History of Saccos in Kenya

History of Saccos in Kenya A Savings and Credit Cooperative is a type of cooperative whose objective is to pool savings for the members and in turn provide them with credit facilities (UN-HABITAT, 2010). The general objective of SACCOs is to promote the economic interests and general welfare of its members. The ICA Statement on the Co-operative Identity defines a cooperative as an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. Co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others (Bibby Shaw, 2005). The 1995 ICA Congress also reformulated seven principles of co-operatives. In summary, they are: Voluntary and open membership Democratic member control Member economic participation Autonomy and independence Education, training and information Co-operation among co-operatives Concern for the community Different SACCOs provide a number of products which include but are not limited to credit services, deposit and savings facility, cheque clearing, bankers cheques, standing orders, safe custody, and salary advances. History of SACCOs The pioneers of modern cooperation emerged in working- class environments in European Industrial cities of the 19th Century. In the 1840s,the first to industrialize countries (Great Britain and France),pioneers of co-operative invented models of the consumer cooperative and the labor cooperative to defend and promote the interests of working-class families in the face of the social disasters caused by industrial revolution. The second generation of the pioneers of modern cooperation emerged, in certain European rural environments in the late 19th century. In the 1860s, these pioneers created the models of agricultural cooperatives and savings and credit cooperatives inspired by the success of the consumer cooperatives formula in Great Britain and based on old traditions of rural solidarity aimed to meet the primary economic needs, which went unsatisfied. Agricultural cooperatives then enabled families of farmers and livestock raisers to organize their own supply systems of agricultural inputs and market their products and no longer depended on merchants and businessmen in the cities. The SACCOs helped them to stop depending on moneylenders and to find the credit necessary to modernize their agricultural cooperatives (Mwakajumilo, 2011) . SACCOs in Africa In Africa, the idea was brought by a Roman Catholic priest, in Jirapa, a town in Ghana, in 1955. Father John McNulty from Ireland had studied in Canada where he learnt about savings and credit co-operative societies. Father McNulty helped the Jirapa villagers to form a Savings and Credit Co-operative. The co-operative assisted the members to address their financial problems which they couldnt individually. Father McNulty trained about 60 people, who were the first successful savings and credit co-operative pioneers on the African continent. The success of Jirapa savings and credit co-operative spread throughout Ghana and by 1968, the savings and credit co-operatives throughout the country came together to form the Credit Union of Ghana , which was set up to promote, organize, service and co-ordinate the activities of savings and credit co-operative in Ghana. (Alila Obado, 1990). According to the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) 2011 statistical report, there are 51,013 credit unions in the world, having a total of 196,498,738 members and a total penetration of 7.8% Penetration rate which is calculated by dividing the total number of reported credit union members by the economically active population age 15-64 years old (World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) , 2012). The largest markets in Africa by number of members as of December 31st 2011 are Kenya (4,183,220), Senegal (2,231,117), Ivory Coast (1,705,712), and Benin (1,597,233) (WOCCU, 2012). History of SACCOs in Kenya SACCOs in Kenya are currently among the leading sources of the co-operative credit for socio-economic development (Alila Obado, 1990).Cooperatives in Kenya were started in 1908 and membership was limited to white colonial settlers. The first cooperative was established at Lumbwa, present day Kipkelion area. In 1944 colonial officers allowed Africans to form and join cooperatives (Gamba Komo, 2012). The initial attempt to encourage African farming co-operatives was initiated by the need to implement the recommendations of the Swynnerton Plan of 1953. The Swynnerton Plan was formulated to improve African farming, specifically the growing of cash crops and is recorded to have encouraged the progress and growth of African cooperatives (Alila Obado, 1990). It was at this point that the recommendation that a registrar of cooperatives be appointed was made. In 1945, a new Cooperative Societies Ordinance was enacted which allowed African participation in the cooperative movement. In 1946, a department of cooperatives was established and a registrar of cooperatives appointed. By 1950 most colonial civil servants began to support and encourage the development of cooperatives and by 1952, about 160 cooperatives had been registered (Alila Obado, 1990). The post-independence era saw the rapid increase the in number of producer organizations and consolidation of the ones that already existed. At this time, the government saw the cooperative movement as a means for African socialism, and strengthening common ties between the people from different regions of Kenya. In 1963 there were about 1000 cooperatives, which rapidly grew in