Nelson Rockfeller, Last of the Liberal Republicans

Nelson Rockefeller served as governor of New York for 15 years and became an influential figure in the Republican Party before serving as vice president under President Gerald Ford for two years. As the presumed leader of the northeastern wing of the party, Rockfeller ran for the Republican nomination for president three times. Rockefeller was known for a generally liberal social policy coupled with a pro-business agenda. The so-called Rockefeller Republicans essentially faded into history as the very conservative movement exemplified by Ronald Reagan took hold. The term itself fell into disuse, replaced by â€Å"moderate Republican.† Fast Facts: Nelson Rockefeller Known For: Longtime liberal Republican governor of New York and heir to the Rockefeller fortune. He ran unsuccessfully for president three times and served as vice president under Gerald Ford.Born: July 8, 1908 in Bar Harbor, Maine, a grandson of the world’s richest manDied: January 26, 1979 in New York CityParents: John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Green AldrichSpouses: Mary Todhunter Clark (m. 1930-1962) and Margaretta Large Fitler (m. 1963)Children: Rodman, Ann, Steven, Mary, Michael, Nelson, and MarkEducation: Dartmouth College (degree in economics)Famous Quote: Ever since I was a kid. After all, when you think of what I had, what else were there to aspire to? (on seeking the presidency). As the grandson of legendary billionaire John D. Rockefeller, Nelson Rockefeller grew up surrounded with extravagant wealth. He became known as a supporter of the arts and was highly regarded as a collector of modern art. He was also known for a gregarious personality, though his detractors claimed his habit of exuberantly greeting people with a loud Hiya, fella! was a carefully calculated effort to appeal to ordinary people. Early Life Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was born July 8, 1908, in Bar Harbor, Maine. His grandfather was the richest man in the world, and his father, John Rockefeller, Jr., worked for the family business, Standard Oil. His mother, Abigail â€Å"Abby† Greene Aldrich Rockefeller, was the daughter of a powerful U.S. senator from Connecticut and a noted patron of the arts (she would eventually be a founder of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City). Growing up, Nelson was apparently afflicted with dyslexia, which was not fully understood. He had trouble reading and spelling throughout his life, though he managed to do reasonably well in school. He graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in economics in 1930. He married soon after college, and began working for his family at Rockefeller Center, which had recently opened as an office complex. New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller (1908 - 1979, seated) with his first wife, Mary Todhunter Clark, and children, Mary, Anne, Steven, Rodman and Michael. Keystone / Getty Images Early Career Rockefeller obtained a real estate license and began his career by leasing out office space in Rockefeller Center. He also supervised some of the decor. In a famous incident, he had a mural painted by Diego Rivera chiseled from the wall. The artist had included the face of Lenin in the painting. From 1935 to 1940 Rockefeller worked for a Standard Oil affiliate in South America and became interested in local culture to the point of learning Spanish. In 1940 he began a career of public service by accepting a position in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. His job at the Office of Inter-American Affairs entailed providing economic aid to Latin American countries (which was a strategic effort to thwart Nazi influence in the Western Hemisphere). Bettmann / Getty Images   In 1944 he became the assistant secretary of state for Latin American affairs, but resigned a year later, when his aggressive personality rubbed his superiors the wrong way. He later worked briefly in the administration of Harry Truman. In the Eisenhower administration, Rockefeller served as the undersecretary of HEW for two years, from 1953 to 1955. He then served as an adviser to Eisenhower on Cold War strategy, but left the government, hoping to get involved in politics elsewhere. Running for Office Rockefeller decided to run for governor of New York in the election of 1958. He secured the Republican nomination, partly because state party officials liked that he could finance his own campaign. It was widely assumed the Democratic incumbent, Averell Harriman, would be reelected, especially running against a novice at electoral politics. Showing a surprising flair for campaigning, Rockefeller energetically approached voters to shake hands and eagerly sample food in ethnic neighborhoods. On Election Day 1958, he scored an upset win against Harriman. Within days of his election he was being asked if he intended to run for president in 1960. He said no. November 9, 1966 - New York: Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who is Governor, according to amended campaign sign overhead, rejoices in his re-election early November 9, 1966.   