Democracy in the Policy of United States of America

Democracy, in its rudimentary form, is described as a kind of a political government whose powers are derived from the people. The power is often found by referendum or by electing representatives in county governments, members of Congress and other political government representatives.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Democracy in the Policy of United States of America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Democracy is therefore the system of rule, which the people who are governed have chosen. Democracy contrasts with other systems like monarch, totalitarian rule, communistic rule, and timocracy. This is because, in the case of democracy, there is freedom of expression and the public is free to participate in sociopolitical activities. There is more freedom and the public participates directly in the system of governance. In a democratic system, all citizens are allowed to vote whoever they want. Apart from part icipation in governance by the public, there is also liberalization of economic sector and social activities. It is worth noting that the United States is a Republic not a democracy. A republic is a system in which the people chose people who represent them in formulating policies. Settings and the mediation organizations should be restructured to ensure that they enhance reclamation of public work for citizens. This will in turn reinvent the citizenship of Americans. The practice of public works is crucial in this aspect. This is because the practice forms a basic conceptual approach to civic education. Thus, public work provides the framework in which the reinvention of active citizenship is built. Therefore high schools should incorporate the culture of mandatory community service in their curriculum. Work places should be in democratic environments which allow for the participation of their workers in community services and public activities. Forums should be encouraged so that people can assemble to petition their representatives to redress their grievances. In these assemblies, the public can also speak and act in concert. Reinventing citizenship through the above ways has its own pros and cons. In addition to this, the civil society has the mandate to train people on civic education so that they become more effective in the contemporary political world. First of all, teaching the habits and skills of citizenship has a particular challenge in that some members of the public are known to be law breakers. In any particular community, there are those people who heed the law and those who do not heed. Those who do not heed cannot implement the teachings of citizenship. Similarly with offering mandatory civic courses, those people who are law breakers, tend not to heed to civic education thus offering a direct challenge to this method.Advertising Looking for term paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The issue of mandatory community service has also been met with a lot of resistance from a section of the public. This is because some legislators claim that it is unconstitutional and also offers the public free labor from the young people. Due to these challenges, mandatory community service has not been implemented in all parts of the country. Public spaces in communities are very important areas for the public to meet and discuss major issues concerning the community. Public spaces in communities which are supposed to be used for social activities and public gatherings have reduced in number. In most cities, public land has been changed into other utility because of the high demand on land. Thus there are certain places where public land is no more thus making this method of reinventing citizenship not viable. Most neighborhoods have already been designed such that there are no easy connections between citizens. This creates a hindrance for people to meet an d exchange ideas aimed at problem solving. Time is also a major issue when it comes to participation in public activities. In most of the major U.S cities, everyone is busy in their own business and lifestyle. It is not possible to gather the desired number of members of the public at one given time. Collective problem solving becomes quite difficult in this case. Thus, a decision made in a particular gathering during a particular time will not necessarily be a decision representing everyone’s opinion. Workplace policies also face a major challenge. Implementing the culture of community service and participation in public activities is quite hard for many workers. This is because some say that it adds on the burden of work they already have in the workplace. Therefore, some workers will find it hard to do community service because they already have enough workload to worry about. The current budget of the Government does not give business enough incentives to help them active ly take part in community service. This also compounds the issue since every business is aiming at making profit. Democracy plays an important role in enhancing public participation. In the political arena, democracy enables Americans to vote whoever they want to. It also enables the public to participate in social activities they want to. And it also gives workers a democratic space in which they are able to work in good work conditions.