Democracy and Public Agenda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democracy and Public Agenda - Essay Example health insurance program for poor individuals and families, would undergo expansion to cover more low-income Americans. States that declined to take part in this expansion would lose federal subsidy for their existing Medicaid projects (Smith & Moore, 2011). The proposed expansion of Medicaid is consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ Article 25, which states that â€Å"everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services† (The United Nations, 1948, para 25). It is also compatible with the democratic principle that all individuals have specific basic rights, such as access to health care services. The main objective of democracy is to safeguard such rights (Machan, 2005). However, the opinions of numerous Americans on this issue are conflicting, which suggest that the public has not yet reached a ‘collective self-determination’. However, what is evident here is the existence of a ‘public discourse’. Majorities believe that the health care system has to undergo comprehensive reforms, and many argue that it is the obligation of the governm ent to make sure that everybody has sufficient access to health care. However, opinions differ when it comes to the possible costs of an expanded Medicaid (Smith & Moore, 2011). If we use the term public discourse to refer to the communicative processes by which public opinion is formed, we can say that the public discourse continuously but unsuccessfully strives to mediate between individual and collective self-determination to produce â€Å"a common will, communicatively shaped and discursively clarified in the political public sphere† (Habermas, 1987, 81). However, through public discourse Americans were able to reach a collective perception that lack of sufficient access to health care is the most

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 120

Essay Example He also helps the composers connect their creative and innovative ideas with the need of the audience for musical freshness and beauty. The various types of classical music are played free of charge with the major goal of building talents. The article made me reflect on and think about a number of things as far as talent development is concerned. Firstly, it gave me a picture of the university as a place that is not only meant for academic excellence but also a place to nurture talents in other fields. This is contrary to the misconception held by many that the university involves serious study with no play. It is quite interesting that the Music Today Festival is organized and coordinated by one of the university’s senior professors, Kyr Robert. It also made me reflect on the importance of music, especially for professional means. Considering that the professor heads the music department in the university, it seems that there are institutions that value music not only as a way of entertainment but also as a profession. I also came to understand that there are students studying music as a course, just for professional purpose. This made me remember one question that is very common, especially among journalists, when interviewing musicians; â€Å"apart from music, what else do you do?† many people have taken music not as a career but as a way of entertainment. The article is a good source to teach the society on the importance of music not only as a means of entertainment but also as a profession. In other words, the article mainly triggers thoughts about the importance of music in the society as well as the role of music as a way of relaxation to enable students study better. One thing that surprised me is that the festival is not only unique in the University of Oregon alone. Several other institutions place a high value on music and use it as a way of nurturing talents and enhancing