers will solve Florida's education problems. Jeb Bush and Frank Brogan, the former Commissioner of Education in Florida, have made education their number one priority. After months of studying, arguing, lobbying, and dealing, they presented the A+ Plan to the Florida Legislature and it passed. Under this plan, "All schools will be graded 'A' through 'F' based primarily on state assessment test scores and other data which includes attendance, dropout rate, discipline data, and student readiness for college" (Voucher and Accountability for Public Schools). When a school is graded "F" for two years in a four year period, the children become eligible for vouchers which allow... ...ournal 18 July 1999: B3. Ladner, Charles. Telephone interview. 5 March 2000. Nazareno, Analisa. â€Å"Tuition voucher foes launch pricey campaign to sway public opinion.† Miami Herald 16 February 2000: B3. Peltier, Michael. â€Å"Florida School Voucher Plan Ruled Unconstitutional.† Tallahassee Democrat 14 March 2000: C1. â€Å"Questions and answers on the education initiative.† Pensacola News Journal 18 July 1999: A1. Soriano, Jennifer. â€Å"Vouchers: Choice or Neglect?† Shewire 16 March 2000: 18. Streater, Amie K. â€Å"For some students, the road to an education is uphill, lonely.† Pensacola News Journal 24 October 1999: A8. Walsh, Erin. â€Å"Children fight to learn, even before class starts.† Pensacola News Journal 24 October 1999: A9. Wilgoren, Jodi. â€Å"Florida’s Vouchers a Spur to 2 Schools Left Behind.† New York Times 14 March 2000: D5.

Public Administration : Chief Executive Essay

Governmental power is three-fold, legislative, to make laws; judicial and to interpret the and to execute or carry out those laws. There is a separate organ which will look after each function function, but the separation is not rigid. A complete separation would lead to perpetual deadlocks in administration. Thus there are various points of contact between all the three organs of the government to ensure smooth functioning of governmental programmes. With expanding complexity of the activities of the modern State, the Legislature is not in a position to have direct dealings with the administrator and so is the executive branch which is becoming more and more powerful. The modern State assigns a variety of functions to the executive. Thus it has become a vital part of the government. In this unit, we shall analyse the functions of the chief executive in the light of the differences between the real and the nominal executive. The unit will also highlight the growing strength and importance of the chief exccutive.We shall also discuss the need for staff and line agencies for advising the chief executive and in carrying out his policies. The unit will enable the student to understand the crucial role of chief executive in the task of administration. We will also come to know the factors and forces behind the chief executive at the Union, State and local levels. The executive is that branch of government which is charged with the execution of taws. It consists of various administrative agencies which are involved in the implementation of the laws. According to F.A. Nigro, â€Å"the executive branch of government in Public Administration is a truly visible form†. The executive branch of the government includes the chief executive and the civil servants who exec ute the laws made by the legislature. Thus the role of the executive is of paramount importance. . By ‘chief executive’ we mean the person or body of persons at the head of the administrative system of a country. The administrative hierarchy of a country resemb1es.a pyramid, broad at the base and tapering off towards the top till it ends at a single point, the apex. The chief executive is at the apex of the administrative pyramid. He is a person or persons in whom the executive power has been authoritatively vested for performing various functions. In a political system, the person or persons in whom the constitution vests the executive power of the government is the chief executive. In public or private organisations, the person who is at the top position with the major responsibility of carrying out the work of organisations is the chief executive. The chief executive has to perform various political and administrative functions. He occupies a central position in Public Administration. He determines the goals of the organisation, prepares plans, determines the tasks, fixes priorities, takes crucial decisions, mobilises resources, recryits personnel, coordinates the work of all the departments under him, motivates the personnel, provides leadership and supervises .[1] the implementation of plans. He sees that goals of organisation are achieved with maximum efficiency and optimum use of resources. The success or failure of an organisation, therefore, depends on the dynamic nature and character of the chief executive. The type of executive varies with the form of government. In a dictatorship, the chief executive comes to power through a military coup and continues to be in power through army support. Modern democracies have either a Presidential or a Parliamentary/ Collegiate executive, which is chosen from, and responsible to, an eIected legislature. The parliamental and Presidential. TYPES OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE : In countries like India and the UK, with parliamentary system,the chief executive consists of the Prime Minister and other Ministers. The Prime Minister heads the cabinet in these countries. There is a close, continuous and intimate executive legislative relationship as the cabinet is accountable to parliament in the parliamentary system. President of US can be impeached and removed from office by the legislature i.e. the US Congress by two-third majority. In the USA, for instance, because of the system of checks and balances, Congress, the President and the judiciary have become separate. entities independent of each other. The Titular and the Real Chief Executives In parliamentary form of government, all executive power is vested in the titular or constitutional head in theory and all decisions arc supposed to be taken in his name. It means that the head, whether it is the King or the President can exercise his powers only on tbs advice of the ministers and not independently. Thus, though the Constitution vests the powers with ihe President or the King, in practice these are not his real powers and cannot be exercised by him without the consent, of ministers. The chief executive in this sys te.