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Democracy in the Policy of United States of America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such activities bring the public together thus creating a good atmosphere of solving problems. The process of public participation also helps in reinventing citizenship. Democracy gives the public enough space to engage in social activities without fear of reproach. Thus community service can be done without fear. Democracy in the work place also gives worke rs enough freedom to express their views and practice their culture. The government usually does the people’s business without the participation of the public. Citizens are required to share the work of setting the public agenda with politicians and civic leaders. New opportunities should be formed or expanded so that the public can deliberate and also to elect leaders who are more serious with public judgment. It should be noted that public confidence has the capacity to act effectively in political issues so that participation is enhanced. Those citizens who are most efficacious are much likely to try in political participation than the least efficacious. The personal logic of political participation has a relationship with the individual characteristics of the individual participation. Thus, people participate in politics when they benefit by getting something tangible as a result of their participation. Political logic of political participation on the other hand has a di rect relationship with political leaders. This is because the participation of politics by the public is governed by the way politicians influence them into taking part in the game. The media comes in handy in bringing people into political participation. The media can create interactive shows which require participation of the public. However, creating new occasions for public deliberation such as National Issues Forum and Study Circles does not exactly involve every desired member of the public. Not everyone will participate because of many issues, time, being one of them. There are also the issues of use of resources such as time and money which take a toll on public funds. Public forums use a lot of these resources which may also end up to waste if the decisions of the forums are not implemented. Neighborhood councils can be quite effective in relation to aims of bringing the public back into political activities. These councils can serve as meeting points for the public to spea k out and share their views concerning politics and governance. However, it has become quite difficult to bring people together in communities which share different cultures. This method may only be effective if proper plans are executed and enough resources are used.Advertising Looking for term paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, the method may not be as easy, in the city, as in the country. It must be noted that this will also depend on the financial and political elite. The ruling class will always affect the community in the area of decision making. Conflicts between the elite can either be detrimental or of benefit to the community. Thus the conflict theory holds. This is because power is the ability to affect the conditions of life in a society. Political campaigns play a major role in making the public to participate in political issues and public activities. This is because it acquaints the public on their political leaders and gives them an opportunity to select the leaders of their choice according to the politician’s policies. The length of political campaigns is therefore important because it is a factor that gives people enough time to engage in public and political activities. Reducing the length of political campaigns only serves as a reducing factor in the time needed for public p articipation. The public will not have enough time needed to actively take part in political activities. It should be noted however, that political socialization plays a major role political activities. Thus if a person’s parents held a certain belief against a certain political party, the person will most likely have similar views. The competition of political parties is well known as a breeding factor of public’s interest in politics. If this interest works to the advantage, higher turnout will be experienced during the voting process. Political parties create a good atmosphere for greater public participation if they treat each social group rationally. Thus the young should be treated just like the adults and senior citizens. The financially handicapped should also be treated the same as the economic elite. If political parties become irrational towards members of a particular group, the members affected will become less interested in politics. Reducing the cost of political campaigns will reduce the resources needed to familiarize the public with their leaders and therefore acts as an inhibiting factor in enhancing political participation by the public. It should also be noted, however, that, expanding public funding to political campaigns will not help much. It will only be of bad taste to the public since the public will notice an element of misuse of funds. Political parties are therefore placed strategically in this issue. They have to balance between increasing funds for their political rallies and the public opinion about the same. Conclusion There are a number of concepts and theories which have been considered as major factors that affect public participation in the United States of America. Public participation is directly related to democracy. If there is total democracy, more of the public will participate in political and public activities. Civic education is quite necessary in enhancing public participation because civic activiti es bring people together and learn how to solve problems. Schools are also required to offer civic education and to improve the participation of their students in community services. Communities should have public spaces so that neighbors can connect with each other. Thus reinventing citizenship and improving public participation of the public should be enhanced. This term paper on Democracy in the Policy of United States of America was written and submitted by user Samantha K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Be Successful in High School Complete Guide

