Budget Process free essay sample

An insight into public budgeting in the U.S. This paper argues whether public budgeting is nothing but a political process that connects the various political and influential figures in the government who decide what kind of budget the people should have and how it should be implemented. It defines who makes the decisions and gives a brief history of budgeting. Budgeting is nothing but a political process. It connects the various political and influential figures in the government who decide what kind of budget the people should have and how they should be implemented. The fact that the budget itself is the responsibility of the General Assembly of the State alone indicates that budgeting process is not actually in the hands of the people but politicians and legislature. Take for instance the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut is governed by a bicameral legislature in which the Senate and the House of Representatives who determines how long they will retain the executive power. We will write a custom essay sample on Budget Process or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is the legislative branch of the government that decides who has the power and who should be vested with the power of decision .

Bad Leadership Essay Example

Bad Leadership Essay Example Bad Leadership Paper Bad Leadership Paper BAD LEADERSHIP What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters By Barbara Kellerman Page 1 The book is all about the dark side of leadership and how you individuals get there and what we can do to avoid it. She suggests that leaders do not act alone and are not solely responsible for bad leaderships. There is no leadership without followship. If followers would just not follow a bad leader we could put a stop to the bad leadership. She has two main arguments throughout the book. The first is that leadership is either classified as ineffective or unethical. The second argument is that you can break the whole bad leadership into seven types – incompetent, rigid, intemperate, callous, corrupt, insular, and evil. She talks about how writers of other books and schools that study leadership suggest that to become a leader is to become a good leader. The dark side then as she suggests that to limit leadership to good leadership presents three major problems. It is confusing and misleading and does a disservice. She goes on to talk about the reasons why we are bad. She states that â€Å"people in a state of nature are not, in the usually sense of the word, good. This is not to insist that people are bad but rather that the human animal cannot be relied on to behave well. †[i] I’m not so sure that I agree with this statement. She brings up a point that in the past, scholars believed that a leader’s traits, such as intelligence, were more important then any other variable when determining a leader’s ability. They now agree that there are other variables that need to be considered such as the situation, the nature of the task at hand, and the followers. Why do we follow leaders who behave badly? She suggests it’s out of our need for safety and self-preservation. Getting along by going along is one of life’s early Page 2 lessons and so we need simplicity and stability. We do not want to lose our jobs so we keep quiet and keep things simple. Groups go along with bad leaders because even bad leaders can provide important benefits. Leaders maintain order, provide cohesion and identity, and do the collective work. Either in a group or as an individual, we find that it’s in our best interest to go with the flow and not stir the pot. How can we expect to reduce the number of bad leaders though unless we reduce the number of bad followers like we probably all have been at one point in our career. She states that, â€Å"Bad leadership will not, cannot be stopped or slowed unless followers take responsibility for rewarding the good leaders and penalizing the bad ones. †[ii] The first of Kellerman’s arguments is that bad leadership falls into two categories: ineffective and unethical. An ineffective leader â€Å"fails to produce the desired change. For reasons that include missing traits, weak skills, strategies badly conceived, and tactics badly employed, ineffective leadership falls short of its intention. †[iii] Whereas, unethical leaders may be very effective, they just don’t know the difference between right or wrong. Our textbook has a chapter on leadership ethics and social responsibility. The textbooks describes ethics as, â€Å"the study of moral obligations, or of separating right from wrong†, and morals as, â€Å"an individual’s determination of what is right or wrong†. [iv] I would suggest that they may know the difference, but they choose to ignore it. She then goes on to her next argument that there are seven types of bad leadership: Incompetent, Rigid, Intemperate, Callous, Corrupt, Insular and Evil. She says Page 3 that the first three types (incompetent, rigid and intemperate) tend to be classified as ineffective leadership and the last four (callous, corrupt, insular and evil) are bad because of unethical behavior. She defines an incompetent leader as, â€Å"The leader and at least some followers lack the will or skill (or both) to sustain effective action. With regard to at least one important leadership challenge, they do not create positive change. [v] Leaders are incompetent for many reasons. Some lack experience, education or expertise and others lack drive, energy