Separation of Powers in U.S. Government Essay Example

Separation of Powers in U.S. Government Essay The Founding Fathers of the early American Constitution examined various political and modern theories as their guide in establishing a government that truly supports their aims and aspirations as a people who wish to be rid of the destructive clutches of the British Empire, one of which is the principle of separation of powers advanced by Baron de Montesquieu.This paper will examine the concept of separation of power and its evolution since the start of the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 up to the present.Separation of PowersThe concept of separation of power as theorized by Baron de Montesquieu states that the â€Å"legislative, executive, and judicial power function of the government—the power to make laws, the power to carry out laws, and the power to uphold the laws—should rest with the different branches of government† thus, reducing the possibility of tyranny. (Johnson, Aldrich, Miller et al, 1990, 45). In the adoption of a Federal government in 1787†™s American Constitution, de Montesquieu’s theory of separation of power was approved, thus, drawing line separating the powers held by each of the branches of government.The three branches of government were allocated with its own powers some of which are shared among them. The system was designed to reduce the risk of abusing its power by a single branch acting independently from the other branches. According to Johnson et al (1990, 51) no branch can carry out its powers without some degree of cooperation from the other branches.In a dissenting opinion of Justice Louis Brandeis in Myers v. United States,272 U.S. 52, 293 (1926) opined that the â€Å"separation of powers was adopted by the Convention of 1787, not to promote efficiency, but to preclude the exercise of arbitrary power. The purpose was, not to avoid friction, but, by means of the inevitable friction incident to the distribution of governmental powers among three departments, to save the people from autocracy. †It is this concept that minimizes the risk of one branch to completely take over the government or stray too far politically from the other branches making this design as a   key factor in the Constitutions’ survival, assuring evolution in government rather than revolution.Though this was the case, due to Constitutional provisions couched in general terms, tensions and conflicts regarding individual interpretation by the branches arise.The Constitutional ProvisionsThe American Bar Association painstakingly listed the power of each branch and its relation to the other branches.There are various provisions in the Federal Constitution that outlines the blending power of the check and balance or the separation of powers.The first three Articles found in the Constitution define the powers of each branch. Article 1 defines Congress’ powers; Article II defines the Executive branch’s power; and the Judicial Power is defined in Article III.Federal JudiciaryAlexa nder Hamilton’s The Federalist Paper revealed that among the three branches it is the judiciary that is the least powerful branch. A lifetime tenure and good behavior as well as a guaranteed salary is the Constitution’s protection for the judiciary to maintain its independence. The judiciary possess the power of judicial review of all actions taken by executive or Congress. It was in a landmark case of Marbury v. Madison (1803) that the judicial review, as a power of the Courts, was first exercised and it was also in this case that Supreme Court first coined the word and established its presence as a formidable branch in the Federal System.   The judicial power is a passive power for it needs cases and controversies brought before the court for it to exercises such power (Separation of Power, n.d.).The judicial power of individual judges is limited to the following: â€Å"[j]udges must explain their decisions in written opinions; [j]udges most follow the precedents established by the decisions of higher courts; and [j]udges decisions are subject to review by courts of appeals† (Separation of Power, n.d.).The executive and legislative branches possessed the following powers to check or balance the power of the judiciary. The following: [t]he federal courts are staffed by judges nominated by the President; [t]he courts rely upon the executive branch for enforcement of their decisions; [c]ongress has control over the judiciarys budget (although it cannot reduce a judges salary); [c]ongress has the power to impeach federal judges who misbehave in office; and [c]ongress may begin the process of amending the Constitution if it disagrees with the judiciarys interpretation of the Constitution† (Separation of Power, n.d.).CongressIn Congress, the Constitution provides numerous powers, to wit: budgetary power, â€Å"including the authority to raise taxes, borrow money, and spend money; [p]ower to declare war and to raise and support militar y forces; [p]ower to regulate immigration, the mail, patents and copyrights, and commerce between the states and with foreign countries; and [p]ower to establish federal courts below the United States Supreme Court.† Also, the â€Å"Constitution provides that Congress has the power to pass any law necessary and proper to give effect to its named powers (Separation of Power, n.d.).Congress’ power could be checked through the Presidential veto on any proposed legislation; and the Supreme Court’s power to review the constitutionality of a law if it is challenged in a case brought before the Court.The ExecutiveAside from the oversight power to federal agencies that implement the passed law of Congress, the Executive through the President possessed the following powers: â€Å"[p]ower as Commander in Chief of the armed forces; [p]ower to make treaties, nominate judges to the federal judiciary, and appoint officers of the government, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate; and [p]ower to pardon individuals convicted of federal crimes.†The Congress and the Court could check the Executive through the following modes: â€Å"[t]he Senates power to ratify treaties the President has signed and to consent to the Presidents nominees for federal judgeships and other government positions; â€Å"[t]he power of Congress to impeach and convict the President for ‘treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors;’ [t]he federal judiciarys power to declare executive actions unconstitutional if they are challenged in court† (Separation of Power, n.d.).The Conflict Surrounding the Separation of PowersJames Madison’s Federalist Paper No. 51 stated that [a]mbition must be made to counteract ambition.  Thus, the concept of separation of powers is not designed to maximize efficiency but rather to maximize freedom.Through the years various conflicts were witnessed by the American People on the issue of separation of powers which stem from the various interpretations of the branches concerned on a given Constitutional provision, couched in general terms, prone to abuse.Executive EncroachmentTwo views on the â€Å"executive powers have been articulated by past presidents.   One view, the strong president view, favored by presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt essentially held that presidents may do anything not specifically prohibited by the Constitution.   