How to Be Successful in High School Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There's a lot of pressure in high school to prepare for the future, but between classes, extracurriculars, and trying to have a social life, thinking about what comes after high school can feel like being told to climb a mountain with no help. Instead of fixating on the future, success in high school means thinking about what you can donow. Being on top of things in high school is a great foundation for success in the future. But what does being successful mean? How can you get started today? What should you worry about, and what should you let slide? This guide will help you learn how to be successful in high school no matter where you are in your education. With tips and goals to strive for, you'll be prepared for the future at any point in high school- it's never too late to start getting a plan together. What Does Being Successful in High School Mean? "Success" is a tricky thing to aim for- everybody has different goals and priorities, so the first step of how to be successful in high school is to determine what your goals are. It's important to understand that success won't look the same for everybody. Not only is every person coming from a different background with unique abilities and hindrances, but people also don't all want the same thing. Some have high career aspirations and income goals, while other people want to travel the world, and still others want to improve their own communities. Every one of those things is a kind of success. Regardless of what your individual goals are, one thing is true- the earlier you start to prepare, the better equipped you are to achieve those goals. Whether you're shooting for the moon (literally!) or sticking close to home, planning your roadmap to success means you understand not just where you're going, but how to get there. You don't want to be scrambling at the last minute to finish everything you need to do, so start as soon as you can. Your goals don't have to be this literal, but they can be! How to Set Goals for Success in High School Take some time to brainstorm what you want for the future. Don't be afraid to dream big- if you want to be an astronaut, write it down! If you want to solve world hunger, write it down! You'll figure the rest out later. Brainstorming gets your ideas down on paper, and later you'll refine them into actions. Once you know for certain what you want, you can start figuring out how to get there. Say you want to solve world hunger- that's pretty abstract, so you need to figure out how you can tackle such a big problem through concrete actions. Do a little research to find out what efforts are already being made. What skills do you have? How can you use those skills to add to the work in progress? If you're aiming for a particular career goal, do some research into how the best of the best got where they are. What degrees do they have? What colleges did they attend? What interests do they have that lead to their career? Match these up with your own desires and factor them into your goals. For example, let's say you want to become an astronaut. You don't just become one by doing a job interview- you need a few more things before you'll be accepted into NASA, like a bachelor's degree in a science or math field. That means getting a degree should be a high priority for you. Part of goal-setting is determining which colleges best suit your needs. Make a list, and start researching what criteria you need to meet to get accepted. Each item you list will need its own set of goals, such as reaching a certain GPA or getting a particular SAT score. Write all this down- you'll want to keep it for planning concrete steps! Next, you need either an advanced degree or 1,000 hours of in-command time on a jet aircraft. Consider which you'd rather do, and plan accordingly. If you want the advanced degree, repeat the search above for grad schools and doctoral programs. These later goals may not be things you can do right now, but you can break them down into smaller pieces that you can start working on as soon as today. If you'd rather go for the 1,000 hours of flight, joining the military or becoming a commercial pilot are both options. Again, each of these comes with its own set of goals to accomplish, so keep breaking those into smaller and smaller achievable pieces, such as getting your physics grade up or joining science-related extracurriculars. Lastly, becoming an astronaut means you need to be in prime physical fitness. This is something you can start now, especially with NASA's requirement for swimming- if your shuttle makes a water landing, you'll need to be prepared to swim! Setting physical fitness goals (or any type of goal) now gets you into the habit of practicing them, something that will serve you well as you progress through your life. No matter what your dream career is, you can follow these steps. And even if you don't make it into your dream school or you find that the field you once aspired to isn't right for you later in life, you're still set up for excellence! Aim high, and you'll have your pick of options- don't limit yourself now because you're unsure if you can reach your highest goal. Your organization session doesn't need to look anywhere near this fancy. The #1 Key to Being Successful in High School: Prioritization Prioritization is one of the most important skills you can have as a student. Being naturally gifted or having a great work ethic doesn't mean much if you can't figure out where to direct your skills. That's why setting goals should always be your first step to success. Once you have a list of goals, including ones for the long- and short-term, you can start to prioritize them. Look at where you are in comparison to where you need to be. What can you do to get there? What can you do right now that will make the most meaningful difference? Obviously, if you're aiming to be an astronaut, you can't just walk into college and ask for a degree. You have to work to get there, which means asking yourself what you can do to get to your dream school. You can apply, of course, but that application needs to be polished. How do you polish it? What can you doright now to get your application into shape? For example, say your physics grade has slipped. You need a good GPA- especially in science courses- to make it into a program that will help you become an astronaut. What can you do to fix that? Studying more is an obvious choice, but "more" isn't a concrete goal. Two hours per week is a good starting point, but you can break that down even further and make it actionable. Two hours per week equates to about 25 minutes per day, so let's round that up to a half hour.Studying