Bettmann / Getty Images His terms as governor would eventually be known for ambitious infrastructure and transportation projects, a commitment to increasing the size of the state’s university system, and even a commitment to the arts. He would go on to serve as New York’s governor for 15 years, and for much of that time the state seemed to operate as a laboratory for governmental programs, often inspired by groups convened by Rockefeller. He typically convened task forces of experts which would study programs and propose governmental solutions. Rockefeller’s penchant for surrounding himself with experts wasn’t always viewed favorably. His former boss, President Eisenhower, was said to have commented that Rockefeller was too used to borrowing brains instead of using his own. Presidential Ambitions Within a year of taking office as governor, Rockefeller began to reconsider his decision not to run for president. As he appeared to have the support of the moderate to liberal Republicans on the East Coast, he considered running in the 1960 primaries. However, realizing Richard Nixon had solid support, he withdrew from the race early. In the 1960 election he supported Nixon and campaigned for him. According to an anecdote recounted in his 1979 obituary in the New York Times, in 1962 he was asked, while looking at the White House from his private plane, if he ever thought about living there. He replied, â€Å"Ever since I was a kid. After all, when you think of what I had, what else were there to aspire to?† Vice. Pres. Richard Nixon (R) with Nelson Rockefeller (L) September 01, 1960.   Joseph Scherschel / Getty Images Rockefeller viewed the presidential election of 1964 as an opportunity. He had solidified his reputation as the leader of the â€Å"eastern establishment† Republicans. His obvious opponent in 1964 primaries would be Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, the leader of the conservative wing of the Republican Party. A complication for Rockefeller was that he had been divorced from his first wife in 1962. Divorce was unheard of for major politicians at the time, yet Rockefeller hadnt seemed to be harmed by it when he won reelection as governor of New York in 1962. (He married for the second time in 1963.) It’s difficult to quantify how much impact Rockefeller’s divorce and new marriage had on his presidential prospects in 1964, but it’s likely it had an effect. When the 1964 Republicans primaries began, Rockefeller was still considered a favorite for the nomination, and he won the primaries in West Virginia and Oregon (while Goldwater won in other early states). The deciding contest promised to be the primary in California, where Rockefeller was believed to be the favorite. A few days before the June 2, 1964, voting in California, Rockefeller’s second wife, Margaretta â€Å"Happy† Rockefeller, gave birth to a son. That event suddenly brought the issue of Rockefeller’s divorce and remarriage back into the public eye, and it has been credited with helping Goldwater win an upset victory in the California primary. The conservative from Arizona went on to become the 1964 Republican nominee for president. When Rockefeller rose to speak at the Republican National Convention that summer to advocate for a platform amendment repudiating the conservative John Birch Society, he was loudly booed. He refused to support Goldwater in the general election, which Lyndon Johnson won in a landslide. Rockefeller, shown addressing the GOP State Committee, is seeding delegate strength among committee members on June 25, 1968.   Bettmann / Getty Images As the election of 1968 approached, Rockefeller tried to enter the race. That year Nixon represented the moderate wing of the party, with California governor Ronald Reagan favored by the conservatives. Rockefeller gave mixed signals about whether he would run until that summer’s convention approached. He finally tried to round up uncommitted delegates to challenge Nixon, but his efforts fell short. Rockefeller’s presidential runs had a lasting impact on the Republican Party, as they seemed to define the profound split in the party as the conservative wing was becoming ascendant. The Attica Crisis Rockefeller continued on as governor of New York, eventually winning four terms. In his final term a prison uprising at Attica came to permanently scar Rockefeller’s record. The prisoners, who had taken guards as hostages, demanded Rockefeller visit the prison and oversee negotiations. He refused, and ordered an assault that turned disastrous when 29 inmates and ten hostages were killed. Rockefeller was condemned for his handling of the crisis, with his political opponents claiming it demonstrated his lack of compassion. Even Rockefeller supporters found his decision difficult to defend. Rockefeller Drug Laws As New York endured a heroin epidemic and a crisis over drug use and associated crime, Rockefeller advocated for tougher drug laws with mandatory sentences even for dealing small amounts of drugs. The laws were passed and over time were seen as a major mistake, greatly increasing the states prison population while not doing much to curb underlying problems of drug abuse. Subsequent governors have removed the most severe punishments of the Rockefeller Laws. Vice President In December 1973 Rockefeller resigned from the governorship of New York. It was assumed he might be thinking of running for president again in 1976. But after Nixons resignation, and Gerald Fords ascension to the presidency, Ford nominated Rockefeller to be his vice president. President Ford holds the report on the Central Intelligence Agency presented to him at the White House by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, chairman of the blue ribbon panel that made the investigation.   