The British and US State

During the interwar period, the traditional concept of propaganda was changed with the idea of the national projection as an approach representing the state in the international arena in the context of public diplomacy. The lessons of World War I made nations revise their way of looking at cultural propaganda and the role of the national and international image of the state to influence its position in the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The British and US State-Funded National Projection specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this context, it is essential to compare and contrast the approaches of Britain and the United States toward developing their state-funded cultural propaganda or national projection. In spite of the fact that both Britain and the United States revised the approach to propaganda during the interwar period, these countries followed different strategies related to the national projection, and Britain focused more on democratic tools when the United States paid attention to a particular type of isolationism and internal communications. After World War I, the British authorities concentrated on the idea that the political propaganda had negative consequences, as this practice was rather manipulative in its nature. This opinion was developed during almost two decades. However, in this period, Britain admitted the necessity of creating an international image while allowing foreign nations to know the truth about Britain. Thus, the national projection as a way to make other countries learn about the nation and its cultural background was rather democratic in its nature because the British authorities rejected the need for using aggressive and manipulative techniques. From this point, the image of Britain should have been based on truth and facts broadcasted with the help of the BBC as the main channel of information. The use of democratic tools for the state-funded projec tion meant that the authorities did not use unreasonable or unfair approaches to creating the image of the state during the interwar period.  Focuses on the accurate content of the news and on broadcasting, as well as the slight shift in the public policy in contrast to the secret policy, were typical for the early stage of the interwar period. That was the period of using such democratic tools as the English language teaching and the active cultural propaganda. The goal of the British authorities was to demonstrate advantages of the democratic institutions and principles developing in the state. However, in 1938, the international understanding of Britain was not enough to state the world position and to unite the forces of allies against the developing fascism and its principles. Thus, politicians and diplomats saw that the used democratic measures typical for Britain in the field of public diplomacy and foreign policy were rather ineffective, and they needed to be strengthened with the focus on promotion of activities of such agencies as the Tourist Association and the British Council. The Tourist Association was one of the essential organizations to promote propaganda as the element of the national projection.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The British Council was used as the useful tool for addressing the problem of fascism in Europe and for developing the cultural propaganda appropriate for the democratic course of the British authorities.  The way made by the United States to the development of the pattern of national projection was rather different from the way chosen by the British authorities. The US leaders had the experience of following a rather aggressive policy of propaganda during World War I, but this pattern was changed during the interwar period. The focus was on more slight measures in order to promote cultural values with the help of such mass-produced goods as broadcasting channels and films. This strategy was selected as an alternative to the previous aggressive scenario followed by the Committee on Public Information in the country. The United States also began to focus on expanding channels for internal communications while following the strategy of isolationism rather than concentrating on the national projection overseas. As a result, the scenario of using traditional aggressive ways of propaganda in the international arena was changed with the policy of the cultural propaganda that was oriented to creating particular opinions in Americans, rather than about Americans in other nations. The emphasis was made on strengthening the American’s opinion regarding their power and values. Still, the patterns of the aggressive and rather hostile propaganda remained influential for the development of the US new approach to the national projection. In order to support the image of the United States, it was necessary to focus more on improving the information policy and on expanding the private agencies for cultural propaganda. As a result, only the most effective instruments of propaganda were selected for the cultural projection. It is possible to state that the methods used in the United States regarding the propaganda differed significantly from tools used by the British authorities. The reason is states’ orientations. When Britain was discussed as oriented to the national projection and to the creation of the country’s positive image, the United States paid attention to strengthening the internal propaganda while ignoring the oversea propaganda. On the one hand, both Britain and the United States aimed to respond to the threat of fascism with the help of cultural and political propaganda tools. On the other hand, the followed approaches were different, and they reflected the currents moods of politicians in terms of development of public diplomacy principles. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The British and US State-Funded National Projection specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the courses of Britain and the United States towards the national projection were different, both states understood the critical role of the media for the effective propaganda. Broadcasting was used as one of the critical tools to inform and persuade the public according to the needs of the concrete nation’s information policy. During the period of 1935-1938, the media of both Britain and the United States began to present the more aggressive propaganda as the part of the national policies on projection and response to the threats of fascism and totalitarianism. This period was the time when nations began to refer to rearmament ideas and to the extensive black propaganda in spite of patterns and strategies followed previously. It is important to note that the national projection p layed the critical role in developing the images of countries in the international arena during the interwar period. However, such states as Britain and the United States followed two different courses while developing their principles of public policy. If Britain aimed to proclaim the democratic patterns and rules with the focus on the active cultural propaganda, the United States discussed the elements of the political propaganda and internal communications as more effective means. Moreover, the United States realized the principles of the national projection in a less direct way, while ignoring formal propaganda, but proposing mass products as the elements of cultural propaganda widely. This essay on The British and US State-Funded National Projection was written and submitted by user Mia Sharp 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.