or the ability to focus. The instances I have recognized incompetent leaders are one’s in which someone was promoted only because of their longevity at the company and not because of their skills or expertise. I tend to call them worker bees who are gre at at being a worker bee, and then they get promoted to a leadership role because they are such a great worker bee, and then they fail. They don’t have the courage to step back and realize they are not meant to be leaders. She defines Rigid Leadership as, â€Å"The leader and at least some followers are stiff and unyielding. Although they may be competent, they are unable or unwilling to adapt to new ideas, new information, or changing times. †[vi] I think this has come into play in past couple of decades with the emergence of technology. There were leaders who were not use to the convenience of technology and it scared them. It scared them right out of their jobs though because they were using rigid leadership and not being able to adapt to the change. Page 4 Kellerman defines Interperate Leadership as, â€Å"The leader lacks self-control and is aided and abetted by followers who are unwilling or unable effectively to intervene. †[vii] This is more of a private matter and very important for leaders to keep it that way. If these types of leaders lose self-control in public it can be very damaging to their reputation and to their followers. The book defines Callous Leadership as, â€Å"The leader and at least some followers are uncaring or unkind. Ignored or discounted are the needs, wants, and wishes of most members of the group or organization, especially subordinates. [viii] Leaders are supposed to consider what their employees want. She uses words such as power-sharing and team-building as examples of what leaders are suppose to be promoting. We read in our textbook that leaders are to empower their employees and let them make decisions and seek improvement. It states that â€Å"a dominant characteristic of effective leaders is their passion for their work and to some extent for the people who help them accomplish the work. † The textbook has a section on team-based organizations and the role that the leader plays. It defines 9 key roles of the leader and those are: Building trust and inspiring teamwork Coaching team members and group members toward higher levels of performance Facilitating and supporting the team’s decisions Expanding the team’s capabilities Page 5 Creating a team identity Anticipating and influencing change Inspiring the team toward higher levels of performance Enabling and empowering group members to accomplish their work Encouraging team members to eliminate low-value work[ix] These are all roles that will help contribute to effective leadership and team building. These types of organizations needs leaders who know the team process and can give feedback and resolve conflict. She defines Corrupt Leadership as, â€Å"The leader and at least some followers lie, cheat, or steal. To a degree that exceeds the norm, they put self-interest ahead of the public interest. †[x] We have learned that there is no place that is immune to corrupt leaders, not even the church. Most of the time the corrupt leader is motivated by money. They are placing their personal interests over the welfare of the company and other employees. It is important to remember that these types of leaders exist especially when you are a follower. Being a follower of these types of leaders can only bring you down as well if you choose to follow them. Insular Leadership is defined by her as, â€Å"The leader and at least some followers minimize or disregard the health and welfare of, ‘the other’- that is, those outside the group or organization for which they are directly responsible. †[xi] It is in some sense, human nature to feel that your group, or family, or country competes with others and that Page 6 your group will always come first. These leaders should look to more of a collaboration and cooperation rather then competition. The textbook suggests, as a way to build teamwork, that you encourage competition with another group. It says that, â€Å"one of the best-known methods of encouraging teamwork is rallying the support of the group against a real or imagined threat from the outside. † It also goes on to say though that, â€Å"the leader should encourage rivalry, not intense competition that might lead to unethical business practices. †[xii] The last style of leadership that she defines is, Evil Leadership. She defines it as, â€Å"The leader and at least some followers commit atrocities. They use pain as an instrument of power. The harm done to men, women, and children is severe rather than slight. The harm can be physical, psychological, or both. †[xiii] She focuses more in this section on the followers who follow these evil leaders. She suggests that they are just as much as evil if they do nothing and just follow along. She also suggests though that maybe they are a victim and are terrorized into following. She of course uses Saddam Hussein as an example of an evil leader, which I think we all could agree with. Before I even read who the brief examples were about, he is who came to my mind. The textbook talks a little about the evil and the dark side of leadership in that of a charismatic leader. It states that, â€Å"some people believe that charismatic leadership can be exercised for evil purposes. Charismatic leaders are experts at promising Utopia. Since perfection is the end, often the most heinous