Bettmann / Getty Images After serving as vice president for two years, the conservative wing of the party, led by Ronald Reagan, demanded that he not be on the ticket in 1976. Ford replaced him with Bob Dole of Kansas. Retirement and Death Retired from public service, Rockefeller devoted himself to his vast art holdings. He was working on a book about his art collection when he was stricken by a fatal heart attack on the night of January 26, 1979 at a townhouse he owned in Manhattan. At the time of his death he was with a 25-year-old female assistant, which led to endless tabloid rumors. Rockefellers political legacy was mixed. He steered New York state for a generation and by any measure was a very influential governor. But his ambition for the presidency was always thwarted, and the wing of the Republican Party he represented has largely disappeared. Sources: Greenhouse, Linda. â€Å"For Nearly a Generation, Nelson Rockefeller Held the Reins of New York State.† New York Times, 28 January 1979, p. A26.Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 13, Gale, 2004, pp. 228-230. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Neumann, Caryn E. Rockefeller, Nelson Aldrich. The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: The 1960s, edited by William L. ONeill and Kenneth T. Jackson, vol. 2, Charles Scribners Sons, 2003, pp. 273-275. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Essay about Life Hated Mary Grace - 1006 Words

Small drops of rain fell from the gray clouds outside the funeral home window. How fitting. This is the perfect weather for a funeral, isn’t it? Gloomy, dark, you name it. It didn’t matter though. No one was affected by the sound of the rain. Nobody cared. Everybody, including me, was too busy missing Margaret Grace. If only Margaret Grace was still here. She loved the rain because there would always be a rainbow after. She was a happy person. Wow, I have to use the word â€Å"was† now, don’t I? Her smile used to spread like wildfire; everybody else would smile too. She had a natural glow. Every time she walks into the room, all the attention would be directed to her. She was loved by everyone, judging by the amount of people who came and†¦show more content†¦The biggest change was her smile. Before, her smile would be on her face all the time, but then her stunning smiles would appear less and less. Soon, there wasn’t a smile at all. Every time I visited her at the hospital, I would find her looking out the window. It’s the same view everyday, so I don’t know why she keeps looking out there. Nothing changes outside that window for the most part. I would visit her five times a week, and each time I see her, sadly, she looks more and more dead, which is clearly not a good thing. Her skin started to become translucent, her breathing became raggedy as if it hurt, her limbs were becoming thin and bony as if she didn’t eat, and it was as if that only her body was alive, not her soul. She let the illness come and take her; she let herself become the illness. At that point in time, a smile was very rare, so I tried to tell her the funniest stories and cheerful stories from school. Every time her soft, tinkling laugh filled the air—which wasn’t often—I would feel as if there would be hope that she would come back to school with good health and be herself again, but that was just a wish of mine. There was one day in particular that I will never forget. It was a rainy Wednesday and as usual, I would go to the hospital and visit her. Usually, when I knock on the door and open it, she’s looking outside the window. That certain day, however,Show MoreRelatedAmelia Earhart : Why Is Earhart So Important?1745 Words   |  7 PagesAmelia Mary Earhart Why is Amelia Earhart so important to women? What did she do that was so incredible and inspiring? What happened to Amelia Earhart? Answers have been sought for years and many theories have been written. Amelia was the was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean and attempt a flight around the globe. Despite her childhood struggles and financial problems, she continued to reach her goals and be successful. 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Profit Maximization Free Essays