Free Essays on Collective Security

Should the Concert of Europe be viewed as an example of collective security? The Napoleonic Wars, lasting from 1789 until 1815, were unlike any previously fought on continental Europe. For the first time, it was fought between nations and not just the ruling elites of each state . In addition, the terrible toll in lives lost and damage done was of a previously unthinkable scale. When, therefore, Napoleon was defeated and France was restored to its original (pre-Revolutionary) frontiers, the Great Powers of Europe sought to create a system between them that would ensure a lasting peace. This system came to be known as the Concert of Europe, and acted to sustain a viable peace from 1815 until the Crimean War in 1848. This essay discusses whether this system acted in a way consistent with the theory of Collective Security. This essay will begin by discussing the theoretical framework of Collective Security, its key principles and objectives. Following this, a look at the structure of the Concert of Europe will show its theoretical incompatibility with Collec tive Security doctrine. The two systems show two clearly different approaches to power among states, and the principles of Collective Security are not the same as those of the concert. Thirdly, it will be shown how the Concert acted in practice, not in line with collective security, but with balance-of-power, the system that theorists of Collective Security attempt to replace. Nevertheless, the following section of this essay will show how some of the key participants in the Concert of Europe, particularly Metternich of Austria, did sometimes act with collective security, rather than balance of power, in mind, and that many of the Concerts techniques seem at odds with traditional balance of power logic. Thus, the theory of ‘Concert collective security’, put forward to explain this discrepancy, will be explained and examined. This will lead to the conclusion that, while t... Free Essays on Collective Security Free Essays on Collective Security Should the Concert of Europe be viewed as an example of collective security? The Napoleonic Wars, lasting from 1789 until 1815, were unlike any previously fought on continental Europe. For the first time, it was fought between nations and not just the ruling elites of each state . In addition, the terrible toll in lives lost and damage done was of a previously unthinkable scale. When, therefore, Napoleon was defeated and France was restored to its original (pre-Revolutionary) frontiers, the Great Powers of Europe sought to create a system between them that would ensure a lasting peace. This system came to be known as the Concert of Europe, and acted to sustain a viable peace from 1815 until the Crimean War in 1848. This essay discusses whether this system acted in a way consistent with the theory of Collective Security. This essay will begin by discussing the theoretical framework of Collective Security, its key principles and objectives. Following this, a look at the structure of the Concert of Europe will show its theoretical incompatibility with Collec tive Security doctrine. The two systems show two clearly different approaches to power among states, and the principles of Collective Security are not the same as those of the concert. Thirdly, it will be shown how the Concert acted in practice, not in line with collective security, but with balance-of-power, the system that theorists of Collective Security attempt to replace. Nevertheless, the following section of this essay will show how some of the key participants in the Concert of Europe, particularly Metternich of Austria, did sometimes act with collective security, rather than balance of power, in mind, and that many of the Concerts techniques seem at odds with traditional balance of power logic. Thus, the theory of ‘Concert collective security’, put forward to explain this discrepancy, will be explained and examined. This will lead to the conclusion that, while t...