actions can be tolerated as seemingly Page 7 necessary means to the end. †[xiv] It goes on to talk about followers and why they follow these types of leaders. The textbook states that it’s because of that leader’s personal magnetism. Overall, the costs of bad leadership cannot be known exactly. Not only does it cause pain and suffering to those directly affected by the bad leadership, but there are those that are indirectly affected such as family and friends. She does a great job describing the many different ways bad leadership develops and also gives way at the end to correct and fend off bad leadership. She says, â€Å"What is to be done? How can we all, leaders and followers alike, begin truly to correct for and prevent bad leadership? She makes three assumptions to answer these questions: â€Å"First, we cannot stop or slow bad leadership by changing human nature. Second, we cannot stop or slow bad leadership without stopping and slowing bad followship. Finally, we cannot stop or slow bad leadership by sticking our heads in the sand. †[xv] [i] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 15) [ii] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 232) [iii] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 33) [iv] Leadership (Durbin, p. 169) [v] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 40) [vi] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 41) [vii] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 2) [viii] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 43) [ix] Leadership (Durbin, p. 264) [x] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 44) [xi] Bad Leadership (Kellerman p. 45) [xii] Leadership (Durbin, p. 271) [xiii] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 46) [xiv] Leadership (Durbin, p. 91) [xv] Bad Leadership (Kellerman, p. 231 232) Page 8 REFERENCES Durbin, Andrew J. Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills. Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company (2007). Kellerman, Barbara. Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters. Harvard Business School Press (2004). Page 9

Appearance May Not Be Reality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Appearance May Not Be Reality - Research Paper Example It is illegal to report data falsely. General hospital would be liable if patients such as, the Jones family, sustained infection after seeking treatment from the hospital (Pozgar, 2013). Several elements of the ACHE code of ethics would help an administrator of General hospital in determining the right course of action to take. One of those elements is the one that encourages healthcare management to disclose conflicts of interest. Another element appropriate to this case is one that admonishes healthcare executives to desist from taking part in activities that are demeaning to the credibility and dignity of the profession of the management of healthcare. The administrator can invoke the element of the ACHE code of ethics that calls for them to ensure patients are informed about opportunities, responsibilities and risks involved in certain healthcare services. A General hospital administrator should also implore the guidance of the ACHE code of ethics that would help resolve any conflict that would emerge between patients and the organization’s personnel. Additionally, it would be appropriate to refer to the ACHE code of ethics that promotes the need to have evidence-based clinical practices in a healthcare organization. The administrator’s course of action should be guided by the element that promotes the use of sound business practices. It is advisable for the administrator to follow the element on truthful dissemination of information (ACHE, 2014). Members of General Hospital’s ethics committee should push an assessment of hospital staff awareness and attitudes towards bioethics. These members should convene departmental meetings to discuss the issue of faulty reporting. Ethics committee members should liaise with nursing managers in working a way out of the problem created by the issue. They need to reach out to ethics committees of other healthcare organizations and learn

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example For the purpose of this study a group of university students whose parents were divorced before the age of 16 were examined. The findings revealed that the relationship of children who had spent more time with their fathers after the divorce was better in the long run, regardless of the parent conflict. It also revealed that those who were exposed to parental conflict for a longer time had troubled relationship with their fathers in the long run and they appeared to be distressed about the divorce, as well as about the independent time they spent with their fathers. Furthermore it also revealed that poor father – child relationship led to poor health status of the children. Forehand, R., Nicholas, L., & Brody, G. (1988). Divorce and marital conflict: Relationship to adolescent competence and adjustment in early adolescence . In E.M. Hetherington & J.D. Arasteh (Eds.). Impact of divorce, single parenting, and stepparenting on children . (pp. 155-167). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. This study illustrates the various issues faced by adolescent children of divorced parents. It studies and explains the manner in which they try to cope with the dynamic world around them and highlights the need for a safe and secure home which assures them of stability and a hospitable environment, which is not disrupted by any kind of conflict or clashes. This particular study offers valuable information about the adjustments these children are made to undergo and the challenges they face as part of growing up and at the same time coping with broken relationships of their parents. This study is mostly based on the very first year after divorce and is short term in nature. The long term consequences of divorce on adolescents are not covered in this study. This study aims to examine the issues faced by families post divorce and remarriage and its impact on children. The issues studied, include the moral values and