number since then. Today, the co-operatives are an integral part of the Government economic strategy aimed at creating income generating opportunities particularly in the rural areas. The co-operative movement has been recognized by the Government as a vital institution for the mobilization of human and material resources for various development progress particularly in the rural areas where the majority of people reside, earning their livelihood mainly from agriculture. The co-operative movement now contributes well over 45 per cent of Kenyas GDP and it is estimated that at least one out of every two Kenyans directly or indirectly derives his/her livelihood from the co-operative movement. Over the years, the co-operative movement remained predominantly agriculturally oriented. However, in the recent past, the co-operative movement has experienced significant diversification in activities and interests notably savings and credit. Other non-agro-based co-operatives have also emerged and ventured into areas such as housing; Jua-Kali, building and construction, handicrafts, transport, small scale industries, etc. (Alila Obado, 1990). SACCOs are one of the leading sources of rural finance and in many rural areas the local SACCO is the only provider of financial services. While the exact number of SACCOs operating in Kenya is not known, estimates range from almost 4,000 up to 5,000 (Financial Sector Deepening (FSD), 2010). Kingdom SACCO Limited Kingdom SACCO Society Limited was started by the Life Reformation Centre in 1999 with the aim of improving the economic livelihood of its members. It was registered in 21st January, 2000 under the Cooperative Societies Act No.12 of 1997, and it is governed by the SACCO Societies Act of 2008 and its by-laws. The growth of the SACCO has been high since inception a fact attributed to good governance and leadership, staff commitment and effective patronage by members (Kingdom Sacco Limited, 2011) . Figure Membership Growth Analysis. Source: www.kingdomsacco.com Vision To be a model SACCO, empowering the community economically and socially. Mission To promote a savings culture, and provide affordable credit by offering sustainable financial solutions to enhance the economic welfare of our members and stakeholders. Motto Pamoja Twaimarika Core Values Integrity Having been founded by members with a church based background, it was agreed that Integrity is one of the most defining values that the leadership and membership of Kingdom SACCO up hold. Accountability The SACCO strives to carry out all its dealings in an open manner that is agreeable to members and co-operative values. Proactive The SACCO aims at meeting the all members needs by ensuring that it is effecting necessary and desired change to its operations and products as frequently as needed. Team Spirit The SACCO Leadership, management and members view the SACCO as a family unit and as such always aim at working together as a team. Equality All members are treated equally without any favoritism and discrimination Products Offered by Kingdom SACCO Credit Facilities Business Loan Development Loan Emergency Loan School Fees Loan Supa Loan Overdraft Loan Jijenge Loan Rembesha Maisha Loan FOSA Accounts Junior Mustard Account Imara Account Kings Savings Account KSA Corporate Account Kings Fixed Account Other Services Cheque Clearing Safe Custody Bankers Cheques Standing Orders Salary Advance Night Stop Services Problem Statement SACCOs provide a wide range of products, offer loans that are cheaper than banks, provide higher interest on savings and according to a study by FinAccess, a significant percentage of the Kenyan population is unbanked (FinAccess, 2009). This recent study by the Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT) revealed that banks serve 14.2 percent, SACCOs 13.1 percent and MFIs 1.7 percent of the population respectively. This is a big opportunity for SACCOs given that there is an untapped market. Since SACCOs do not raise equity from outside sources, theirstrength lies in numbers i.e. the more the members, the better it is for the SACCO because this means that higher capital is raised. This study seeks to find out how SACCOs are tapping into this ready market, the methods they are using to do this and their effectiveness in reaching this market Purpose Statement The purpose of this study is to examine the expansion strategies employed by Kingdom SACCO Limited. Objectives of the study To identify the expansion strategies employed by Kingdom SACCO Limited To examine the implementation of expansion methods employed by Kingdom SACCO Limited To determine the effectiveness of the expansion methods employed by Kingdom SACCO Limited Research Questions What are the expansion strategies employed by Kingdom SACCO Limited? How are the expansion strategies employed by Kingdom SACCO Limited implemented? What are the short falls/gaps of the expansion strategies employed Kingdom SACCO Limited? Justification of the study The vision held by Kingdom SACCO is to be a model SACCO. This coupled by the fact that its membership steadily increases every year makes it a suitable case to study. By studying the methods Kingdom SACCO uses to achieve a steady membership growth, a resource can be created for other SACCOs to reproduce in the country in order to improve the penetration and impact of SACCOs in Kenya. Significance of the study The results of this study will seek to benefit the Government, the ministries of Finance, and Cooperatives Development in