Book Review The Official SAT Study Guide, 2020 Edition

Book Review The Official SAT Study Guide, 2020 Edition SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The College Board recently published a new versionof The Official SAT Study Guide (2020 edition). What’s the book like? Is it helpful? In this review, I’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of this newest edition of the official guide, discuss how students feel about it, and tell you whether it’s ultimately worth buying. Should You Buy theOfficial SAT Study Guide? While the Blue Book (as it was called by students)used to be the must-have source for SAT prep, The Official SAT Study Guide,2020 Edition, is mostly not worth purchasing. The book in its entirety - including its eight practice tests - is available for free online, so don't waste your money buying the book. Why did the College Board release this edition for free?It’s part of the College Board's attempts to make the SAT more accessible and to reduce SAT inequality based on socioeconomic background.This is a wonderful move by the College Board, but it now means buying the book is a complete waste of money. If you have the time, is it worth reading The Official SAT Study Guide, 2020 Edition, free online?Yes and no.The eight practice tests from the book (which are all available online for free)are absolutely crucial to your SAT prep. However, the book doesn’t provide you with details of how to score your practice test; you have to go online to do that, rendering the book useless. If you can’t even score your tests using the book, why buy it? Also, the educational material other than the practice tests doesn’t give much helpful test insight or strategy.The educational material just provides surface-level details about the test.It doesn’t teach you the content needed for the SAT.There are far better, more in-depth SAT study guides out there including the free ones that we’ve written: check out our Reading, Math, and Writing study guides. The educational material also mostly just tells you to go learn more on the Khan Academy SAT prep site, which is free for anyone to access, regardless of whether you purchased the book. Strengths The strengths of the books are very limited: Eight College Board practice tests are pre-printed for you, so you don't need to spend money printing them yourself (including two, Practice Tests 9 and 10, that are not yet available on collegeboard.org) You can recycle the book (AKAuse it for kindling in your bonfire or use it for a paper machà © project). Weaknesses Unfortunately, there are many: The entire book is available for free online (including two extra practice tests not included in the book!) The book doesn’t provide you with scoring information for your practice tests; you have to go online to get the information. The book only provides surface-level descriptions of each section and doesn’t offer instructional material, so you can’t actually learn skills and content from the book. There are no content lessons, so if you’re, say, struggling with geometry questions, you won’t get any assistance from this book; you’d need to seek additional help. Just taking SAT practice tests without a method of learning from your mistakes will not help you improve. The book sadly offers no guidance on how to learn from your mistakes or how to study content. How Students Feel About theOfficial SAT Study Guide 2020 If you don’t believe me, check out how other people feel about it.On Amazon, the book is currently rated 4.3 out of 5 stars, with 69% percent of raters giving it 4 or 5 stars (remember, it's still full of official practice problems!). That said, the 2016 edition of the book (which contained fewer practice tests and was also available for free online) has several hundred more reviewers. Of these reviewers, 82 percent gave it 4 or 5 stars, and 7 percent gave it 1 star: The 1-star reviewers of both editions of the official guide generally agreed with my feeling that the book was a waste of money, noting that everything in the book is available online for free. The 5-star reviewers, on the other hand, generally felt that although the material is available for free online, the book was worth the money since it’s a hassle to print out the practice tests. HowYou Should Use the Official SAT Guide I recommend that no students buy the book, but all students should be using the free practice tests available online. I don’t think any student needs to read the additional information included in this guide.The information is superficial yet difficult to parse: it discusses the types of question and content covered without giving many, if any, examples.We’ve created better free guides forReading, Math, and Writing. If you’re a worrywart (like me) and are stressed that you don’t know everything you can about the test, then go ahead and read the extra material for free online.You should be able to read all of it fairly quickly.As I said, it’s pretty sparse and superficial. However,reading this book alone will not prepare you for SAT success.You need to review your SAT practice tests to learn from your mistakes.You should also do in-depth content review of subjects you don’t know well or might've forgotten, such as systems of equations or semicolons. You still need to