Marketing report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing report - Essay Example In this kind of distributorship arrangement, the company cannot be an importer nor act as a commercial agent unless it is 100% Egyptian owned and managed. Second option is the Limited Liability Company wherein company has no limit on the percentage of ownership, provided that there is at least one or more Egyptian managers in the company, there are at least two shareholders or partners in the company and the capital should not be less than $9,000. Again, in this set up, the company cannot be an importer nor act as a commercial agent. Third option is a joint stock company that requires 49% of shares of stocks to be offered to Egyptians upon formation. Eventually, foreign stockholders may own 100% of the company provided majority of the board of directors is Egyptians and capitalization should not be lower than LE 250,000, with at least three Egyptian shareholders. Again, this type of distributorship may not import or act as commercial agent unless it is 100% Egyptian owned and managed . Another alternative is for foreign firms to register and sell direct to Egyptian consumers. They can do this by establishing their own subsidiary in Egypt or put up its own manufacturing assembly operation in Egypt. Foreign firms can use free zones areas or bonded warehouses to store goods and hire their own employees to sell their own goods. Foreign firms can also rely on Egyptian companies for wholesale and retail distribution who are specialized on wholesale and retail distribution. Besides, according to USCS (March 2011) Egyptian commercial agents are required for foreign firms to bid on most government tenders. Statistics from USCS provides the following data: As of 2007, there are 5,800 registered importers in Egypt, 9,600 exporters, 4,330 commercial agents representing 106,200 firms and 4,250 factories licensed to import components. Most of these firms are privately owned, but the government sector includes some 279 separate companies affiliated with 16 holding companies; n early 30 military factories that also make civilian products; and 1,500 companies owned by one of the 26 provincial authorities. Â   Trade Guide for Egypt considers U.S., Germany, UK, France and Italy as main suppliers. An important regulation that pertains to export regulations for foodstuffs is the quality inspection upon entrance to Egypt. Packaged items must be labeled in Arabic and should contain the name of the product, its trademark, its bran name, the product’s technical data and mode of operation, international marks and information that should be observed during transportation and handling, country of origin, production and expiry dates and manufacturer’s name. Exporters should also observe the international shipping and handling symbols, but should specify any special handling instructions in English and in Arabic. One channel of distribution that is getting to be popular in the internet is the B2B websites. B2B is the exchange of products and services or i nformation between business rather than business to consumers. Growth of B2B is estimated to be worth $7.29 trillion dollars in 2004 (Jones, Paula, 2000). Retailers and businesses in Egypt has its own B2B websites wherein business can view offers to buy, post offer to sell, view company directories, request shipping quotations and other details for trading business (Tradenetwork.com). B2B transactions have made trade faster and a reliable means of distribution. 2.

Critiquing Cosmetic Progression

Critiquing Cosmetic Progression Part One: About a decade ago, Dove Corporation released a controversial video, which, quite successfully, was able to subliminally banter the modern fashion industrys notorious inclination of distorting physical complexion for increased product marketing. Perhaps even more impressively, they accomplished this in less time than it takes to re-heat a leftover plate of spaghetti. Enter Dove: Evolution. Clocking in at just over a minute in length, this advertisement has achieved widespread appraisal for its unparalleled ability to challenge contemporary plights related to self- esteem (particularly in women) as a result of the constant degrading stimuli being solicited through media outlets. Upon watching this clip myself, I experienced an array of emotions ranging from calm, to apprehension, and even mild bewilderment. As the brief video has no dialogue, the importance of background music is noticeably enforced. At the opening, were presented with soothing classical piano chords, as our female su bject takes a seat before the camera inside of the contextual production studio. Alarmingly, the tempo begins to quicken; introducing heavy pulses of bass rhythm while simultaneously, bright lights are introduced as a means of hastily diminishing the facial blemishes