Risk Management Article Review - 1028 Words

Financial Risk Management by Insurers Chris XXXXXX MBA 602 – Risk Managment Original Work Statement: I, Chris XXXXXX, verify that this article review is solely my own work and creation and it has been prepared solely for credit in this class. Article Citation: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.bellevue.edu/docview/235932288/13BC81292F940B27246/43?accountid=28125 Financial Risk Management by Insurers: An Analysis of the Process: ABSTRACT Santomero, Anthony M;Babbel, David F Journal of Risk and Insurance (1986-1998); Jun 1997; 64, 2; ProQuest Central Main Issue of Article: The main issue of this article is risk management in the insurance industry. It dives deep into different financial†¦show more content†¦Tied to this is liquidity risk, most life insurance type companies do not seem to be concerned with this type of risk or they feel it is well managed due to most of their assets (outside of their policies) being very liquid, such as in stocks or bonds. Property/liability insurance companies are generally only concerned with this type of risk in the event of a widespread catastrophe that would really hurt them financially. Finally, systematic risk is the risk of the stock market or un-diversifiable risk. This affects all companies in the market or in one specific area of the market. For example, during the great financial crisis of 2008 we saw stocks plummet. People and companies alike lost over 40% of their assets in some cases. This is the area where it is hardest to mitigate risks. In the case of insurance companies, most of their efforts to avoid this are in interest rate management and dynamic hedging. We discussed both in class, especially hedging. For example, companies practicing hedging and embarking in futures contracts can plan for unexpected fluctuations in the market. Personal Reflection and Comments: Essentially, I feel this article was extremely on point with everything we have discussed up to this point in class. It not only covered the different types of risks associated with the insurance industry, it told the ways to combatShow MoreRelatedEffective Risk Management Signal Virtue Based Leadership997 Words   |  4 PagesJournal Article #3 The third journal article reviewed was Can Effective Risk management Signal Virtue-Based Leadership? The abstract discusses how it is believed the effectiveness of risk management is centered on leadership virtue and governance. In addition, the abstract discusses how risk management is a continuous process. There are numerous risks occurring every day that threaten the welfare of the world and government. The government faces these risks on a daily basis, whether it is socialRead MoreCase Analysis : Zzzz Best Company, Inc.1688 Words   |  7 Pagescase. Question # 1 A review is like an audit yet is less in extension and just gives restricted affirmation with respect to the financial statements. 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A review does not give a premise to the express of opinion in light of the fact that a review does not include acquiringRead MoreArticle Critique : Enterprise Risk Management960 Words   |  4 PagesArticle Critique: â€Å"Enterprise Risk Management in SMEs: Towards a Structural Model† Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), which addresses strategic, operations, reporting and compliance objectives, is a process designed to identify potential events that may affect the entity, and manage risk to be within the risk an organization is willing to take in order to achieve its strategic objectives (Gelinas, Dull, Wheeler, 2015). â€Å"Enterprise Risk Management in SMEs: Towards a Structural Model† by BrustbauerRead MorePurpose Of A Nursing Research Study1646 Words   |  7 Pageschange of with medications? â€Å"As the number of individuals with diabetes rises, so do problems associated with diabetes identification and management† (Packer-Tursman, 2015, p. 23). 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By evaluating the following article, a thorough analysis could be made on how probable risks may involve succeeding the execution of Enterprise resource planning. Surveying a wide range of 118 major companies to examine the results, the authors could determineRead MoreExploring The Earnings Management Techniques, Materiality Concept, And Ethical Judgments817 Words   |  4 PagesArticle #6 Abstract. The article reviewed was Effects of Materiality, Risk, and Ethical Perceptions on Fraudulent Reporting by Financial Executives. The abstract demonstrates how the materially affects a code of ethics and follows with financial risks and fraudulent activities (p. 243). Introduction. The author studies the financial reporting, earnings management, and relationships with stakeholders. 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Essay on Death and the Kings Horseman and A Grain of Wheat