study! What SAT Prep Material Should You Use? Now that you know not to buy this book and to print the free practice tests from the College Board website, what other resources should you use to help you prep for the SAT? First, I recommend our free SAT study guides forReading, Math, and Writing. As I mentioned before, these guides are all available here on our blog at no cost to you. If you find yourself still struggling to improve after taking a few practice tests and using our free guides,consider using a highly rated SAT prep book, hiring a tutor, or enrolling in an online program. Whatever option you choose, make sure the program is specialized to you.You want a program that will identify your strengths and weaknesses so you can improve your weak areas as well as your SAT score. What’s Next? Studying for the new SAT? Check out our complete guide to test changes and our ultimate SAT study guide. Looking for extra help? Check out our guide to the best SAT prep books. Trying to decide whether to hire a tutor or do an online prep course? We can help. Getting ready to apply to college? Unsure of where you want to go? Check out our guide to finding your target school and how to find out what your target SAT score should be. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Methodology of Writing a Persuasive Essay Assignment

Methodology of Writing a Persuasive Essay - Assignment Example While writing a persuasive essay it is necessary to put forward the strongest points that support your ideas, explaining your view with strong facts. Moreover, design the introduction in a way that attracts the reader’s attention and provides sufficient information on the topic. The paragraph must end with the statement that clearly defines the main idea or point of view. Divide an essay into different paragraphs and make sure that each paragraph supports the main idea. You should provide each paragraph with various examples and evidence that prove the argument. After making the supporting points, write a paragraph that precisely explains and disapproves the opposing idea. Once it is done, then move ahead towards the conclusion. In conclusion, reaffirm the main idea and points that are been made in support to the main idea. A conclusion should reflect the succession as well as the significance of the argument. Make a strong point in conclusion that will leave the audience conn ected and persuaded to the topic.  

Are Small Cap Stocks Influenced Similarly and by the Same Economic Essay

Are Small Cap Stocks Influenced Similarly and by the Same Economic Indicators as Large Cap Stocks An Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example The study used monthly data from 1974 to 1989 for macroeconomic indicators and for the Fed monetary policy (as independent variables) and used 39 portfolios of 10 value weighted stocks from large cap and small cap categories (as dependent variables) to study the volatility in stock return. They found that 32% of the stock market return volatility could be explained by the monetary policy which is similar to the finding of Chang, Yeung, & Yip. (2000) below that macroeconomic indicators do not fully explain the stock market movements. It was also found that 96% of the cases showed that a tightening of the monetary policy (reduced money supply) reduced stock returns. Further, the study found that while both small and large firms were harmed by the disinflationary monetary policy, only large firms benefited from expansionary monetary policy. The study illuminates the bibliographic topic by making a distinction between small and large cap stocks and the difference in effect of macroeconom ic indicators on different stock categories. The authors at the time of the study were Doctoral Students at the University of Pennsylvania. They studied the impact of a set of 21 economic indicators and followed a regression analysis approach to identify whether economic indicators could explain the stock market movements from 1997 to 1999.... They first started with testing for correlation between the economic indicators and excluded some of them based on the statistical correlation. For the remaining indicators, they developed a multiple linear regression model to explain the stock price. They found that even after multiple regressions and excluding the insignificant variables, the resulting regression model could not fully explain the stock market movements. This finding is in line with that of Thorbecke and Coppock (1995) above. This study is of importance for the current research as I intend to use a similar methodology for multiple regression on 9 economic indicators in the US that this study found to be statistically significant in their regression model. Vygodina, A. V. (2006). Effects of size and international exposure of the US firms on the relationship between stock prices and exchange rates. Global Finance Journal 17 , 214-23. The author at the time of the study was a Professor at the Department of Finance, CBA , California State University at Sacramento. The research was aimed at studying whether the changes in exchange rates have a difference in impact on the stock prices based on the size of a firm. The methodology used was to conduct a Granger Causality test to verify the causality from large cap and small cap stocks to the exchange rate. The Granger Causality test was used in the study as it statistically tests whether one time series causes movements in another time series. It was found that while there did exist a statistically significant Granger Causality from large-caps to the exchange rate, there was no causality from small caps. The study also noted that the as both variables are significantly affected by the federal monetary policy and that the nature of relationship