formulating policies concerning SACCOs and other financial institutions in order to improve banking and financial services in Kenya. Kingdom SACCO will be able to identify those expansion strategies that are effective and discard those that are not and so be able to position itself as a model SACCO, consistent with its vision. Other SACCOs in Kenya will be able identify and implement effective expansion strategies in order to boost membership and penetration of financial services in Kenya. Assumptions This study will be conducted under the following assumptions: The respondents will provide needed information objectively and fully All data provided by respondents will be correct and genuine Scope of Study This study will be carried out at Kingdom SACCO Limited. Data will be collected from the top and middle level management at the headquarters of the SACCO in Githurai, Nairobi Limitations and Delimitations Since this is a case study focused on a single SACCO, the results of the study cannot be attributed to a whole industry as generally representative. The researcher also expects that there may be reluctance by the respondents to provide adequate accessibility of information since most businesses prefer to keep such data private. The researcher intends to seek full permission of the SACCO management to conduct this study in order to ensure full cooperation. Definition of Terms BOSA Back Office Services Activities. The branch of any SACCO that provides credit facilities to its members. FinAccess An arm of FSD Kenya. FinAccess has been established as the leading source of reliable data on financial access in Kenya and is widely cited in the media and by Government, the private sector and international development partners. FOSA Front Office Services Activities. A service provided by SACCOs that enables its members to deposit and withdraw cash from or into their accounts just like a bank. FSD The Kenya Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programme was established in early 2005 to support the development of financial markets in Kenya as a means to stimulate wealth creation and reduce poverty. Working in partnership with the financial services industry, the programmes goal is to expand access to financial services among lower income households and smaller enterprises. It operates as an independent trust under the supervision of professional trustees, KPMG Kenya, with policy guidance from a Programme Investment Committee (PIC). In addition to the Government of Kenya, funders include the UKs Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Agence Franà §aise de Dà ©veloppement (AFD) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. ICA International Co-operative Alliance. The ICA was established in 1895, and brings together over 230 affiliated bodies from more than a hundred countries. In total, the ICA represents an estimated 760 million co-operative members worldwide. KSA Kings Savings Account. A service provided by Kingdom SACCO that enables members to make their savings. It is available for individuals and corporates SACCO Savings and Credit Cooperatives Safe Custody A service offered by Kingdom SACCO for the safe keeping of valuables. WOCCU The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). Established in 1970 with a membership from credit unions and co-operative financial institutions in 100 Countries, which between them have over 196 million members.

Pharmacology; Clinical review assignment: Renal failure Essay

Renal failure is an increasing concern in Australia, with over 54 people dying every day from kidney related disease. The incidence of this pathology has been shown to be growing, with the number of people on dialysis rising by 4% from 2010 to 2011 (National Kidney Foundation, 2013). It is estimated that approximately 1.7 million Australians over the age of 25 show signs of renal failure, either chronic or acute. Indigenous Australians are also four times more likely to die from renal failure than non-indigenous Australians (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006). Signs of renal failure often show themselves in the form of reduced kidney function, proteinuria (protein in the urine) or haematuria (blood in the urine). Renal failure is a condition involving the failure of the kidneys, or more precisely the nephrons within the kidneys. The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney, with approximately 1.5 million working to filter blood of wastes and reabsorb water and electrolytes necessary to maintain homeostasis (U.S. Patent No. 5,092,886A, 1992). Renal failure occurs when the kidneys fail to filter blood adequately, it is often undetected until late stage failure has occurred. There are two main forms of renal failure; acute kidney disease and chronic kidney disease, both with underlying pathologies (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2013). Treatment for renal failure involves either dialysis; filtering of the blood to remove metabolic wastes, or a kidney transplant, which is not a cure and requires permanent care and maintenance post-surgery. As of December 2012, 1080 people are waiting for a kidney transplant in Australia (Better Health Channel, 2013). It is important for paramedics to recognise and understand the underlying pathology behind renal failure as the condition results in a wide range of secondary effects & has many different presentations, with some as simple as headaches and â€Å"stomach pain†; pain in the kidney region, and more serious