an extra half-hour per day is an actionable goal, one that's not so big that you'll have to entirely rewrite your life to achieve it, but not one so small that it won't make any meaningful difference. Upping your study time is more immediately important than being able to swim three pool lengths in astronaut gear. You've got time to work up to that- your Bachelor's degree will take you four years, and whatever training you do beyond that will add on time- so focus on what you can fixright now. Not only is your physics grade something you have control over, but you also have less time to fix it, so it needs to be higher on your priority list. Prioritizing will allow you to plan out milestones and tackle them in an order that makes sense. Rather than trying to do everything- swim three pool lengths, get into college, raise your physics grade, rack up 1,000 hours piloting jets- you confront them one at a time, crossing one off and moving to the next. Get yourself some highlighters and colorful tabs, because it's time to start a planner. How to Keep Track of Everything You Need to Do All this goal setting is great, but you have to keep track of them or you'll be stuck spinning your wheels without direction. Consider getting a planner or making use of a calendar to stay on top of everything. Passion Planners are a great choice. They're goal-focused and contain lots of tools for getting inspired and breaking your goals into actionable items. This structure is great for those who have big dreams but struggle with getting started and following through. There's even an academic version that only covers school months, and there are tons of tutorials online for how to best use (and decorate) them. If the structure of Passion Planner doesn't work for you, plenty of other people swear by Bullet Journaling. This system uses a series of symbols to dictate what should be done now and what should be done later, as well as encouraging you to break tasks into actionable items. If you prefer to be a bit more free-form in your planning, Bullet Journaling may be for you. Whatever route you end up taking, the important thing is that you give yourself structure and a means to execute your goals. Set due dates. If you need to raise your physics grade, set that goal sometime in the future- say, raising your B- to an A by the end of the quarter. Since you've already asked yourself what you can do to get there, you can assign your goals, such as studying an extra half hour per day, joining a study group, or turning in missing assignments, to specific dates. Write that extra half hour down on every day, and write another reminder once per week, for example, to complete a missing assignment. Essentially, keeping track of everything means setting goals, breaking those goals down into actionable items, setting deadlines, and following through. Aim high, but all the little stops on your roadmap are important, too. Think of the small tasks as steps in a large staircase with your goal at the top- you can't leap directly to the top, but you can get there one step at a time. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: How to Be Successful in 9th Grade Planning for specifics is how you achieve big goals, but general planning is great too. Even if you're not sure what you want to do with the rest of your life yet, there are still big steps you can take to make sure you're on track for success later in life. It's never too early to start thinking about college, even if you're not ready to settle on one school or field of study yet. One of the best ways to ensure that you're ready for college, even as soon as ninth grade, is to make sure you're taking challenging, useful courses. If you don't know what you want to do with your life, that's okay! Elective courses can help you figure that out. Your course load in ninth grade should be a mixture of required classes, electives, and challenging classes. There's no magic number of AP or honors courses that will magically get you into your dream school, but colleges do want to see you making the most of what's available to you. That said, if you find yourself struggling to keep your grades up, it's okay to reassess. You need to pass the classes in order for colleges to take them seriously, so be sure you're taking on a workload that you can handle. For a freshman, one to two AP courses is a great place to start. Ninth grade is also a great time to start getting involved- really involved- in extracurriculars. If you're into journalism, you may not get a coveted editor position as a freshman, but you can start taking on additional responsibilities and writing stories that matter to you. To return to the astronaut example, you can consider joining a science or math club at school, and going for a leadership position down the road. Don't be afraid to start thinking about college choices. That doesn't mean you have to make concrete plans, but doing some research into what requirements schools have and what features appeal to you is a great way to start narrowing down your choices early on. Instead of looking through every conceivable school junior year, you'll already have a possible list narrowed down. In tenth grade, keep up good habits and keep forming new ones. How to Be Successful in 10th Grade Tenth grade is a time to start thinking seriously about your future plans. It’s a good time to research schools and potentially start narrowing them down. You have plenty of time to apply, so don’t stress about whether or not you’ll get in- use this time to think about how you’ll set yourself up for success rather than worrying about whether or not you’ll succeed. As with ninth grade, you’ll want to focus on keeping your grades up, getting involved in extracurriculars, and taking honors and AP courses in tenth grade. Shoot for one to three AP courses in your schedule, but always keep in mind that your grades come first. If you’re struggling in your regular classes, it’s okay to cut back. You want to find a healthy balance of schoolwork and extracurriculars, which may sometimes mean letting something go to fix where you’re struggling. It may feel a bit like playing