An Analysis of Matt Ridley’s The Origins of Virtue :: Philosophy Essays

An Analysis of Matt Ridley’s The Origins of Virtue Inwardly examining his own nature, man would prefer to see himself as a virtuously courageous being designed in the image of a divine supernatural force. Not to say that the true nature of man is a complete beast, he does posses, like many other creatures admirable traits. As author Matt Ridley examines the nature of man in his work The Origins of Virtue, both the selfish and altruistic sides of man are explored. Upon making an honest and accurate assessment of his character, it seems evident that man is not such a creature divinely set apart from the trappings of selfishness and immorality. Rather than put man at either extreme it seems more accurate to describe man as a creature whose tendency is to look out for himself first, as a means of survival. It is true that on many levels humans act in a cooperative way to benefit all-- but does that warrant a claim that man is genetically altruistic? Perhaps the reasoning behind his actions would lead to another view. As Ridley examines man's dependency upon others in his species, it becomes apparent that man is not necessarily a savage beast out to do everyone in, but rather a lone creature trying to ensure his survival. In comparing man as the lone hunter to the cooperative being he is today it is evident that his species has thrived and survived with much greater ease in a cooperative society as opposed to a lone hunter. Though it can be easily argued that this cooperation between man, is at some level a sort of mutual altruism, it may better be understood as a selfish means of survival. The saying goes that "there is safety in numbers, " this could not be more true for man's plight. Because alone man stands little chance of perpetuating his genes, he flocks to the community wher e he has the better chance of survival, as do his genes. So to better understand the reasoning behind man's need to be in the community it is imperative to look at nature. In the wild and brutal game of life the only measure of true success is whether genes are passed on. Like any other animal this measure of success measures man's success too. For all creatures, to survive is the chance at continuing a gene line, and it is this necessity to continue the line that is innately imbedded in man and all other creatures. An Analysis of Matt Ridley’s The Origins of Virtue :: Philosophy Essays An Analysis of Matt Ridley’s The Origins of Virtue Inwardly examining his own nature, man would prefer to see himself as a virtuously courageous being designed in the image of a divine supernatural force. Not to say that the true nature of man is a complete beast, he does posses, like many other creatures admirable traits. As author Matt Ridley examines the nature of man in his work The Origins of Virtue, both the selfish and altruistic sides of man are explored. Upon making an honest and accurate assessment of his character, it seems evident that man is not such a creature divinely set apart from the trappings of selfishness and immorality. Rather than put man at either extreme it seems more accurate to describe man as a creature whose tendency is to look out for himself first, as a means of survival. It is true that on many levels humans act in a cooperative way to benefit all-- but does that warrant a claim that man is genetically altruistic? Perhaps the reasoning behind his actions would lead to another view. As Ridley examines man's dependency upon others in his species, it becomes apparent that man is not necessarily a savage beast out to do everyone in, but rather a lone creature trying to ensure his survival. In comparing man as the lone hunter to the cooperative being he is today it is evident that his species has thrived and survived with much greater ease in a cooperative society as opposed to a lone hunter. Though it can be easily argued that this cooperation between man, is at some level a sort of mutual altruism, it may better be understood as a selfish means of survival. The saying goes that "there is safety in numbers, " this could not be more true for man's plight. Because alone man stands little chance of perpetuating his genes, he flocks to the community wher e he has the better chance of survival, as do his genes. So to better understand the reasoning behind man's need to be in the community it is imperative to look at nature. In the wild and brutal game of life the only measure of true success is whether genes are passed on. Like any other animal this measure of success measures man's success too. For all creatures, to survive is the chance at continuing a gene line, and it is this necessity to continue the line that is innately imbedded in man and all other creatures.