The following work will call your attention to the way in which a playwright and a novelist deploy key stylistic and dramatic effects and will be complete by means of examining a passage taken from each work. To follow a comparison and contrast of the techniques used within the two works will be observed. My rein is loosened. I am master of my Fate. When the hour comes, Watch me dance along the narrowing path, Glazed by the soles of my great precursors. My soul is eager. I shall not turn aside. (Soyinka, 2002:10). The play is set in the ancient Yoruban city of Oyo in Nigeria, nineteen forty three. The King has died and on the night in question his Horseman must escort him to the afterlife. The Kings Horseman, Elesin Oba, dancing†¦show more content†¦This is an interesting point of departure as to whether the happenings of the text are agreeable or disagreeable. The first standpoint is the thorny issue of suicide in African culture. The ceremony is that of a social process. Elesin wishes to perform this act not for personal gain, but as a social experience that will involve his fellow countrymen as it is his duty to do so. The second standpoint is that of suicide from a Western point of view. It is seen to have nothing that ties an individual’s death to that of another’s in the supernatural world. In accordance with Christianity if a person commits suicide that is the end of their journey. It is clear that the two standpoints differ in standing as one sees suicid e as a personal act and the other a communal. The play is certainly fascinating and stimulating, but as for taking a standpoint on the moral issues involved it is possible to say that despite tradition the willing suicide of an individual is not something to be celebrated as it is in Death and the Kings Horseman. But who tilled the soil on which grew coffee, tea, pyrethrum, and sisal? Who dug the roads and paid the taxes? The whiteman lived on our land. He ate what we grew and cooked. And even the crumbs from the table, he threw to his dogs. (NgÃ… ©gÄ ©, 2002: 216) The allegorical story of A Grain of Wheat takes place after World War II in the village of Thabai. It portrays several characters in a village whose

Change in Male Role in the Home 1960-Present Free Essays

Change in Male Role in the Home: 1960-Present Traditionally the United States, along with the majority of the world has been a patriarchal society. The customary male role, specifically in relation to the home, has been the head of the household, the protector, and the provider. A male’s duty was unquestionably embodied in these three ideas, until the 1970’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Change in Male Role in the Home: 1960-Present or any similar topic only for you Order Now The growing feminist movement of that time began to question and displace these roles as solely belonging to a man, and the male role in society slowly began to shift. Instead of being the sole breadwinner for his home, families with two working parents have become increasingly more common. Women in the workforce have allowed father’s to spend more time at home with their children and helping out around the house. Over the last 50 years the male role has changed drastically, and while not all of the changes that have taken place are bad, the overall effect of these changes on society has been a negative one, creating a generation of fatherlessness, increased crime, and a general lack of respect for authority in any form. For generations it has been a man’s responsibility to provide for his family. Women were rarely even accepted into the workforce until after WWII. However, government encouragement for women to enter the labor force during the war, in combination with the rising feminist movement started a tidal wave movement of women pursuing higher education and careers. Women currently make up the majority of the workforce and 60% of all college graduates (Rosin). Donnalyn Pompper, a professor at Temple University, expands on this further in her article about the masculine gender role conflict theory. She explains that that after WWII, the increased female presence in the labor force â€Å"destabilized the breadwinner role as a basis for male identity, and now men must accept working wives and a more active parental role† (Pompper). And while it is true that the shift to equal opportunity in the workforce is almost universally agreed upon as a positive change, the balance and delicateness of the male psyche and ego are seldom taken into consideration. For many men, the ability to provide for one’s family is an integral part of the definition of masculinity. In interviews conducted by Dr. Pompper, when asked to individually define masculinity, a reoccurring theme in both the younger and older men interviewed was the ability to provide for one’s family. One of the young men interviewed said, â€Å"Being masculine means you are able to look at your wife and say ‘I got this’. To be able to look at your kids and say ‘I’ve got you’. That to me is the epitome of masculinity†¦being able, at the end of the day, to look at your family and say, ‘get on my back, I’ve got you the rest of the way’. Another man expressed similar feelings and said, â€Å"I think that every guy feels like it’s his place not to be the stay home Dad† (Pompper). Even in today’s forward thinking society, men are wired to be the provider. To take that role completely away is emasculating to him and leaves him feeling like he is unnecessary in the home. Although a family where, either both parents, or just the mother provide financially may be a little tough on the male ego, it is not detrimental. Provider is not the only established male role, protector and ‘head of the house’ are equally important to the equation. The traditional man of the 1960’s was indisputably the head of his home. There was a clear hierarchy, and while the husband and wife still often worked as a team, the culture of the time dictated that a man was undeniably in charge of his home, and his family. In many ways, this has been one of the most distinct changes between the 1960’s and 2012. Because