Firms are in business for a simple reason: To make money. Traditional economic theory suggests that firms make their decisions on supply and output on the basis of profit maximisation. However many Economists and managerial Scientists in our days question that the sole aim of a firm is the maximisation of profits. We will write a custom essay sample on Profit Maximization or any similar topic only for you Order Now The most serious critique on the theory of the firm comes from those who question whether firms even make an effort to maximise their profits. A firm (especially a large corporation) is not a single decision-maker but a collection of people within it. This implies that in order to understand the decision-making process within firms, we have to analyse who controls the firm and what their interests are. The fact that most large companies are not run by the their owners is often brought forward to support this claim. A large corporation typically is owned by thousands of shareholders, most of whom have nothing to do with the business decisions. Those decisions are made by a professional management team, appointed by a salaried board of directors. In most cases these managers will not own stock in the company which may lead to strongly differing goals of owners and managers. Since ownership gives a person a claim on the profit of the firm, the greater the firm’s profit, the higher the owners† income. Hence the owners goal will be profit maximisation. When managers† salary stays unaffected by higher profits they may pursue other goals to raise their personal utility. This behaviour strikes the critical observer regularly when for example reading or watching the financial media. Managers there often rather mention the rises in sales or the growth of their company rather then the profits. Some economists like Begg (1996) argued that managers have an incentive to promote growth as managers of larger companies usually get higher salaries. Others like Williamson (1964) suggested that managers derive further utility from perquisites such as big offices, many subordinate workers, company cars etc. Fanning (1990) gives a rather bizarre example: When WPP Group PLC took over the J. Walter Thompson Company, they found that the firm was spending $80,000 p. . to have a butler deliver a peeled orange every morning to one of their executives. An unnecessary cost clearly from the perspective of the company owners. But often it becomes difficult to identify and separate this amenity maximisation from profit maximisation. A corporate jet for example could be either justified as a profit maximising response to the high opportunity cost of a top executive or an expensive and costly executive status symbol. Baumol (1967) hypothesised that managers often attach their personal prestige to the company†s revenue or sales. A prestige maximising manager therefore would rather attempt to maximise the firms† total revenue then their profits. Figure 1 illustrates how the output choices of revenue- and profit maximising managers differ. The figure plots the marginal revenue and marginal cost curves. Total Revenue peaks at x r , which is the quantity at which the marginal revenue curve crosses the horizontal axis. Any quantity below x r , marginal revenue will be positive and the total revenue curve will rise as output goes up. Hence a revenue-maximising manager would continue to produce additional output regardless of its effects on cost. Given this information one might ask why the owners don†t intervene when their appointed managers don†t direct their actions in the interest of the owners, by maximising profits. First of all, the owners will not have the same access to information as the managers do. Where Information relates to professional skills of Business administration as well as those of the firms inner structure and its market enviroment. Furthermore, when confronted with the owners demands for profit maximising policies, a clever manager can always argue that her engagement in activities, like a damaging price war or an expensive advertising campaign serve the long-run prospect of high profits. This excuse is very difficult to challenge until it is too late. Another aspect is that managers aiming to maximise growth of their company (expecting higher salaries, power, prestige, etc. ) often operate with a profit constraint. A profit constraint is the minimum level of profit needed to keep the shareholders happy. The effects of such a profit constraint are illustrated in Figure2. Figure2 shows a total profit curve (T? ). T? is derived from the difference between TR and TC at each output level. If the minimum acceptable level of profit is ? , any output greater then Q3 will result in a profit below ?. Thus a sales-maximising manager will opt for Q3 which gives the highest level of sales at the minimum possible profit. This however would not be the profit maximising option. In order to maximise profits the manager would have to chose an output level that creates Q2, where profits are highest but sales lower then in Q3. So given this conflict of interests between the owners and the managers of a firm? What are the possible solutions available to the owners, to make their agents work in their interest? It is often suggested that an effective way to control the managers behaviour and bring it in line with the owners interests, is to make the managers owners themselves by giving them a share in the company. However, research by De Meza Lockwood (1998) suggests that even with the managers owning assets, their performance does not necessarily