Criminal Justice Process Essay

Generally speaking, the concept of the legal system can often seem very complex, confusing, and intimidating. However, to assist in comprehending the system, the state of Kansas has defined a sequence of events in processing criminal cases where each action encompasses a specific function. Whether it is the police officer who investigates the crime, the prosecutor who must gather the facts for action, the defendant who must obtain a lawyer and prove their case, or the judge and jury who determine the fate of the offender; having a basic understanding of the law is imperative in protecting individual rights. Within this paper I will discuss the Kansas state criminal justice process and the multifaceted decisions that ensure justice is provided to all. Although the Kansas criminal law process is disclosed, it still may be difficult for an individual to navigate through the system alone. Therefore, once a person is taken into custody, he/she should immediately seek counsel to assist in the legal process. The first step in the criminal process is the investigation by law enforcement before an arrest is made. Moreover, an investigation of a said crime may be initiated in many ways. For instance, it could be as simple as an officer who witnesses a vehicle speeding or something that requires a more collective effort such as a 911 call from a bystander. An officer may speak to only one person or it may involve multiple witnesses being interviewed where evidence may be gathered over time. If an officer believes that there is enough evidence of a crime, he/she can try to obtain a search warrant. This process includes a judge who will review the information and approve/disapprove the warrant based on probable cause. Probable cause, as it applies to a search, is the facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that evidence is in a particular place (Wright, 2013). After law enforcement has conducted their investigation, a criminal arrest will transpire. A person may or may not be aware that they will be taken into custody, but in either situation, it is important for that individual to obtain the representation of an experienced defense lawyer as soon as possible. An arrest is defined as a seizure of a person and/or deprivation of his/her personal liberty by a legal authority or under legal authority (Gale, 2002). In Kansas, an officer of the law may arrest a person for the following reasons: a warrant  commanding that person to be arrested; has probable cause to believe that a warrant for the person’s arrest has been issued in this state or in another jurisdiction for a felony committed therein; has probable cause to believe that the person is committing or has committed felony (KSA, 2009). No matter where or when an interrogation occurs, the person in custody (deprived of his or her freedom of action in any significant way), must be read their Miranda rights if the suspect’s answers are to be used as evidence at a trial (Merriam-Webster, 1996). A Miranda warning is not required if a person is not in police custody; however, anything the person says can still be used at trial if the person is later charged with a crime. This exception most often happens when the police stop someone on the street to question him/her about a recent crime and the person blurts out a confession before the police have an opportunity to deliver the warning. Therefore, it is critical that a person in custody does not answer the police/detective’s questions without having a lawyer present. This will ensure the individual’s rights under the Fifth Amendment are protected and they do not make any self-incriminating statements. Kansas divides crimes into two categories: felonies and misdemeanors. A felony crime can be defined as a crime that results in incarceration of one year or more in jail or prison (Wright, 2013). The state of Kansas has four types of felony convictions: drug felonies, non-drug felonies, off grid felonies and non-grid felonies. Drug felonies are related to the possession, use, manufacture, and the sale of illegal drugs. Off grid felonies, which frequently have a life time sentence, are typically related to murder and certain child sex crimes. While, non grid felonies are usually related to domestic battery or felony driving under the influence. Once the suspect is arrested, a defense attorney is assigned to the person if the individual cannot afford one. A defense attorney is a lawyer who advises, represents, and acts for the defendant in a legal proceeding or for the offender in post-conviction proceedings (Gale, 2002). A defense attorney appears with the defendant at the arraignment where the defendant will plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. If the defendant pleads not guilty, the defense attorney then represents his/her client during the various stages of the trial process. During the pre-trail stage, the defense counsel’s investigation should begin its own inquiry by interviewing witnesses,  obtaining police reports, and reviewing other documents. (Gale, 2002). Additionally, any exculpatory evidence that the prosecutor discovers which is helpful to the defendant must be given to the defense attorney. It is during this stage that the defense attorney assesses the strength of the prosecutor’s case and advises the client as to the possible outcomes. If it would be useful in the defense effort, the defense counsel could hire a private investigator in an effort to collect evidence in support of the case or to discredit elements of the prosecution’s case. While the defense attorney is collecting evidence to help the client from being convicted, the prosecutor initiates his/her own effort on the criminal actions against the alleged person who has committed the offense. A prosecutor