presentations such as metabolic acidosis (National Kidney Foundation, 2013). Pathophysiology: All 1.5 million nephrons in the kidney are working constantly to filter  blood. The kidneys receive approximately 25% of cardiac output via the afferent arteriole, into the bowman’s capsule which surrounds the glomerulus. The glomerulus is often described as a colander, as it is semi-permeable, only allowing certain things to pass through it. The kidneys main functions are to filter the blood, but they also have many other functions, such as regulating acid/base and fluid/electrolyte balances, reabsorbing water and electrolytes and excreting urine. â€Å"In addition, the kidneys excrete metabolic waste products, including urea, creatinine, and uric acid, as well as foreign chemicals† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). The kidneys also serve an endocrinological function, â€Å"secreting rennin, the active form of vitamin D, and erythropoietin. These hormones are important in maintaining blood pressure, calcium metabolism, and the synthesis of erythrocytes, respectively.† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). The progression of renal failure is often undetected, with renal function able to continue until 50% of the nephrons per kidney are destroyed. After nephrons are destroyed they never regenerate (Tilgner, n.d.). Compensatory buffer mechanisms exist in the body to counterbalance the effects of renal disease. As the kidneys are responsible for water and electrolyte balance, shifts in solute concentrations due to nephron destruction can be seen. Isosthenuria, which is excretion of urine that has not been concentrated by the kidneys and therefore has the same osmolality/gravity as plasma, is the first clinical sign of impaired renal function. Water along with sodium is flushed from the body resulting in dehydration & an electrolyte imbalance (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). â€Å"In a healthy body, the acid-base balance is maintained via buffers, breathing, and the amounts of acid or alkaline wastes in the urine; this is because the daily load of endogenous acid is excreted into the urine with buffering compunds such as phosphates.† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). When the kidneys functions are impaired, a backlog of hydrogen (H+) ion occurs and the nephrons ability to excrete acid becomes inadequate. This results in ketoacidosis, a condition in which the body’s pH falls dangerously below it’s normal homeostatic range, commonly detected by the ‘fruity’ scent of a patients breath which occurs due to acetone; â€Å"a direct byproduct of the spontaneous decomposition of acetoacetic acid† (DiTomasso, Golden & Morris, 2010). Diagnostic tools; The main ways of diagnosing renal failure include serum chemistry/blood tests, urinalysis and creatinine clearance tests. Serum chemistry is the analysis of blood, when diagnosing renal failure, changes in â€Å"Sodium, chloride, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glucose, creatinine, carbon dioxide, potassium, phosphate, and calcium levels provide a useful tool to evaluate the degree of renal impairment and disease progression.† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). The most important of these are creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, both of which are byproducts of protein metabolism which in healthy people is excreted in urine after filtration. In patients with renal failure the levels of createnine and BUN increase to toxic levels, indicating significant functional loss of the kidneys (â€Å"Creatinine Levels and BUN,† 2012). Urinalysis involves examining a patients urine sample, detecting protein, blood, determining osmolality and microscopic examination (Klatt & Georgia, 2013). The main indications of renal failure that urinalysis detects are hematuria and protienuria. Hematuria is defined as â€Å"†¦the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It can be characterised as either â€Å"gross† (visible to the naked eye) or â€Å"microscopic† (visible only under the microscope)† (â€Å"Blood in the urine (Hematuria)†, 2013). Hematuria is commonly benign in younger age groups, with cases of patients less than 40 years old almost always benign. In older age groups hematuria is seen as more serious, prompting medical investigation into the pathology to rule out other causes, such as infection or cancer, as many different types of cancers (bladder, kidney, prostate, urethral) also present with hematuria (American Urological Association, 2005). Proteinuria is another indication of renal failure, occurring when urine samples contain an elevated level of protein, or albumin, which is the main protein in the blood (National Institute of Health, 2010). Proteins are large molecules and should not pass through golmerular filtration. â€Å"The upper limit of normal urinary protein is 150 mg per day; patients who excrete > 3g of protein per day carry a diagnosis of nephrotic syndromeâ€Å" (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). A creatinine clearance test is another diagnostic tool used to determine renal failure, focusing on the glomerular filtration rate to determine the level of functioning renal nephrons. Creatinine is a metabolic by-product of creatine, which remains at a constant value in the urine. It is caused by breakdown of muscle tissue, and is 100% filtered by the glomerulus. No reabsorption of creatinine should  occur in normal functioning tubules within the nephron (National Institute of Health, 2010). This diagnostic test is done via collecting a urine and blood sample within 24 hours. â€Å"In chronic renal failure and in some forms of acute disease, the GFR is decreased below the normal range of 100 to 150 mL/min. Advancing age also diminishes the GFR, by approximately 1 mL/min every year after age 30 years.† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). Acute vs. Chronic; Renal failure classification is broken down into two different parts; onset and location. Renal failure can be acute; occurring within a timeframe of days to weeks, or chronic; renal failure that develops slowly over years. The location of the failure is the second criteria, determining the type of destruction within the nephron (pre-renal, renal, intrinsic or post-renal) (The Renal Association, 2012). Determining the type of renal failure is important as acute renal failure is mostly curable, whereas chronic renal failure is progressive and irreversible, often leading to death. Acute renal failure is characterised by the rapid loss of kidney function, occurring over a few days to weeks, causing azotemia, a condition where a build-up of nitrogenous wastes products occurs, causing metabolic acidosis (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). It can be broken down into sections based on where the failure is occurring within the nephron. Pre-renal failure occurs due to a reduction in blood flow/renal perfusion to the kidneys, causing loss of function. The kidney remains undamaged in this condition, with the problem being based solely on blood flow. It is the most common type of acute renal failure and can occur as a secondary illness from â€Å"almost any disease, condition or medicine that causes a decrease in the normal amount of blood and fluid in the body† (WebMD, 2013). Post-renal failure is less common, and is caused by an obstruction of the flow of urine â€Å"from the kidneys at any level of the urinary tract and that subsequently decreases the GFR† (WebMD, 2013). It is most commonly caused by prostatic enlargement or cervical cancer, usually found in older males. Intrinsic renal failure is the final type of acute renal failure, occurring from direct damage/trauma to the kidneys. The most common types of intrinsic renal failure are â€Å"acute tubular necrosis (ATN), acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) and acute interstitial nephritis (AIN)† (WebMD, 2013). Causes of the decreased blood-flow/obstruction include;  surgery, cardiovascular disease, direct trauma/impact to the kidneys, severe burns, severe muscle injury or severe physical exertion (WebMD, 2013). Chronic renal failure focuses around nephron destruction. Renal conditions such as glomerulonephritis affects the filtration rate of the glomerulus, while polycystic kidney disease involves the failure of the renal tubules. Nephrosclerosis interferes with blood perfusion, but the most common diagnosis of chronic renal failure is â€Å"diabetes mellitus, followed by hypertension, glomerulonephritis and others† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). Although causes vary, each condition shares the common trend of irreversible nephron destruction. Application to paramedic practice: Paramedics must be considerate of all patients with renal impairments. Prophylactic measures are often taken in renal patients, managing â€Å"diet, fluid, electrolytes and calcium-phosphate balance†, as well as dietary modifications to counterbalance the common difficulties renal patients have with hypertension, oedema and weight gain (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). Emergency care workers should be weary to maintain a blood pressure lower than 130/85mmHg. Bleeding disorders and anaemia are common conditions patients with renal failure will suffer from. Haemorrhaging and bruising are common. â€Å"The antidiuretic hormone vasopressin has been shown to be effective int he short term management of bleeding in patients with renal failure† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). Renal patients on dialysis should not have their intravenous injection site compromised by any medication an ALS paramedic may administer. Blood flow through the arm must not be blocked or obstructed, and as these patients are immunocompromised, efforts to avoid sources of infection must be made (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). Pharmacotherapeutics is a serious concern for anyone treating a renal patient, as most drugs are excreted by kidney, â€Å"and renal function affects drug bioavailability, the volume of drug distribution, drug metabolism and the rate of drug elimination.† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008). Drug dosage schedules must be altered according to the amount of residual renal function. Drugs that would normally be safe for most patients may be toxic in patients with renal failure. â€Å"The plasma half-lives of medications that are normally eliminated in the urine are often prolonged in renal failure and are effectively reduced by dialysis. Even drugs that are metabolized by the liver can lead  to increased toxicity because the diseased kidneys fail to excrete them effectively. Theoretically, a 50% decrease in creatinine clearance corresponds to a twofold increase in the elimination half-life of any medication excreted fully by the kidneys.