men are no longer the sole breadwinner for their home, they are required to spend a larger portion of their time taking an active role in the home. No longer is the kitchen and house exclusively a woman’s domain, but rather shared by both parties. Men are expected to help out around the house and with the children, as much as women are. The idea of â€Å"team parenting† has evolved and taken root in today’s society, and has had excellent outcomes. Research has shown that children who are raised by two parents (a mother and a father specifically) have greater cognitive ability and success rates than children whose fathers are absent or uninvolved (Hofferth). This style of parents working together as a team to raise their children has been a great strategy, but looking at the big picture, it is shown that â€Å"Team parenting† has also unknowingly created some problems. Studies have shown that a child’s success throughout their life is largely dependent on the structure of their childhood (Hofferth). Given that men’s taking a more proactive role in the home and in the lives of their children is a good thing, the way that it has been approached has been problematic because it has undermined the hierarchy of the home. Similar to a man’s need to be the provider is the need to be the protector of his home. In addition, a man is not the only one who craves a distinctive hierarchy in the home, so do the children. According to Dr. David Bjorklund and Dr. Anthony Pellegrini, children need a clear authority figure. Often times by approaching parenting as a team and as equals, the mother and father undermine each other’s authority (Bjorklund, Pellegrini). Furthermore, without a specific and defined role, the position of father has been diminished as unimportant. For generations men have been noted as head of the house, and hailed for that important position. However, without that distinct role to play, it begins to seem like they’re participation is unnecessary as their wife is obviously much better suited to caring for and developing relationship with a child. These personal misgivings in combination with the media reinforcing the idea that the father role is superfluous, are huge contributors to why more and more fatherlessness is becoming the social epidemic of the generation (Pompper). This is an important issue that needs to be addressed, because Fathers are vital to the family unit. In their article about the role of fathers in children’s development, Amanda Quesenberry M. Ed. , Michaelene M. Ostrosky Ph. D. , and Robert Corso Ph. D. , note â€Å"Fathers are critical members of the family system who influence their children and their families in unique ways† (Quesenberry, Ostrosky, Corso). The article states that even in today’s society, father’s hold a huge amount of influence over society, enough that their presence and involvement is necessary to not only the success of the family as a unit, but also to the individual children. However, since the importance of fathers and fatherhood has not been stressed, and in fact the opposite has been emphasized, approximately one out of every 3 children does not have an active father or father figure in their lives (Hofferth). Acceptance and affection from a father or father figure is vital to a child’s cognitive development, and recent statistics how that behavioral problems among children, adolescents, and young adults with no active father in their lives are far greater than those of children living with both a father and a mother (Quesenberry, Ostrosky, Corso), and also tend to deal with one or more of the following issues: personality and psychological adjustment problems, behavioral problems (includin g aggression towards people and animals, property destruction, deceitfulness, and theft), delinquency, and psychopathology (substance abuse, depression) (Rohner). The rate of violent crimes have gone up roughly 300% since the 1960’s, and of the juveniles who have been incarcerated for serious crimes 70% of them have been raised with no real father figure. In addition, 70% of all girls who become pregnant were raised without fathers (Lykken). These alarming numbers demonstrate the profound effect a father can have on the development, and therefore future of a child. The final issue that has come out of male’s displacement from his traditional roles is a generation with no respect for authority. Teachers are having increasing difficulties with classroom control. Students no longer have it ingrained in them to respect their elders, and as a result don’t care what the teacher or the principal say. Because school is no longer a priority to students like this, the drop out rate has increased significantly, with just over half of all dropouts being fatherless (Lykken). In today’s economy, it is next to impossible to find a job without at least a high school diploma, and employers no longer have to put up with any employee who cannot do what they are told, because there is someone who would be happy to take their place who most likely has more experience or education and can do what they are told. To conclude, while equal opportunity is beneficial and has helped to move our society forward, it has also drastically changed the traditional male role. And while some of these changes are good ones, they unfortunately have had negative effects due to people’s ignorance of the possible consequences. For example, it is good that women have been able to pursue their goals and passions in the workforce, and it is good that men are able to help out more at home. However, what is not good is that men have become completely displaced from many of the roles that, to them, define them as men. The way their roles have changed has slowly and subconsciously emasculated and caused them to doubt their importance and purpose in the family unit, which in turn has led to a growing number of fatherless children, increased crime rate, and a lack of respect for any kind of authority. Works Cited Bjorklund, David F, and Anthony D. Pellegrini. â€Å"Child Development and Evolutionary Psychology. † Child Development. 