can be defined as a lawyer employed by the state who seeks to obtain a conviction in a court against the defendant (Gale, 2002). After the police investigators have filed the paper work for the arrest, the prosecutor will review the paper work and apply the appropriate Kansas laws to determine if the person that has been arrested should be formally charged with a crime. Unfortunately, this period can last a few days, weeks, or months. The most serious crimes in Kansas, such has murder and terrorism, have no statute of limitations. Statutes of limitations are federal and state laws that set out time periods within which a certain type of civil or criminal action must be brought or the right to bring the action will be lost (Gale, 2002). This law is to ensure the defendant has a fair chance to rebut the claim. Since Kansas does not set a time period for murder and terrorism, this does not violate the due process of the Fourteenth Amendment. The prosecutor will continue to examine the files and he/she may contact the police and request that additional inquiries are conducted. During this time, it may be possible to convince the prosecutor not to file charges or to request a lesser charge. After a charge is filed, the number of court appearances may vary depending on the type of case. A court appearance can be defined as the act of coming to court to defend or prosecute a case and to enter an appearance to register with a court that a defendant intends to defend an action (Black, 2007). â€Å"The first court appearance is known as an arraignment in the state of Kansas. An arraignment is a hearing before a court having jurisdiction in a criminal case. When a court arraigns a person, the identity of the defendant is established, and the defendant is  informed of the charge and his or her constitutional and statutory rights. Bail can also be set at arraignment. The defendant is required to enter a plea, which distinguishes an arraignment from a defendant’s first appearance, where all other matters may be raised† (Gale, 2002). The arraignment process in felony cases cannot take place unless the prosecutor has prepared a written set of charges. In the state of Kansas, the prosecutor is required to convene a grand jury before charging a defendant with a serious crime. After the suspect is convicted of the crime, a sentencing process is started. On July 1, 1993, the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act was developed to assist in determining felony sentencing through a grid system. For this reason, Kansas law uses the following two primary factors to determine the punishment of a convicted felon: the severity level of the crime and the defendant’s criminal history. Sentencing is the penalty imposed by a court upon a person convicted of a crime. The types of sentences include capital punishment, imprisonment, fines, restitution, and probation (Gale, 2002). Since the 1980s, sentencing guidelines started utilizing a point system based on the criminal offense and the criminal history of the defendant. A higher number results in a more severe criminal sanction. Additionally, judges have little or no discretion to depart from these guidelines (Gale, 2002). Thus, sentencing guidelines that Kansas has established provide practitioners in the criminal justice system with an overview of presumptive felony sentences. The juncture of the severity level of the crime of conviction and the offender’s criminal history category is the presumed sentence (KSA, 2012). Once a person is convicted of a felony, either by pleading guilty or being found guilty at trial, the judge will order a pre-sentence investigation and receive a report from the probation office. This report will advise the judge of the severity level of the crime, which grid it is on, drug or non-drug, and the defendant’s criminal history. In Kansas, the sentencing grid is how the judge determines the sentencing of a felony conviction. Nevertheless, not all crimes will fit on the grid. Thus, the sentencing for those crimes is individually outlined by the legislature. The majority of the felony crimes in Kansas fall on the sentencing grid, where the criminal history and the severity level of the crime aid the judge in determining the sentence. Non-drug and drug are two grids on the sentencing range. The  non-drug grid contains ten severity levels of offenses that range from theft to rape and murder. A level one offense represents a significant transgression while a level ten represents the least serious of the crimes. The drug grid contains four levels of offenses encompassing possession, distribution, manufacturing and cultivation of controlled substances. Similar to the non-drug grid, a level one offense is a severe crime and a level four represents a minimum wrongdoing. After the judge or court reviews the drug or non drug grid, the next step is to look at the criminal history of the accused. Criminal history in Kansas is classified as â€Å"A† through â€Å"I†, depending on a person’s past criminal history (KSA, 2012). A criminal history score of â€Å"A† is the highest criminal history score and would likely be assigned to a person with three or more personal felonies. A criminal history score of â€Å"I† is the lowest criminal history score and would be allocated to an individual with only one misdemeanor conviction or no criminal history. Within each grid box there are three numbers which represent months of imprisonment. These three numbers provide the judge or court with a range for sentencing. The sentencing judge or court then has the discretion to sentence within these parameters. The middle number in the grid box is the average number that is intended to be the appropriate sentence time for a typical case. The upper and lower numbers should be used for cases involving