† (DeRossi & Cohen, 2008) Knowledge on the pharmacology on all ALS paramedic drugs must be known as certain drugs are nephrotoxic and should not be administered. The early recognition of signs of renal failure is important as mortality rates from acute renal failure (the most common type of renal failure) are high, remaining constant over the past 40 years at approximately 40-70% (Fry & Farrington, 2006). References: National Kidney Foundation. (2013). Facts on CKD in Australia. Retrieved from http://www.kidney.org.au/Kidneydisease/FastFactsonCKD/tabid/589/Default.aspx Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survery Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4715.0/ Dobos-Hardy, M. (1992). U.S Patent No. 5,092,886A. Boston, Massachusetts. Patent Buddy. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2013). Kidney Failure. Retrieved from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/kidneyfailure.html Better Health Channel. (2013). Kidney Failure. Retrieved from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Kidney_failure. National Kidney Foundation. (2013). What are the risk factors for kidney disease? Retrieved from http://www.kidney.org.au/KidneyDisease/RiskFactorsandSymptoms/tabid/819/Default.aspx DeRossi, S. & Cohen, D. (2008). Renal disease. Burket’s oral medicine, 11(2), 407- 427. Tilgner, S. (n.d.). Urinary – Kidney support. Journal for the Clinical Practitioner, 10(3), 1-13. DiTomasso, A., Golden, A. & Morri s, J. (2010). Handbook of Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches in Primary Care. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. DOI: 10.1037/O.0027784 Creatinine Levels and BUN. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.kidneyfailureweb.com/creatinine/ Blood in the urine (Hematuria). 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=113 Klatt, E., Georgia, S. (2013). Urinalysis. Retrieved from: http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/URINE/URINE.html WebMD. (2013). Prerenal Acute Renal Failure. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/prerenal-acute-renal-failure American Urological Association. (2005) Hematuria. Retrieved from www.urologyhealth.org/content/moreinfo/hematuria.pdf National Institute of Health. (2010). Proteinuria. Retrieved from http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/proteinuria/ National Institute of Health. (2010). Creatinine Clearance. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003611.htm The Renal Association. (2012). Acute Kidney Injury. Retrieved from https:// www.clinicalkey.com/topics/nephrology/acute-kidney-injury.html Fry, A., Farrington, K. (2006). Management of acute renal failure. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 82(964), 106-116.

Political Systems in U.K and U.S Essay

What are the similarities and differences between the political systems in U. K and U. S? When the U. S. Constitution was being drafted, its writers had the British Parliamentary system to base on. The British system was the system they were used to and had learnt since childhood. However, because the monarchy was one of the main things that the former colonists had rebelled against, any form of monarchy and most forms of concentrated power were avoided. The most fundamental difference between the political system in the U. K and the U. S is the constitution. The United States has a written constitution which is very difficult to change. The UK does not have a single document called the constitution but instead its constitutional provisions are scattered over various Acts of Parliament, any of which can be changed by a simple majority in the Parliament. Similarities Both the U. S. and British political systems have a head of state, a court system and an upper and lower house. The U. S political system has a constitution which lays out the rules for government and the rights of the people, however, the U. K has documents with constitutional provisions which lay out the same rules. Both systems are democratic in nature, as governments are put in place and removed from power by the will of the people and both have systems of checks and balances to limit the power of any one branch. Head of State In the U. S. political system, the president is the official head of state. The president is elected under the electoral college system. In the U. K. , although the prime minister usually has the spotlight on political matters and is the official head of government, the queen or king is the official head of state. The queen officially signs off on acts of parliament and, just as the U. S. president delivers the State of the Union Address every year, the queen reads the â€Å"Speech from the Throne,† which is written by the prime minister. In U. K, the monarch is more of a ceremonial figurehead and it is unusual for any member of the royal family to directly interfere with the political process. The Upper House The United States has a Senate as the upper house of the legislative branch and the U. K. has the House of Lords. Under the U. S. ystem, each state, regardless of size, has two senators. Originally, senators were appointed by the governor of the state they represented but they are now elected to serve six-year terms. The House of Lords is very different. Members of the House of Lords are not elected. The 792 members of the House of Lords are members by inheritance, appointment or their rank in the Church of England; they are not elected and cannot be removed byvote. This part of t he political system in the U. K is not democratic. Otherwise the House of Lords serve the same purpose as the U. S. Senate. They discuss, debate and vote on