I. Introduction II. Marxism A. Definition & Explanation B. Example Ec

I. Introduction II. Marxism A. Definition B. Example: Economic Evolution III. Resource Mobilization Theory (RMT) A. Definition B. Example: The Parliament versus the Crown IV. Institutional Theory A. Definition B. Example: Social Change V. Conclusion Human relationships have always been dynamic. Change and adaptability have gone hand in hand with the passage of time for human society. Systems have been developed to regulate, direct and control the resources of this society. The systems are referred to as governments and the resources as the populace or inhabitants and forces of production. A government must be dynamic in its nature reflecting the change in society. At times these systems have resisted the necessity to adapt with its components (Society) creating a deficit between the system and those it regulates. As the deficits develop, they cause instability, and could lead to revolution.1 Theories have been developed t o explain the systemic phenomenon called revolution. This paper will discuss three modern theories and apply them to the English revolution of 1640. The first theory, developed by Carl Marx (Marxism), will address the economic evolution in English society. This theory will emphasize and explain how the shift from a feudal/mercantile system to capitalism affected English society. The second, called the Resource Mobilization Theory (RMT) developed by Charles Tilly, will explain how the English organizations (the Crown and the Parliament) effectively obtained, amassed and managed resources. Samuel Huntington's, "Institutional Theory", will argue that the existing government at that time was unable to incorporate the demands and personnel that the socio-economic changes created. Marxism was formulated in the 19th century. Carl Marx and his associate Frederick Engels observed the socio-economic changes that were transpiring in Britain. England was the dominant world power and had the largest industrialized economy during the 1800's. The development of the factory and the institution of the assembly line created a large demand for workers. This demand was satiated by migrating peasant from the rural areas in England and Ireland to developing urban centers. As these urban centers or cities evolved using industry as the economic backbone for the population, a large number of factory workers were accumulated to operate the machinery in horrid conditions. These workers, which would be termed as the peasantry under a feudal system, were now the working class or proletariat. They entered cities with hopes of bettering their lives and survival. Though revolution never took place in England during this period, it allowed Marx to study industrialization, urbanization and imperialism. The theory of Marxism has three basic concepts: historic materialism, forces of production and relations of production. Historic materialism is defined as a society's past performance and present capabilities of satisfying the basic means of life. Humankind's basic needs of eating, drinking and shelter need to be met properly. The forces of production (technology, capital, the infrastructure of society, etc.) are important for the simple fact of who ever controls them controls the society. The last aspect of Marxism, the relations of production, deals directly with the relationships between classes of people (the aristocracy, the middle-class and the working class).2 Marxism includes a predictive analysis of socio-economic structures. Using history, logic and the dynamic nature of humankind as guidelines, Carl Marx attempts to map out a sequence of events which will eventually lead to utopia (anarchy). In his work, Das Capital, Marx details the six steps. These steps are primitive socialism, feudalism, capitalism, socialism, communism and then anarchy. The evolution of the English economic system during the 16th and 17th centuries points to a shift from feudalism to capitalism. This shift is exemplified by the enclosures. The landlords began to fence their property in the common land areas. The "commons" were large plots of grazing and farmable lands that were used by both farmers and artisans. When the land-owners and manorial lords began to partition these lands the concept of private ownership of property was introduced to the socio-economic system.3 During the time period of the 16th and 17th centuries the crown's economic base began a gradual decline. This economic shrinkage came to a spearhead during the reign of Charles I. The monarchy favored a monopoly market system over a competitive one. The purpose

FTC Warns of Check Overpayment Scams

FTC Warns of 'Check Overpayment' Scams The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning consumers of a dangerous and growing swindle called the â€Å"check overpayment† scam, now the fifth most common telemarketing fraud and the fourth most common Internet scam ever reported. In the check overpayment scam, the person you are doing business with sends you a check for more than the amount they owe you, and then instructs you to wire the balance back to them. Or, they send a check and tell you to deposit it, keep part of the amount for your own compensation, and then wire the rest back for one reason or another. The results are the same: the check eventually bounces, and you’re stuck, responsible for the full amount, including what you wired to the scammer. Typical victims include persons selling something over the Internet, being paid to do work at home, or being sent â€Å"advance winnings† in a bogus sweepstakes. The checks in this scam are fake but they look real enough to fool most bankers. Look Out! The FTC offers the following tips for avoiding the check overpayment scam: Know who you’re dealing with – independently confirm your buyer’s name, street address, and telephone number.Never agree to wire back funds to a buyer a legitimate buyer will not pressure you to do so, and you have limited recourse if there is a problem with a wire transfer.If you’re selling something over the Internet, say â€Å"no† to a check for more than your selling price, no matter how tempting the plea or convincing the story.Resist pressure to â€Å"act now.† If the buyer’s offer is good now, it should be good when the check clears.If you accept payment by check, ask for a check drawn on a local bank or a bank with a local branch. You can visit that bank branch to determine if the check is legitimate.There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back.Consider an alternative method of payment, such as an escrow service or online payment service. If the buyer wants to use a service yo u have not heard of, be sure to check it out to be sure it is reliable – check its website, call its customer service hotline, and read its terms of agreement and privacy policy. If you do not feel comfortable with the service, do not use it. The Lottery Winner Version In another version of this scam, the victim is sent a fake check for â€Å"foreign lottery winnings,† but is told they need to wire the sender the required foreign government’s taxes or fees on the prize before they can cash the check. After sending the fees, the consumer tries to cash the check, only to be told the sender is trapped in a foreign nation with no way to produce the cash. The FTC warns consumers to â€Å"throw away any offer that asks you to pay for a prize or free gift; and do not enter foreign lotteries – most solicitations for them are fraudulent, and it is illegal to play a foreign lottery through the mail or by telephone.† Resources More advice on how to be on guard against Internet fraud is available at OnGuardOnline.gov . Consumers are asked to report check overpayment scams to their state Attorney General, the National Fraud Information Center/Internet Fraud Watch, a service of the National Consumers League  or 1-800-876-7060, or the FTC at www.ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP.