Western liberal democracy. The evolution of liberal democracy Thesis

Western liberal democracy. The evolution of liberal democracy - Thesis Example Liberal democracy,otherwise called constitutional democracy,is the most dominant form of democracies in the contemporary world and the phrase 'Liberal Democracy' is a frequently used to describe Western democratic political systems including the United States,Britain,New Zealand,Canada,Australia,and other nations. To define a liberal democracy, it is "a form of representative democracy where elected representatives that hold the decision power are moderated by a constitution that emphasizes protecting individual liberties and the rights of minorities in society, such as freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy, as well as equality before the law and due process under the rule of law, and many more." 1As against the distinction with the Communist People's Republics or the 'Popular Democracies' of the Cold War period, constitutional democracies in the modern period are differentiated from the direct democracies and participatory dem ocracies. The various constitutional forms of liberal democracies include republics, as in the case of the US, India, and France, and constitutional monarchy, such as the UK and Spain. This paper deals with Western liberal democracy in two sections: the evolution of liberal democracy and the nature of liberal democracy.Liberal democracy has its origins in the Age of Enlightenment in Europe in the 18th century at a time when monarchy was the practice of the time. The Western liberal democracy has emerged from the unique history of European civilisation and it has grown to become one of the most important forms of democratic government in the contemporary world. Today, one prevalent question concerning the Western liberal democracy is whether it can be served from its Western historical context and universalised for all nations of the world. The evolution of Western liberal democracy needs to be realised as the result of influential movements in the Europe, including the French Revolu tion and the English Revolution, based on the theoretical and philosophical thoughts such as liberty, equality etc. The American story of the evolution of liberal democracy is not different. "In part enlightened by European theoretical works, in part influenced by the European history, and in part responding to new life in American colonies, Madison, Hamilton and Jefferson, among others, conceived a federal republic, creating a new version of democracy which is elegant in theory but miserly in fact. It is elegant in the way it structures a durable government. It is miserly in the way it embraces the realities of the eighteenth century America, excluding a vast majority of people from the democratic process. Initially confined to one race and one gender, the base of American democracy has gradually expanded." 2 Thus, the American liberal democracy mixes reality with vision and today it has become the epitome of Western liberal democracy. Today, the eighteenth century liberalism which was based on property has been transformed o a new liberalism which is established on formal equality and liberty. . The Western liberal democracy in the contemporary world demonstrates that civil and political rights of the people can go hand in hand with higher standards of living. "In light of these achievements, liberal democracy is touted as the ideal form of government for all the peoples of the world. Any other system, including any other notion of democracy, is seen as a lesser construct, an inferior design, a recipe for social and economic backwardness." 3 Analysing the chief components in the origin and development of the Western liberal democracy, it is essential to relate to some essential sources of it. Any political ideology has a historical life, growth and development and the ideology of the Western liberal democracy is not different. Thus, it is important to have the background knowledge about the Greek heritage of democracy and the contributions of Christian theology and Roman

The Barriers For Nurses In Managing Post-Operative Pain Literature review

The Barriers For Nurses In Managing Post-Operative Pain - Literature review Example The studies recommend improvements in the knowledge and experience of nurses in pain management as well as future studies on effective pain management covering a larger population. These studies would help improve the evidence base on the subject matter. Review of Related Literature: This chapter shall provide a review of relevant literature. First, it will present a rationale to the literature review and then establish the questions that this review will answer. The aims and objectives of this review shall also be established. Background/Rationale to Literature Review Pain is one of the most disturbing symptoms which any person can feel. Regardless of its intensity, duration, or location, it can impact on an individual’s psychological and physical well-being (Yildirim, et.al., 2008). During the post-operative period, pain is a common complaint or symptom for patients. Such pain can further increase the impact of the surgery and can sometimes delay the patient’s physical and emotional recovery (Van Hulle, 2005). Nurses have the unenviable task of ensuring the consistent and effective management of post-operative pain. Their role during this time involves the assessment of pain levels, the administration of pain medicati ons, and providing emotional support for the patients (Textor and Porock, 2006). As nurses, they also have the duty of notifying the doctors about significant changes in the patient’s condition, mostly in relation to unrelieved pain or pain which manifests with other symptoms including fever, decreased or increased heart rate, unrelieved severe and continuous pain, as well as bleeding at the incision site (Plaisance and Logan, 2006). Based on these significant considerations, pain management is a crucial element in ensuring effective post-operative care. The nurses administering skills therefore have to have the right skills, interventions, and knowledge to ensure effective post-operative care (Ferrell and McCaffery, 2008). This topic was chosen because there is a need to study gaps in the nursing management of post-operative care, including new and possibly more effective means of pain management (Lui, et.al., 2008). This topic was chosen now because nurses have become more and more involved in the management of post-operative care patients and there is a need to evaluate and improve their efficacy in pain management (Matthews and Malcolm, 2007). I am personally interested in this area because I consider this an area which is highly specialized and any skills I can learn through evidence-based practice can also help me improve my practice. It relates to my practice because I work in the post-operative care unit and I have personally encountered an instance when the patient manifested severe pain after surgery and I reached a point when I became doubtful of the efficacy of my skills as a nurse in managing the patient’s symptom. This literature review can help me establish evidence-based practice on effective post-operative management of pain (McCaffery, 2002). It can also help improve the nursing practice, most especially post-operative nursing care. The delivery of pain relief to patients is also an important benefit for this literature review a s it ensures that the pain relief measures would refer to patient-centered and evidence-based care (Joint Commission Resources, 2010). Research Question: This literature review will help to answer the question: What are the barriers for nurses in managing post-operative pain? Aim This review will review studies discussing the barriers encountered by nurses in post-operative pai