legislation passed by the lower house of the legislative branch. The Lower House The U. S. House of Representatives and the British House of Commons have a great deal in common. Each house is made up of representatives elected by the people. In both systems control of the lower house goes to the party that has the most seats. Under the U. K. system, the leader of the party with the most seats becomes the Prime Minister and the official head of the government. Under the U. S. system this person would be the Speaker of the House. One other key difference is elections. Under the parliamentary system, the prime minister can go to the crown at any point and ask to dissolve Parliament. If this is done an election is called. An election can also be called if the prime minister loses â€Å"the confidence of the house. † This means that the prime minister lost a vote in Parliament on a matter of confidence. Matters of confidence are usually over budgetary matters. If the prime minister loses a vote of confidence, the end result is an election Other political differences. The American general electionlasts almost two years, starting with the declaration of candidates for the primaries. The British general election lasts around four weeks. In the United States, no Cabinet member is allowed to be a member of the Congress because of the strict theory of the separation of the powers. In Britain, every Government Minister must be a member of one of the two Houses of Parliament and, if he or she is not already in the Parliament, he or she is made a peer. The constitutional system in the UK involves a lot of custom and practice, and much more flexibility than the US system. For example, the timing of US presidential elections is fixed. In the UK, it is essentially the Prime Minister’s choice as to when elections are to be held, up to the 5 year limit. The resignation of a president in the US would have to lead either to an election or to his vice president taking up the office. In the UK, the resignation of a prime minister will lead to the party choosing a new leader, but there is no technically requiring this, the Queen is technically free to choose whoever she wishes.

The Great Depression and Hebert Hoover - 559 Words

Following an era of economical prosperity, the Great Depression, otherwise known as the ugliest sister of the 1900’s family, which lasted an entire decade from 1929 to 1939, began on a fateful day with the New York Stock Exchange abruptly crashed and was unable to recover quickly. This occurrence, of course, had an unforgivable effect on the economy, leading to one of the most memorable and significant eras in American history. Not only affecting the economy domestically, internationally trading was burdened by the limp leg that was the United States. Socially, people were struggling to regain their balance after a main income source –agriculture- was swept away by the Dust Bowl, only worsening the drawn out effects of the initial Wall Street crash. Politically, the US faced severe turmoil with presidency of Herbert Hoover due to a lack of action to prevent economic decay and promote domestic and foreign recovery. Needless to say, after one presidential term, Franklin D . Roosevelt was elected into office and soon passed the New Deal, a highlight in his presidential career. However, due to the previous president, there were several critics about the nature and efficacy of such a policy. The Great Depression was a time of discussion and criticism of political policy and the nature and efficacy of said policy in dominating the backfire of grand economical proportions within the United States alone. The presidency of Herbert Hoover only lasted for one term from 1929 to 1933Show MoreRelatedEssay about The Great Depression in America1156 Words   |  5 Pagesfar fetched, but the Crash of 1929 made this a reality. The crash of 1929 established the beginning of Americas most memorible era; the great depression. According to the London Penny Press, following the week of Black Thursday, one could go to New York and see speculators hurling themselves from windows because they had lost everything in the crash. (The Great Crash 1929-Galbraith) Many people had everything they could ever dream of before the crash occured, but after the crash they found themselvesRead More How Steinbeck Creates Two Contrasting Characters In Beginning Of Mice and Men954 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the presidential reign of Hebert Hoover in the early 1930s, America was hit with a severe economic slowdown which was notoriously known as The Great Depression. During this time of crisis, an estimated sixteen million people were left unemployed and many others were left homeless. Even though it was expected that many industries in the United States would be significantly affected as a result of the crash, it was Agriculture that was destroyed. Many landowners were desperate to employ workersRead MoreTyranny Of The Minority By Benjamin Bishin2074 Words   |  9 PagesDemand Model. This model asserts that elected representatives respond to the demands of their constituents (Bishin, 5). Additionally, candidates try to appeal to active groups for the purpose of being reelected. Active interest groups can have a great impact on the political process overall; which is why Bishin’s model for his theory mainly focuses on its power to do so. â€Å"The people have power when they care intensely† (Bishin, 158). In 1962, for example, the United States legislated an embargo