Lions, and Dragons, and Wolves (Oh my): A Study of the Series Game of Thrones and Political Theory

Game of Thrones has a reputation for being unpredictable. Fans watch in anticipation as their beloved characters face dangerous situations, not knowing if they will make it our alive or not. No character is safe. While this reputation, may lead one to think that there is no way to know what characters will do and how they will react to certain circumstances, if one looks at them through the sphere of political theory and ethics, one can possibly piece together what actions characters will take and what outcome these actions could possibly have. Looking at the characters through these lenses provides insight into their leadership styles and also allows one to analyze why they have been successful or not. What has allowed certain characters to flourish while others fail? Their abilities to gain and maintain power. In Game of Thrones, several kings have met their demise as have many notable lords and ladies. Having a title does not guarantee you protection or power. This has been noted several times throughout the series by both characters of the show and critics. When Tyrion remarks to his father, Tywin, about how he had sent King Joffrey, the most powerful man in Westeros to bed without his supper after he has an outburst, Twin replies, You are a fool if you think he is the most powerful man in Westeros. Simply having a title does not give you power. Lord Varys also contests in the series about how power lies where people believe it lies. In this series, while many people make claims for the throne, none of them necessarily have a legitimate claim or the strongest claim. Both Jon and Daenerys have claims to the Iron Throne under the Targaryen line, which had been usurped by Robert Baratheon. King Jeffrey and King Tommen have claims under Robert as his supposed children, while Stannis and Renly Baratheon have claims as his brothers if they can prove Robert\u27s children are not his. However, since there is no certain line, this also gives others the opportunity to seize the throne or to break out as their own kingdom as the North and the Iron Islands try to do. Game of Thrones is a show filled with the rise and the fall of leaders. Throughout its current seven seasons, the players of the game have routinely changed, shifting the power dynamics. While many people and houses have come and gone, three houses have stood strong: Stark, Lannister, and Targaryen. The current leaders of these respective houses, Jon Snow, Cersei Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen, have all overcome many obstacles to gain and hold power. Under the scope of several renowned political theorists and sociologists, this paper will analyze the perspective strengths and weaknesses of these leaders, as well as, how these traits and decisions they have made will affect their likelihood to sit on the Iron Throne

Action for All: The Public's Responsibility for Public Education

In a society whose citizens have demanding family and work responsibilities, few Americans have the time, expertise, or the inclination to throw themselves into the challenge of making schools better. Like people who inhale second-hand smoke, Americans are increasingly breathing "second-hand democracy." Rather than taking major steps to address the issues that can ensure quality public schools and teaching for all young people, Americans seem content to watch a small, committed group of activists take the lead.In fact, fewer than half of Americans say they are actively involved in public schools. Many want to help but in limited ways and often only when motivated by a life-or-death crisis.The following report, Action for All: The Public's Responsibility for Public Schools, is based on a national survey of those who are registered voters -- who, perhaps not coincidentally, are the Americans most likely to take civic action. The report seeks to assess the extent to which the public is supporting -- or failing -- its schools. In an era of accountability in public education, the report seeks to define what the public should be held accountable for. More specifically, the report is designed to provide some useful answers for educators and policymakers about a range of issues: How does the public define its own responsibility for public education? What motivates the public to act? What kind of information does the public need to become better informed, and to whom does the public look to for reliable and trustworthy information?This report is the first product of a new partnership between the Public Education Network (PEN), the nation's largest grassroots advocacy network for school improvement, and Education Week, the nation's newspaper of record in precollegiate education. Each year for the next five years, PEN and Education Week will release a new national survey that will further explore different aspects of public responsibility for public schools.The bad news is that Americans say they have only three hours or fewer available to them each week to do anything to improve public schools. The good news is that the public actions required to ensure that schools are improving are not that difficult, expensive, or time consuming.What Americans say they can and should do is to better perform their traditional civic duties -- becoming better informed about education, increasing the pressure on elected officials to do whatever it takes to get better results for a broader range of students, and exercising their responsibility to vote as knowledgeable education consumers.In fact, if Americans were to do one thing that could make schools better it would simply be to become "education voters," who know the issues, know the candidates' positions, and use the power of the voting booth to improve schools

Notes from \u3ci\u3eThe Future of California’s Garment Industry\u3c/i\u3e

The document includes the notes from various workshops, brainstorming sessions, discussions, and strategy sessions that took place at the conference focusing on The Future of California’s Garment Industry

The Internet and Daily Life

Presents findings from a survey conducted in November and December 2003. Looks at Internet use compared to the traditional offline ways of communicating, transacting affairs, getting information, and finding entertainment

Social Networking and Online Videos Take Off: Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008

Presents findings from a survey on presidential campaign news and political communication, with a focus on the Internet's growing role, by news source, generation, sites, and party. Also tracks views on media bias and the Iraq war

Swimming With Shoes On

Swimming With Shoes On is a creative writing thesis containing four short stories all revolving around one central character, Lottie. Each story enters the reader into a different chapter of Lottie\u27s life, and we watch as people move in and out of her life, as she learns more about herself and her friends, as she develops certain understandings about the construction of the world she\u27s living in

What Are We Doing When We Pray?

(Excerpt) My God, we cry out and complain we groan and weep we are speechless and silent. And we beg and implore, we wish and we will, we crave and insist. We thank and praise, we rejoice and dance, we sing and we glorify. These are all ways of expressing our lives before God. To call them all \u27praying\u27 is much too narrow, because the word \u27pray\u27 means much the same as \u27ask\u27 and \u27plead\u27. But to come to God only with our entreaties is hardly the expression of a true love for God. God is more than our heavenly helper in time of need