71. 6 (2000): 1687-708. Print. 05 Mar. 2012 Hofferth, Sandra L. â€Å"Residential Father Family Type and Child Well-Being: Investment Versus Selection. † Demography. 43. 1 (2006): 53-77. Print. 03 Mar. 2012. Pompper, Donnalyn. Masculinities, the Metrosexual, and Media Images: Across Dimensions of Age and Ethnicity. † Sex Roles. 63 (2010): 9-10. Print. 05 Mar. 2012. Quesenberry, Amanda, Michaelene Ostrosky, and Robert Corso. â€Å"Skilled and Knowledgeable Caregivers: the Role of Fathers in Supporting Young Children’s Development. † Young E xceptional Children. 10. 4 (2007): 11-19. Print. 05 Mar. 2012. Rohner, Ronald P. â€Å"Father Love and Child Development: History and Current Evidence. † Current Directions in Psychological Science. 7. 5 (1998): 157-161. Print. 03 Mar. 2012. Rosin, Hanna. â€Å"The End of Men. † July-Aug. 2010. The Atlantic. Web. 03 Mar. 2012. How to cite Change in Male Role in the Home: 1960-Present, Papers Change in Male Role in the Home 1960-Present Free Essays Change in Male Role in the Home: 1960-Present Traditionally the United States, along with the majority of the world has been a patriarchal society. The customary male role, specifically in relation to the home, has been the head of the household, the protector, and the provider. A male’s duty was unquestionably embodied in these three ideas, until the 1970’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Change in Male Role in the Home: 1960-Present or any similar topic only for you Order Now The growing feminist movement of that time began to question and displace these roles as solely belonging to a man, and the male role in society slowly began to shift. Instead of being the sole breadwinner for his home, families with two working parents have become increasingly more common. Women in the workforce have allowed father’s to spend more time at home with their children and helping out around the house. Over the last 50 years the male role has changed drastically, and while not all of the changes that have taken place are bad, the overall effect of these changes on society has been a negative one, creating a generation of fatherlessness, increased crime, and a general lack of respect for authority in any form. For generations it has been a man’s responsibility to provide for his family. Women were rarely even accepted into the workforce until after WWII. However, government encouragement for women to enter the labor force during the war, in combination with the rising feminist movement started a tidal wave movement of women pursuing higher education and careers. Women currently make up the majority of the workforce and 60% of all college graduates (Rosin). Donnalyn Pompper, a professor at Temple University, expands on this further in her article about the masculine gender role conflict theory. She explains that that after WWII, the increased female presence in the labor force â€Å"destabilized the breadwinner role as a basis for male identity, and now men must accept working wives and a more active parental role† (Pompper). And while it is true that the shift to equal opportunity in the workforce is almost universally agreed upon as a positive change, the balance and delicateness of the male psyche and ego are seldom taken into consideration. For many men, the ability to provide for one’s family is an integral part of the definition of masculinity. In interviews conducted by Dr. Pompper, when asked to individually define masculinity, a reoccurring theme in both the younger and older men interviewed was the ability to provide for one’s family. One of the young men interviewed said, â€Å"Being masculine means you are able to look at your wife and say ‘I got this’. To be able to look at your kids and say ‘I’ve got you’. That to me is the epitome of masculinity†¦being able, at the end of the day, to look at your family and say, ‘get on my back, I’ve got you the rest of the way’. Another man expressed similar feelings and said, â€Å"I think that every guy feels like it’s his place not to be the stay home Dad† (Pompper). Even in today’s forward thinking society, men are wired to be the provider. To take that role completely away is emasculating to him and leaves him feeling like he is unnecessary in the home. Although a family where, either both parents, or just the mother provide financially may be a little tough on the male ego, it is not detrimental. Provider is not the only established male role, protector and ‘head of the house’ are equally important to the equation. The traditional man of the 1960’s was indisputably the head of his home. There was a clear hierarchy, and while the husband and wife still often worked as a team, the culture of the time dictated that a man was undeniably in charge of his home, and his family. In many ways, this has been one of the most distinct changes between the 1960’s and 2012. Because men are no longer the sole breadwinner for their home, they are required to spend