of the woman. Her initially optimistic demeanor begins to steer toward that of a nerve wracked teenager as the videos speed becomes digitally modified cosmetologists bustle about, enhancing her hairstyle at an inhuman pace, while a quick series of bright camera shots catches the viewer off guard with a semi-photo sensitive intensity. Never ceasing in its rapid course, the video transitions to a final still-frame of the physically enhanced woman, at which point an Adobe PhotoShop heads-up display is introduced. Following a painstakingly meticulous series of alterations lip saturation, eye widening, shadow exaggerations, and a neck extension, the camera angle slowly pans outward; causing the viewer to witness a suburban street with our main characters revised complexion strung upon a billboard. A pair of young women, observe this obstruction in passing prior to the screens final fade to black. Subsequently, a credit appears to company, along with a statement concerning warped bodily perceptions. Theres meaning in the text and images here beyond what may be immediately apparent: theres a rhetorical framework and a message that suggests something more significant and complex than what observers may see on a first look. Part Two: Breaking down the advertisement further, it becomes quite apparent that a pathodic appeal to personal emotions is invoked on multiple levels. From the outset, the music puts us at ease, before abruptly shifting to incorporate drums and additional rock-based instruments on a dual track layer. Personally, this technique, coinciding with the changing facial expressions the woman was undergoing, resonated a sense of alarm within me (as if I was about to witness a pending act of brutality). With that said, I think any viewer experiencing similar emotions at this point would have found it appalling how relentlessly the hairdressers went about their business, seemingly void of any compassion. Maybe this was the directors intention, because a resulting feeling of sympathy for this woman blossomed in my soul. By now, Dove has its audiences feelings on autopilot, and is able to orchestrate them befittingly for the duration of the editing sequences. Im inclined to deduce that the photo-shopping was revealed in an attempt to drive the hammer into the nail of what we already knew this entire time nobody is naturally that attractive! That isnt to say, though, that the closing act couldnt be reaming with hints of ethos in addition to the aforementioned rhetoric. I noticed that the billboard hosting the end product pointed to another popular brand in the skin care sector. Do we sense a conspiracy at work amongst the conglomerates? Im going to circle back to this revelation later, as I believe its important to factor into the grand scheme of whats transpiring. Part Three: In continuance to the closing statement I made in the previous paragraph, there are a number of admonishments Id like to point out to my readers, in order to address the more metaphorical aspects of this video (or what may potentially be interpreted as such). First, something that caught my attention early on, was that the correction of facial blemishes on the subjected woman were given utmost priority to any other items on the touch-up task list. I would infer that on a larger scale, this hints at a hierarchical approach the fashion industry adopts when evaluating beauty. Following that logic, we could conclude that a raw human face warrants correction prior to any makeup, hair, or airbrush modifications conducted by modeling agency experts. Bluntly theyre judging your primary feature with heightened scrutiny. Secondly, the overall pace of the advertisement, as I previously mentioned, was extremely swift. Coupled with the background tunes, this probably assisted in delivering the broadest possible range of emotionally triggering stimuli to target audiences in the designated timeframe undoubtedly a premeditated play. The objective of this ad was essentially to call out the elephant in the room, (or in this case, perhaps the one in Hollywood) and in order to do that, Dove knew that relying on a pathos-based approach would prove to be a strategic ally to influence viewers with the desired message. Finally, the billboard itself was placed in a neighborhood which appeared to be centered on either: working-class citizens, high-school youth, and/or single parents aspiring for more. I gleaned this demographical hypothesis by noting the surrounding environment composed exclusively of brick apartment complexes, wire fencing, and used cars. Suffice it to say that if this is indeed a factual theory, it would correlate nicely with the idea that Dove wants to spread its agenda like a wildfire throughout the general consumer populace; many of whom may have otherwise remained in blissful ignorance to the proceedings commencing behind closed doors. Part Four: Primarily, I fathom that women of Millennial and X generations would be the most heavily impacted audience after watching this advertisement. Furthermore, I would ascertain that those impacts have mostly positive connotations, superseding the manipulative (unethical?) bodily practices exposed therein. In support of this claim, I located a research study conducted by Stephanie L Quigg in 2010. The purpose was to identify how a brief ad could mitigate the negative effects imposed on self-esteem through traditional media propaganda. The study consisted of exposing groups of women to one of three variants: a music video