Whack-a-Mole, but prioritization and goal setting will help you focus on what’s most important. Now is a good time to take the PSAT or PreACT for the first time. If you have a sense of where you’re starting from, you’ll know where to focus your studying efforts as you get closer to taking the real thing. Even better, you’ll have more time to study. Instead of crunching junior and senior year, you'll be able to focus on weak points rather than trying to bring all your scores up at once. If you’re not 100 percent on track with where you want to be, that’s okay! Spend some time thinking about how you can correct course and get back on schedule. There are no hard and fast rules for success, as every person is unique. Things get a little more serious in eleventh grade. How to Be Successful in th Grade Eleventh grade is why it’s important to start planning early. Suddenly you’re faced with the very real task of college applications and standardized tests, and it can feel like things are closing in on you. Still, don’t panic. Even if you haven’t started preparing yet, you can get yourself back on track. In eleventh grade, it’s time to start thinking seriously about college applications. That doesn’t mean filling them out- though you can start early, applications won’t be due until the next year, even for early decision. Instead, focus on your standardized test scores. Take an SAT or ACT test if you can and see where you’re at, compare that to your college of choice’s average score, and start working to make sure your score is at that level. If it’s already there, great! You can instead work on getting a higher than average score to look even more impressive in your application. Junior year is the most important one for your GPA. Every year is important, but junior year is the last full year you have to impress colleges before applications, so make it count.To be competitive for college, aim to take two to four AP courses in eleventh grade, and keep those grades up. If you struggle your junior year, it’s not the end of the world. You will need to explain things to colleges you apply to, and also demonstrate that you’re working to fix anything that’s slipped. That’s why it’s important to have a plan- when you know where you’re going, getting back on track is far easier. Get started early so you can look this excited on graduation day. How to Be Successful in 12th Grade If only senior year was the time to relax after all your hard work. Instead, now is the time you’ll be putting all that hard work into action, applying to colleges, seeking leadership positions in the extracurriculars you’ve been involved in, and continuing to maintain your GPA. If you’ve been on track until this point, congratulations! Just keep doing what you’ve been doing, with the added responsibility of applying to colleges. If you’re coming at this a little late and are worried about your odds, don’t panic- you still have options. Maybe you slipped in junior year, or maybe you just didn’t know that you had to get started early. You can still achieve success, even if you’re a little late to the game. Identify any weak points in your grades, extracurriculars, and courses. What can you correct? What will make the biggest difference right now? If you haven’t started SAT or ACT prep, do so now. Take a practice test and start working to get your score up to your target. Though your social life might suffer with these additional demands, it’s important to make the most of the time that you do have. Don’t burn yourself out, but do be sure you’re putting in the work. No matter what, don’t feel like it’s the end of the world. Maybe you don’t get into your dream school. Maybe you don’t get into most of the schools you apply to. That doesn’t mean a great future is out of reach- it just means you need to reassess. Consider enrolling in community college and transferring to a four-year school when you’re ready, or starting at a lower volume school and transferring later. These are perfectly legitimate options that can lead to a wonderful and lucrative future for you- getting started late is better than never getting started at all. It’s important not to let yourself give up. You might run into obstacles and need to change plans, but it’s never too late to strive for more. Keep making goals and reaching for new milestones, because there are always options. You might not see results right away, but good planning and effort will be rewarding. 5 Tips for How to Be Successful in High School Making goals and prioritizing them is a great way to be successful in high school.But there are other skills you can cultivate, too, that will help you on your path to success. #1: Start Planning Early The earlier you start getting your plans together, the better. Your plans can change over time- don't be afraid to be flexible- but you simply can't achieve your goals if you don't have any. Making goals early and breaking them down into digestible pieces gives you clear milestones to achieve. It's far easier to hit a bunch of small goals leading to a larger one than to jump right from a C to an A, so the earlier you can start, the smoother your path to success will be. #2: Follow a Schedule Figure out what you need to do, how long you have to get it done, and break that into smaller achievable goals. "Raise my grades," is a good goal, but you can't jump right there- instead, commit to studying two hours per week or completing one missing or extra credit assignment per week. Set a schedule for when you need to get things done, but also schedule in time for workand for breaks. If you work at a specific time every day, you'll find yourself settling into a more efficient pattern. And giving yourself regular breaks ensures that your brain is always performing its best rather than struggling to focus after hours of studying. #3: Designate a Study Space It sounds strange, but picking one particular place to study in can actually be a big help in focusing better. If you have a desk or a quiet place in your home, decide that that's your studying zone and clear it of distractions- no phone, no magazines, no video games. When you sit down there, you'll