~re mains titular or nominal. The real executiveis the Council of Ministers or the Cabinet to which the legal powers of titular executive pass, It means that legally he does not havepny powers but in practice exercises ail tfnepowers vested in the titular head. In England, the Queen andin India, the President are the titular chiefs and in both the countries the real executive is the cabinet headed by the Prirne Minister. In countries like the USA, the President is the real chief executive, as the powers legally vested in him are also exercised by him independently. Single and Plural Chief Executives In countries where parliamentary system of government prevails, the real chief executive is the cabinet which is a plural body. Thc body comprises the Prime Minister and other ministers. The Prime Minister works on the advice of his ministers. Unlike this, the chief executive in the Presidential system of government (like in the USA) is: single individual, the President. Though he functions under the system of separatiom of powers and checks and balances, he takes his decisions in an independent manner. VARIOUS TYPES OF LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVES The type of executives discussed so far are present at the Union or Central level. Besides these, there are various executives at other levels, the study of which is also important. The local executive, assumes different forms in different countries and is variously designated. It can be single or plural, political or administrative, elective or . re-elective. The executive shares two types of powers and functions: political and administrative. The local executive can be classified as single executive when political authority is vested in a single person. The American, the European and the Japanese Mayors, the Indian Chairman of Zila Parishads and of Panchayat Samitis are examples of single and strong political executives. The plural executive consists of a group of individuals, one of whom is chosen as its chairman. The plural type is illustrated by the committee system of executive under the English local bodies. ‘ Apart from the political executives, at the other end of the spectrum are the municipal commissioners/the chief executive officers in the district development officers of Indian local authorities, the city managers of the USA and the chief executives of the U.K. They offer effective administrative leadership, sharing some executive powers which are political in character. Thus the local executives, may be political on the one hand and non-political, official or expert on the other: The American mayor, the committees of the English local bodies and the heads of the English local bodies are. political. There are executives who are primarily administrative like the American city manager and chief executive[2] officers of looal authorities in India, who are appointed by the State government. There are local executives who are strong, others which are weak. The involvement of thk executive in administration also makes it a strong executive. Its relationship with the local council is another factor which determines the position and status of the executive. It can be said,that an effective local executive can be one that combines ‘ . strong political leadership with professional leadership. But the Indian’rural local authorities are provided with strong leadership both in politics and administration with two separate positions present i.e, politician and professional administrator. In India, the city municipal corporations which are known for effective administrative leadership with the Municipal Commissioner as their chief administrator, suffer from ineffective political leadership as the executive authority is dispersed among various municipal authorities. FUNCTIONS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES The chief executive is the head of the country and in that capacity have far reaching legislative, executive and judicial powers granted by the Constitution of the country. Besides him there are numerous lesser chief executives at the state and local levels who also have to perform various legislative, executive and judicial functions in their respective areas. The nature and quantity of functions keep changing at every level. In companies or corporations the chief executive has the important task of interpreting the policy of the Board of Directors to the rest of the management and the general public. He has to ensure that policies and programmes laid down by the board of directors have been understood by all the employees. He has to devise the various procedures of organisation and determine its structure. The chief executive, at any level has a dual role to play i.e. political as well as administrative. Political Functions The source of political power under democracy is primarily the people themselves and secondarily the legislature which is the representative body of the people. The chief executive obtains his office through the votes of his people. It means that the office of the chief executive is the end-result of apolitical process. For executive discharge of the duties of his office and proper working of the administration, the chief executive needs the support of the legislature and the people. Therefore, he must always work for winning :he support of the legislature and the electorate. The chief executive has to