padded with standard commercials, the same music video padded with intervention commercials, and TV with non-human focused commercials. The outcome determined that seeing the music videos ultimately led to lower levels of self-satisfaction in test subjects, in contrast to the group that didnt. Interestingly though, in her subsequent book titled Body Image, Quiggreveals e xposure to the intervention commercial counter-acted this effect. Demonstrating the extent which media portrayals of women are artificially enhanced can mitigate detrimental effects on female appearance satisfaction (135-142). Earlier, I mentioned Id be elaborating on the concept of concealed marketing loaded inside of well-intentioned messaging. Taking a tip from Bob Garfield, a journalist reviewing the Ogilvy Mather Agency, (who represent the film) I quickly uncovered another mind who shares my chilling proposition. Quoting his article specifically, the bonus is, if they stay with this message come what may, theyll also turn over lots of whatever it is apart from the uncomfortable truth theyre selling (Garfield). That statement really makes me wonder if any act of good nature is pure these days; or is everything simply a clever ruse to boost a bottom line? Part Five: To culminate my analysis, Id like to reiterate to my readers, the importance of executing caution in response to all sources of mainstream advertising, regardless of implied positive messages. In this discussion, Ive brought to light how what was formerly thought to be a feat of goodwill by Dove, might actually constitute as a turncoat for a corrupted motive, depending on the eye of the beholder. Its crucial that we embrace this somewhat harsher truth going forward. In order to be competent citizens, its dire that we examine each aspect of a message. Otherwise, we become vulnerable to intelligently situated reverse psychology governing our buying impulses. Works Cited Quigg, Stephanie L., Stephen C. Want. Highlighting Media Modifications: Can a Television Commercial Mitigate the Effects of Music Videos on Female Appearance Satisfaction? Body Image, vol. 8, Elsevier, 2011, pp. 135-42. Science Direct, Elsevier, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.11.008.Accessed 6 Mar. 2017. Tackling Ugly Truth, Dove Effort Evolves Beautifully. Review of Dove: Evolution, by Bob Garfield, 2006. Advertising Age, revision 2015, Crain Communications, 29 Oct. 2006, www.adage.com/article/ad-review/tackling-ugly-truth-dove-effort-evolves-beautifully/112837/.Accessed 6 Mar. 2017. Unilever Group. Dove: Evolution. The Evolution Video: The Use of Photoshop and Airbrushing in the Media, Unilever, 11 Jan. 2016, www.dove.com/uk/dove-self-esteem-project/help-for-parents/media-and-celebrities/the-evolution-video.html.Accessed 6 Mar. 2016.

The Role of the Church in the Renaissance Essay example -- Art History

The Christian Church was absolutely instrumental in the art of the Renaissance. It was the driving force behind every inspiration; without the Church, there would have been no art. The Church was the only institution powerful enough to be able to support the commissions of all of the artwork, and it was the only institution, in which people had enough faith and devotion to spend so much of their time and money creating pieces that—although beautiful—were not necessities. The role of religion in art actually began during the Byzantine era. During this time, all artwork was religious in nature, and most of it was done in a consistently similar style so that figures from the Bible could be easily recognized by everyone and so that people had a consistent view of religious matters. Art during this time was largely iconic, meant to inspire the awe of God in the viewer. Along with various versions of the crucifix, one of the most popular images of the Byzantine style wa s The Pantokrator, an image of Jesus Christ as shown from above. An example of one of these pieces was done in the twelfth century in the abbey church of Monreale in the city of Palermo. Jesus is a monumental figure that takes up much of the space across the apse of the Church. One of his hands forms a mudra as the other holds the scripture. His fully frontal and direct stance along with the glimmering gold background serves to strike awe and fear into the viewer. Clearly this piece was done with the intent to impress the value and mightiness of religion first and attention to the detail and technique of the art second. This emphasis on religion continued deep into the Renaissance, as the Church was one of the few organizations that could fund such massive un... ...udgment in the afterlife. Giotto’s Arena Chapel, Duccio’s Maestà  , and Masaccio’s Trinity are only a few examples of the Church’s overarching influence on Renaissance art. Without the Church, there would have been no art. It was the increasing popularity of the Church with new orders of monks in the 1200s that created a greater need for religious images, and with more production of art, the style began to change. Religion was such an integral part of Renaissance culture that it makes sense that it would be the focus of its creativity. Works Cited Adams, Laurie Schneider. Italian Renaissance Art, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2001. Shearmann, John. Only Connect†¦ Art and the Spectator in the Italian Renaisssance, Washington, D.C.: Princeton University Press, 1992. Welch, Evelyn. Art and Society in Italy 1350-1500, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.