History of the United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of the United States - Research Paper Example This meant that there would be a federal government—the president and Congress—but also state governments. Each would have various powers. The country that the Founding Fathers set in motion would soon dominate North America, sweeping across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean in the east, to the Pacific and the West, and eventually incorporating Alaska and Hawaii. It would contain the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains, the Florida Everglades and the Smoky Mountains, the Redwood forests of California and the Great Lakes. The climate and geography range dramatically across the country, as do the people who come from all around the world as immigrants. Over the last hundred years the population has grown dramatically as people from all the countries of the world sought out a better life on America's shores. The population is diverse and freedom-loving. One of the aspects of the United States that sets it apart from other countries is its fascinating political history . The first European settlers had to make accommodations with the Natives who had settled the land thousands of years ago. Sometimes there was peace between these groups and sometimes there was war. In the end, the Natives were marginalized, and the Europeans began to dominate. They built cities and plantations and developed a vibrant economy and trade links. Soon enough the settlers had another foe, their British colonial masters, who were intent on taxing them without representation. The British became increasingly repressive and Americans began to feel their oats. This soon led to conflict and a declaration of independence. The Revolutionary War went on for nearly a decade, but in the end America was free. In the period between independence and the Civil War of the 1860s, the United States expanded dramatically. During the brutal Civil War between North and South over the issue of slavery, industrialization occurred at a rapid pace (Kennedy, 125). Much of New England developed a manufacturing sector; and, following the war, many people moved north to take up factory jobs. These jobs were hard, but they paid more than work picking cotton. This left the South short of resources for some time and increased resentment between the two main regions of the country. The 20th century saw more change as the World Wars forced the United States to look outwards at the world. These wars dramatically increased the size of the American economy and the sophistication of its technologies. The Depression showed how entwined the American economy was with the rest of the world's. It marked some of the darkest days in American history. The post-war history of America was perhaps the most dramatic, as America became a superpower and developed nuclear weapons and built military bases around the world. The Cold War saw the United States face off against the Soviet Union and its communist allies, a face-off the U.S. won with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 (Cowley, 157). S ince that time, the U.S. has been the only superpower in the world. America today has many challenges, among them terrorism and managing the rise of new powers such as China and India. Today, although facing financial problems, America is still a major power and a force for good in the world. It is a country whose people can be proud to be called its

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 37

Case Study - Essay Example Just to keep employees on their feet, customer feedback cards are available in each store so that customers can contribute to helping the company to improve efficiency. Lastly, the company’s IT system has helped it to continue to stay one step ahead of its customers by providing products that they want before they know they do. All of these factors have helped to contribute towards Giordano’s competitive advantage in the marketplace by helping it stay ahead of the competition. 2) Giordano’s operations strategy is very consistent with its marketing strategy. The focus of Giordano’s marketing efforts is on two areas, high-quality service and low cost leadership, both of which Giordano are very successful at achieving. The test will come when Giordano is forced to move its marketing strategy away from low cost leadership to a combination of high quality products at considerable prices. If Giordano is able to adjust its operations strategy to take this new market positing into account, then the company has a very good chance of capturing a significant market share. 3) The biggest operations management challenge for Giordano as it expands into new territories is staying true to its principles. Although the company will need to adjust its marketing strategies based on the local culture, the focus still needs to be on excellent customer service along with high quality products. As of right now, Giordano does not allow its foreign subsidiaries to act independent of each other. Control is centralized in one region: Hong Kong. If Giordano is going to increase its market share in new markets, then it will need to rely more upon locals to increase performance and efficiency. There is nothing wrong with monitoring each foreign subsidiary from Hong Kong, but there needs to be some freedom given to subsidiaries so that they can become a force in their local market. 4) For Giordano’s operations strategy in the