a larger portion of their time taking an active role in the home. No longer is the kitchen and house exclusively a woman’s domain, but rather shared by both parties. Men are expected to help out around the house and with the children, as much as women are. The idea of â€Å"team parenting† has evolved and taken root in today’s society, and has had excellent outcomes. Research has shown that children who are raised by two parents (a mother and a father specifically) have greater cognitive ability and success rates than children whose fathers are absent or uninvolved (Hofferth). This style of parents working together as a team to raise their children has been a great strategy, but looking at the big picture, it is shown that â€Å"Team parenting† has also unknowingly created some problems. Studies have shown that a child’s success throughout their life is largely dependent on the structure of their childhood (Hofferth). Given that men’s taking a more proactive role in the home and in the lives of their children is a good thing, the way that it has been approached has been problematic because it has undermined the hierarchy of the home. Similar to a man’s need to be the provider is the need to be the protector of his home. In addition, a man is not the only one who craves a distinctive hierarchy in the home, so do the children. According to Dr. David Bjorklund and Dr. Anthony Pellegrini, children need a clear authority figure. Often times by approaching parenting as a team and as equals, the mother and father undermine each other’s authority (Bjorklund, Pellegrini). Furthermore, without a specific and defined role, the position of father has been diminished as unimportant. For generations men have been noted as head of the house, and hailed for that important position. However, without that distinct role to play, it begins to seem like they’re participation is unnecessary as their wife is obviously much better suited to caring for and developing relationship with a child. These personal misgivings in combination with the media reinforcing the idea that the father role is superfluous, are huge contributors to why more and more fatherlessness is becoming the social epidemic of the generation (Pompper). This is an important issue that needs to be addressed, because Fathers are vital to the family unit. In their article about the role of fathers in children’s development, Amanda Quesenberry M. Ed. , Michaelene M. Ostrosky Ph. D. , and Robert Corso Ph. D. , note â€Å"Fathers are critical members of the family system who influence their children and their families in unique ways† (Quesenberry, Ostrosky, Corso). The article states that even in today’s society, father’s hold a huge amount of influence over society, enough that their presence and involvement is necessary to not only the success of the family as a unit, but also to the individual children. However, since the importance of fathers and fatherhood has not been stressed, and in fact the opposite has been emphasized, approximately one out of every 3 children does not have an active father or father figure in their lives (Hofferth). Acceptance and affection from a father or father figure is vital to a child’s cognitive development, and recent statistics how that behavioral problems among children, adolescents, and young adults with no active father in their lives are far greater than those of children living with both a father and a mother (Quesenberry, Ostrosky, Corso), and also tend to deal with one or more of the following issues: personality and psychological adjustment problems, behavioral problems (includin g aggression towards people and animals, property destruction, deceitfulness, and theft), delinquency, and psychopathology (substance abuse, depression) (Rohner). The rate of violent crimes have gone up roughly 300% since the 1960’s, and of the juveniles who have been incarcerated for serious crimes 70% of them have been raised with no real father figure. In addition, 70% of all girls who become pregnant were raised without fathers (Lykken). These alarming numbers demonstrate the profound effect a father can have on the development, and therefore future of a child. The final issue that has come out of male’s displacement from his traditional roles is a generation with no respect for authority. Teachers are having increasing difficulties with classroom control. Students no longer have it ingrained in them to respect their elders, and as a result don’t care what the teacher or the principal say. Because school is no longer a priority to students like this, the drop out rate has increased significantly, with just over half of all dropouts being fatherless (Lykken). In today’s economy, it is next to impossible to find a job without at least a high school diploma, and employers no longer have to put up with any employee who cannot do what they are told, because there is someone who would be happy to take their place who most likely has more experience or education and can do what they are told. To conclude, while equal opportunity is beneficial and has helped to move our society forward, it has also drastically changed the traditional male role. And while some of these changes are good ones, they unfortunately have had negative effects due to people’s ignorance of the possible consequences. For example, it is good that women have been able to pursue their goals and passions in the workforce, and it is good that men are able to help out more at home. However, what is not good is that men have become completely displaced from many of the roles that, to them, define them as men. The way their roles have changed has slowly and subconsciously emasculated and caused them to doubt their importance and purpose in the family unit, which in turn has led to a growing number of fatherless children, increased crime rate, and a lack of respect for any kind of authority. Works Cited Bjorklund, David F, and Anthony D. Pellegrini. â€Å"Child Development and Evolutionary Psychology. † Child Development. 