perform his[3] activities by keeping in view the public interest as well as the interest of the nation. Administration cannot run smoothly unless there is interaction between the people and the administration. Thus, political management is one of the most important functions of the chief executive. we mentioned earlier, chief executive also exits at other levels e.g., in public organisations, private enterprises etc. At these levels too, the chief executive has an important political role to perform. In actual practice, the chief executive in a parliamentary form of government performs many functions which the head or heads of the public or private organisation (which ran be a general manager, managing director or a secretary) perform. The executive in a parliamentary system is controlled by the legislature and in an organisation it is controlled by the Board of Directors. Even though the chief executive in public organisations, is not a result of political process. he has to interact with peoplc, press etc., to run the organisation. He mobilises the efforts of the personnel to achieve organisational goals. This means that political role of a chief executive is very crucial and he cannot avoid it, whether it is at the national level, state level or local levels. His political function of galvanising the entire administration to action in pursuit of the accepted goals and objectives and winning the people’s support and consent thus assumes importance. Administrative Functions The chief executive has to perform a number of administrative functions. Luther Gullick sums up these functions in thc acronym POSDCORB, which has been referred to in the earliar units. Marshall Dinlock summarises these function is none sentence: â€Å"He is a trouble shooter, a supervisor and a promoter of the future programme†. We will now discuss the major functions of the chief executive in some detail. F’orrnulation of Administrative. Policy One of the major functions of the chief executive is the determination and formulation of administrative policy. He issues a number of specific policy directions, written or oral, which enable the administrative officers to perform their duties in a proper manner. They actually serve as a guide to administration. Thc chief executive is consulted by the departmental heads and other administrative officers on certain important and controversial matters. His ability and personality has close bearing on administrative efficiency. The Iegislature only enacts laws in general terms. The executive fills them with details to make then fit for application. Deciding the Details of Organisation The legislature provides for the establishment of main units of organisation, like[4] departments, commissions and corporations for the implementation of various laws. But the details of internal organisation are to be filled in by the chief executive. Thc chief executive can also create new administrative agencies or reorganise the existing ones. The chief executive also prescribes, how the operating personnel shall perform certain or all of their duties. Thus the chief executive authorises the structure of the organisation. Issuing Directives, Proclamations, Orders etc. In order to make any decision really meaningful, it is necessary to convert it into effective action, which the chief executive achieves by directing. The chief executive issues directives, proclamations, orders etc. to make the administrative activities conform to the statutory provisions, directives, circulars etc. and to help in bringing about uniformity in the behaviour of people involved in the implementation of policies and programmes. The kind and number of directives, orders etc. issued by the chief executive sets up the tone of the adminristration.He has to direct the personnel to start or stop or modify an activity.. Appointment and Removal of Personnel It is the responsibility of the chief executive to see that the heads of different Departments perform their duties sincerely and efficiently. Hence he also has the power to select the officers. In almost all the countries the chief executive makes appointments to higher offices. In India, all important appointments such as that of State Governors, Ambassadors, Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court and State High Courts, the Attorney General, the Chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission are made by the chief executive. Recruitment of administrators to other ranks is made by Public Service Commission on the basis of competitive examinations. So even where merit system of recruitment normally prevails, key appointments are made by the chief executive. In public and private organisations, key appointments are made by the chief executive. The recruitment of personnel is done under his supervision and with his due consent. The chief executive also has the power of dismissal or demotion of public servants, if he finds it necessary in the interests of administrative efficiency. Dismissals are subject to certain constitutional arrangements. In the removal of personnel of the lower cadre he is guided by the Civil Service Rules. Coordination of Various Executive Activities Modern administration consists of various departments, commissions, divisions and sections each performing a specialised part of the function. In order to create unity in[5] this huge mass of diversified activities, a very high degree of coordination and integration is needed. The chief executive has to bring harmony, settle conflicts and guard against overlapping and duplication in administrative activities. For this, he may create inter-departmental committees .and other coordinating agencies at various levels. Thus coordination is one of the most important functions of the chief executive. It is his foremost duty to see that numerous activities undertaken by several departments in implementation of a particular policy lead to fulfilment of administrative goals.