start to associate it with studying, and your brain will find it easier to shift into work mode. If you can avoid it, don't make a place that has a different purpose, such as your bed, your dining room table, or your noisy living room your study space. If you try to use the same place for multiple purposes, it loses its association with studying. Find somewhere that you can get work done andonly use it to get work done. #4: Find Unique Ways to Practice Studying is good, but you have to study smart. Reading the same things over and over again won't necessarily help, so find ways to really engage with what you're learning. Flashcards are a popular study method for a reason- writing the information down and quizzing yourself on it repeatedly can drill it into your mind a whole lot easier than reading and re-reading the same page of notes. But you can try other things, too, such as coming up with your own mnemonics or even teaching the material to somebody else. If you're struggling to understand or memorize something, get creative with it rather than forcing yourself to keep studying in a way that isn't working for you. #5: Find a Study Buddy Not only is studying easier when you have somebody to quiz you, but accountability is also a great way to motivate yourself. It's far harder to cancel plans with somebody else than to cancel plans with yourself. Of course, be sure you find somebody who isn't just there to hang out. Your ideal study partner should be somebody whoalso has goals and who isn't going to distract you when you're trying to work. Tell each other what you're going to get done, and hold each other accountable for achieving it. Check in to see what their progress is, and tell them what you've achieved. When you share your goals with others, you get them involved and invested in your success, making you more likely to keep going when you feel like giving up. What’s Next? All these tips for success will help you prepare for college, but you still need to apply. This guide to college applications will help you understand exactly what schools are looking for. Even if you don't want to go to Harvard, you can still study like you do. If your application is Harvard-ready, you're also ready for most other schools- the higher you aim, the better your chances are no matter where you want to go. Grades are a crucial part of a successful college application. This guide to getting a 4.0 GPA will help you plan effective studying habits, giving you a better chance at getting into your dream college. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

Secularization in Britain- Are people becoming less religeous in the Essay

Secularization in Britain- Are people becoming less religeous in the UK - Essay Example They all assumed that religion would be of declining importance in an industrial society. They all assumed that religion performed social functions that industrialism, capitalism, potential social changes like socialism, and the democratic state would perform. They all operated from a sociological paradigm: They analyzed religion's social implications on a macro-institutional level. â€Å"The three 'classical' sociological theorists, Marx, Durkheim and Weber [all] thought that the significance of religion would decrease in modern times. Each believed that religion is in a fundamental sense an illusion. The advocates of different faiths may be wholly persuaded of the validity of the beliefs they hold and the rituals in which they participate, yet the very diversity of religions and their obvious connections to different types of society, the three thinkers held, make these claims inherently implausible† (Giddens, 1987). In Marx's view, religion is famously the â€Å"opiate of the masses† (Crabtree, 2008). Its fundamental purpose is as a power structure: Using mystery, the propagation of false consciousness (whether this process is a conscious propagandistic effort on the part of a priestly autocracy or an unconscious relaying of social norms and values), offerings of a life to come, and other techniques, it serves to channel what would be systemic resentment elsewhere. â€Å"The problem is that the life that is led by most men and women in present-day society is so hard, so intolerable, or at least so meaningless, that the idea of a life after death seems the only way to invest it with any meaning† (Woods, 2001). It also serves other ancillary functions for social elites, in the case of industrial societies the interests of capital, such as rallying troops to war. In the Marxist view, religion operates in a way Foucault might term panoptical: It becomes internalized repression, psychological chains that employ the oppressed in their own oppr ession by making them afraid of divine punishment or feel guilty for transgressive thought. Marxist theorists since then have extended the role of religion Many have focused on Marx's critique of religion, but it is important to note that Marx was actually not particularly hostile to it: Religion was the least of his concerns. Read carefully the â€Å"opiate of the masses† quote. Religion is a low-level drug pusher, a way to keep people from fighting against a powerful structure rather than a powerful structure in and of itself. Marx had said, â€Å"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation†. This is actually almost ennobling: Marx is arguing that religion acts as a conscience and a release; his quarrel is with the source of the pain, not the release from it. Similarly, in his critique of Bauer, that â€Å"political emancipation is perfectly compatible with the continued existence of religion, as the contemporary example of the United States demonstrates. However, pushing matters deeper, in an argument reinvented by innumerable critics of liberalism, Marx argues that not only is political emancipation insufficient to bring about human emancipation, it is in some sense also a barrier. Liberal rights and ideas of justice are premised on the idea that each of us needs protection from other human beings. Therefore liberal rights are rights of separation, designed to protect us from such perceived threats. Freedom on such a view,