71. 6 (2000): 1687-708. Print. 05 Mar. 2012 Hofferth, Sandra L. â€Å"Residential Father Family Type and Child Well-Being: Investment Versus Selection. † Demography. 43. 1 (2006): 53-77. Print. 03 Mar. 2012. Pompper, Donnalyn. Masculinities, the Metrosexual, and Media Images: Across Dimensions of Age and Ethnicity. † Sex Roles. 63 (2010): 9-10. Print. 05 Mar. 2012. Quesenberry, Amanda, Michaelene Ostrosky, and Robert Corso. â€Å"Skilled and Knowledgeable Caregivers: the Role of Fathers in Supporting Young Children’s Development. † Young E xceptional Children. 10. 4 (2007): 11-19. Print. 05 Mar. 2012. Rohner, Ronald P. â€Å"Father Love and Child Development: History and Current Evidence. † Current Directions in Psychological Science. 7. 5 (1998): 157-161. Print. 03 Mar. 2012. Rosin, Hanna. â€Å"The End of Men. † July-Aug. 2010. The Atlantic. Web. 03 Mar. 2012. How to cite Change in Male Role in the Home: 1960-Present, Essay examples

Legislative Gridlock free essay sample

â€Å"Legislative Gridlock† Jefferson states that a â€Å"government is best which governs least,† but what affect does government inaction have of on our society, and what are the forces that promote this inaction? The competition for power between separated institutions is a driving force in this inaction. When the legislative and executive branches of our government engage in a power struggle, policies that could be potentially beneficial suffer at the hands of legislative gridlock. The polarization of the democrat and republican parties also has an impact on the difficulties faced by Congress.A polarized Congress leads to difficulties in legislating because no one is willing to compromise. The competition of power and polarization between the parties are only 2 of the forces that have led to Congress’ inability to pass laws. The structure of the US government as bicameral legislative body has proven to be the overarching vehicle in Congress’ inaction. In this paper, I explore the arguments in Stalemate (2003) to explain the level of gridlock in the 112th Congress. We will write a custom essay sample on Legislative Gridlock or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I focus on the impact of divided government, the polarization of parties, and bicameralism and argue that the difficulties in legislating in 2011 are likely to reappear in 2012. The 2011 Congress has been referred to as the worst congress ever on many occasions. Incumbents re-seeking election and newcomers hoping for a seat have in the Senate and House have been major supporters behind this public opinion. The strategy of blaming the congress as an institution, rather than assuming responsibility as an individual, has been the strategy for election into congress for years. This has led to what researchers refer to as Fenno’s paradox.Fenno’s paradox is when the public loves their member while hating congress. In 2011, with the 112th Congress, Fenno’s paradox was greatly metastasized. The public felt as if Congress had reached its tipping point, and lacked confidence of its ability to enact and pass laws. There was plenty of supporting evidence for such an assertion. When the deficit, reduction â€Å"super-committee†, which was created to cross party borders, and agree on a spending policy, argued throughout the year ended up completely empty handed it became evident that when â€Å"Standard Poor’s downgraded U.S. debt in August, saying it lacked confidence that Washington could come to any agreement on spending policy† (Binder, 2003) there was much validity to this statement. The assertion that the 2011 Congress was the â€Å"worst Congress ever† was not attributed lightly. The 112th Congress was responsible for â€Å"three separate incidents of nationally televised countdown-clock brinkmanship† (Binder, 2003). These public displays of wanton disregard for policy agreements greatly attributed to this assertion. â€Å"I’ve never seen such turmoil and internal conflict,† says former Rep.James L. Oberstar (Hurst, 2012). The biggest piece of supporting evidence that help to brand the 112th congress as the worst Congress ever was the barely averted government shutdown in the spring. This near shutdown was caused by inaction and refusal to agree on the federal debt in the summer and a tax increase for 160 million people in the winter. In the beginning of the year, the 87 freshman House Republicans helped to change House rules and repeal Obama’s healthcare initiative and reduce federal funding to pre-recession levels.Even with their apparent success, they were still thwarted twice in their attempts to cut federal spending. Disputes from this inability to reduce Federal-spending lead to legal, yet underhanded tactics, like Boehner waiting for the entire caucus to go home for the Holidays to accede to the demands of the senate for a 2month extension in the social security payroll tax rate reduction. This action directly negated the efforts of house Republicans during the year, causing more dissention and gridlock among its members.