aggravating or mitigating factors sufficient to warrant a departure. The sentencing judge or court may increase the length of a sentence up to double the duration within the grid box (KSA, 2012). The judge or court may also depart downward to lower the duration of a presumptive sentence. Moreover, the judge or court can impose a dispositional departure by electing to implement a sentence of prison to probation or probation to prison. Once the criminal history and the severity level of the offense are determined, the grids will dictate the sentencing range and disposition for the judge or court. For example, rape in Kansas is a severity level one felony. If the defendant has no prior criminal record, then the crime is punishable by 147, 155, or 165 months in prison. If the same crime was particularly cruel or violent, the judge may impose the aggravated sentence of 165 months in prison. A defendant with an â€Å"A† level criminal history who is convicted of a particularly brutal rape could face up to 653 months in prison. After the judge or court  has reviewed the grid and all the files for the case, sentencing can be deliberated. By Kansas law, judges or the court must impose a sentence shown in the appropriate grid box unless substantial and compelling reasons exist to depart from the sentences. The sentencing judge or court should consider all available alternatives in determining the appropriate sentence for each offender. The sentencing guidelines seek to establish equity among like offenders in similar case scenarios. Rehabilitative measures are still an integral part of the corrections process, and criminal justice professionals continue efforts to reestablish offenders within communities (KSA, 2012). The guidelines do not prohibit sentencing courts from departing from the prescribed sentence in atypical cases. The sentencing court is free to choose an appropriate sentence, or combination of sentences, for each case (KSA, 2012). In 2008, Kansas changed its sentencing guidelines by implementing a no downward dispositional departure for any crime of extreme sexual violence. A downward durational departure can be allowed for any crime of extreme sexual violence to no less than fifty percent of the center of the grid range of the sentence for such crime. Does the Kansas judge or court have to follow the guidelines in the grid box? The answer is no. The judge can deviate from the presumptive range within the box; however, in order for him/her to do so, there must be a substantial and compelling reason. This means, a specific fact should either illustrate that this case is either worse than typical for this type of crime, justifying a longer sentence, or better than typical for this kind of offense, justifying a shorter sentence. As long as the judge stays in the box, the sentence cannot be appealed. A conviction could be appealed, but not the sentence. Judges typically do not depart, either shorter or longer, unless both the prosecution and the defense agree that he/she should. In order for a judge to depart upward to a longer sentence than contained in the box, he/she must usually have a jury finding of the extraordinary fact justifying the longer sentence. In Kansas, the legislature has designated convictions as presumptive probation, presumptive prison, and border box. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a presumptive probation offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is entitled to a contract of probation. The defendant, on the other hand, could serve the underlying sentence if he/she violates the terms and  conditions of the probation contract. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a presumptive prison offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is not entitled to a contract of probation and must serve the underlying sentence. A defendant can avoid prison, only if, the court formally deviates from the sentencing guidelines by finding considerable and convincing reasons to grant probation. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a border box offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is not entitled to a contract of probation and must serve the underlying sentence. However, the court is allowed to grant probation at the request or agreement of the parties as long as the court is satisfied that a program is available to the defendant that will ensure community safety interests by promoting the defendant’s rehabilitation and reducing the likelihood of recidivism. There are special rules which could deprive a defendant of his/her presumption of probation and in turn can allow the judge to sentence him/her to prison. An example would be if the crime occurred while the defendant was already on probation or on bond for another crime. These special rules must be taken into consideration when determining what a judge might do at the time of sentencing. In conclusion, Kansas has established a concrete criminal law process that can be directly correlated to its own state legislation. The system provides reasonable and comprehensible guidelines for all to follow in the service of justice. The law is enforced to protect individuals; however, being aware of your fundamental rights is a personal responsibility. If you are stopped, questioned, arrested or searched by federal, state or local law enforcement officers, the most common approach should always be to ask for an attorney. Inevitably, the law is there to sustain the status quo, to protect property, vested rights, and established relationships. An ordered society cannot survive without some type of legal system, even if it is just one simple rule. In the end, the legal system is the only procedure which can guarantee that all human rights are respected. 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