become more profit raising. Rajan Zingales (1998) assessed the impact of power and access to it on the behaviour and performance of managers. Their findings suggest that the power gained by access to critical resources is more contingent than ownership on managers or agents to make the right investment and decisions then ownership. They also report adverse effects of ownership on the incentive to specialise. Other ways to control managers include performance based pay, which can prove to be effective in the short-run but again, the long-run perspective of the firm may suffer, when managers neglect crucial Long-run investments into Research and Development, restructuring, equipment or advertising to raise short-run profits and hence their own salaries. In conclusion it is important to note that profit maximisation fails to demonstrate a general validity when applied as a theory of firm-behaviour. The real world businesses often operate on a multi-dimensional basis with many confronting interests and aims. As well as differing short-run and long run aims. Therefore profit-maximisation should be regarded as one possible goal of a firm but not necessarily its sole one. There is also a difference to be noted between the size of firms. A small family-run business for instance can easily adopt a pure profit-maximising approach, since the utility of its owners equals that of the labour-force and the management. In this setting, the income will equal profit. Therefore it is imperative to assess and develop a theory of firm behaviour on the different classes of firms with a perspective to their individual differences in management, ownership and market enviroment. How to cite Profit Maximization, Essay examples

Christian Ethics And Feminism Essay Example For Students

Christian Ethics And Feminism Essay In Feminism And Christian Ethics, Lisa Sowle Cahill argues that feminist ethicshas much to offer Catholicism. For one, the main issues that concern feministethics are basically the same ones that make up Catholic identity. That is, howwomen and men define themselves in society, what means are available to them forattaining their ends- in short inter personal and social relations. Second, thefounding principles that guide feminist ethics are rooted in the tradition ofnatural law, a tradition well known to Catholicism. So, while the approach offeminist ethics has been to scrutinize traditions which seek to oppress women bysupporting unequal social structures, the guiding principles behind feministethics still remain well lodge in natural law. As Cahill says, it is in thefounding principles of natural law where feminist ethics and Catholicism meet. And it is also here where lies the main contribution of feminist ethics for thefuture of Catholicism. Cahill shows us, how recent studies done on Aquinasnatural law disclose that Aquinas based his ethics on very general principles. That is to say, Aquinas understood the complexity of life, and, unlike what mostbelieve, he was cautious about generating a rigid ethics that would oppressindividuals. Aquinas believed that moral discourse to be truly ethical mustfirst and most importantly begin with an understanding of the structures ofsociety and the culture under which individuals live. Hence, Aquinas lookedforward to developing a contextual ethics, and was cautious about generating thetypes of absolutes and universal principles that were later integrated into histheology. Although, Aquinas believed that universals were still possible, henevertheless, believed that these could only come after considering everythingthat makes up human existence. Thus, given Aquinas understanding of societyas a vehicle that brings people together to strive for the common good, areconciliation is very plausible in this area. As Cahill says, natural lawbeyond all things believes in reasonableness and objectivity, which is basicallythe same understanding that guides feminist ethics. Feminists, argue forfreedom, but only in so far as the common good avoids considering socialdynamics and inter-personal relations. Apart from rejecting unequal relationsthat arise from not taking into consideration what makes up human existence,feminists, like the natural law tradition, believe that a common good is worthpursing. So, while on the outset feminists may look like as if they are breakingaway from Catholicism, they are in fact much closer to Catholicism than one maythink. As new challenges bring the Church to question its ethics and as womenand men seek new identities, feminist ethics can help Catholicism make thetransition so that the challenges of modern society can be meet. I enjoyedreading Lisa Cahills essay. She brought me to see Aquinas ethics in a newway. I believe that Cahill makes an important contribution to Christianity byshowing us that it is possible to remain within tradition all while progressing. Often I find myself thinking if Christianity will ever be able to surviveconsidering its rigid ethics. However, as Cahill so eloquently showed me, it ispossible. The renewal interest in natural law is showing us that we can continueto press forward while remaining in touch with our Christian background.