The other, weak president view, favored by presidents such as Howard Taft, held that presidents may only exercise powers specifically granted by the Constitution or delegated to the president by Congress under one of its enumerated powers† (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Separation of Powers. n.d).In the case of â€Å"Youngstown Sheet ; Tube Co. v Sawyer (1952) arose when President Harry Truman, responding to labor unrest at the nations steel mills during the Korean War, seized control of the mills.†   In a close de cision, the Supreme Court held that the President’s power is not limited to those powers expressly granted in Article II.  In the case of Dames and More v Regan (1981) â€Å"considered the constitutionality of executive orders issued by President Jimmy Carter directing claims by Americans against Iran to a specially-created tribunal. The Court, using a pragmatic rather than literalist approach, found the executive orders to be a constitutional exercise of the Presidents Article II powers† (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Separation of Powers. n.d).Congressional EncroachmentsIn INS v Chadha (1983), the Court declared the resolution passed by Congress to nullify by resolution a disapproved action by an agency of the executive branch for its failure to comply with the requirements for legislation spelled out in Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution.  In Bowsher v Synar (1986), the Court invalidated a provision of the Balanced Budget Act that authorized the U.S. Comptroller General to impound funds appropriated for domestic or military use after the determination of a deficit by the federal budget   . The Court reasoned that by allowing the US Comptroller General is in [the] essence [of] a legislative veto.   Morrison v Olson the Court considered the constitutionality of the Independent Counsel (or special prosecutor) provisions in the Ethics in Government Act as not â€Å"an attempt by any branch to increase its own powers at the expense of another branch, and that the executive branch maintained meaningful controls over the counsels exercise of his or her authority† (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Separation of Powers. n.d).Executive Privilege and ImmunitiesExecutive privilege, the right of the President to withhold certain information sought by another branch of government, was first claimed by President Jefferson in response to a subpoena from John Marshall in the famous treason trial of Aaron Burr.   The Supr eme Courts first major pronouncement on the issue, however, did not come until 1974 in United States v Richard Nixon, which involved the Watergate Scandal. The Court held that   the Constitution does indeed contain an executive privilege which was presumptive and not absolute.   Balancing the interests in the Nixon case, the Court opined that the privilege do not   extend to the requested Watergate tapes   Finally, in Clinton v Jones (1997), the Court rejected President Clintons argument that the Constitution immunizes   him from suits for money damages for acts committed before assuming the presidency.   The case arose when Paula Jones filed a suit alleging sexual harassment by Clinton in an Arkansas hotel room in 1991 while Clinton served as Governor of Arkansas† (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Separation of Powers. n.d).Congressional Immunity under the Speech and Debate ClauseThe Federal Constitutional Framers â€Å"sought in various ways to guarantee the independence of each of the three branches.   The President was protected against criminal prosecutions while in office, answerable only in an impeachment trial with a super-majority required for a conviction.   Members of the federal judiciary were given lifetime tenure, with a guarantee that their compensation would be maintained.   To ensure free discussion of controversial issues in Congress, the framers immunized members of Congress from liability for statements made during a House debate:   for their ‘speech or debate’ they shall not be questioned in any other place. In 1979, in Hutchinson v Proxmire, the Court considered whether the immunity for Senate and House debate extended beyond the floor to cover press releases and statements released to the media.   The Court concluded that the Speech and Debate Clause protected only official congressional business, not statements for public consumption† (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Separat ion of Powers. n.d).Congressional Encroachment on  Judicial Powersâ€Å"In Ex Parte McCardle (1868) the Court decided it lacked jurisdiction to consider the habeas corpus petition of William McCardle, a Vicksburg, Mississippi newspaper editor arrested by military official for writing incendiary editorials about the federal officers then in control of Mississippi during Reconstruction.   Although McCardle made his petition under the 1867 Habeas Corpus Act, Congress repealed the provision authorizing McCardles petition AFTER the Court had heard arguments in his appeal.   Although it was obvious that Congress repealed the provision in an attempt to specifically deprive McCarldle of the opportunity to gain release from military custody, the Court nonetheless upheld the validity of the Act and found itself without jurisdiction â€Å"(Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Separation of Powers. n.d).ConclusionThe concept of the Separation of Power has created a dynamic, vibrant a nd dynamic democracy such as that of the United States. It provides powers for each of the branches and these powers were to be used not in isolation but in collaboration with other branches.This concept maintained our individual freedoms from the tyranny or abuses that could be wrecked by any of the three branches in our government.Indeed, James Madison’s Federalist Paper No. 51 is enlightening when he stated that [a]mbition must be made to counteract ambition.  Thus, the concept of separation of powers is not designed to maximize efficiency; but designed to maximize freedom.

The Chemistry of Theobromine

The Chemistry of Theobromine Theobromine belongs to a class of alkaloid molecules known as methylxanthines, which naturally occur in as many as 60 different plant species and include caffeine (the primary methylxanthine in coffee) and theophylline (the primary methylxanthine in tea). Theobromine is the primary methylxanthine found in products of the cocoa tree, theobroma cacao. Effects of Theobromine on Humans Theobromine affects humans similarly to caffeine, but on a much smaller scale. Theobromine is mildly diuretic (it increases urine production), is a mild stimulant, and relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs. In the human body, theobromine levels are halved between 6-10 hours after consumption. Theobromine has been used as a drug for its diuretic effect, particularly in cases where cardiac failure has resulted in an accumulation of body fluid. It has been administered with digitalis in order to relieve dilatation. Because of its ability to dilate blood vessels, theobromine also has been used to treat high blood pressure. Dangers of Theobromine Cocoa and chocolate products may be toxic or lethal to dogs and other domestic animals such as horses because these animals metabolize theobromine more slowly than humans. The heart, central nervous system, and kidneys are affected. Early signs of theobromine poisoning in dogs include nausea and vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increased urination or incontinence. The treatment at this stage is to induce vomiting. Cardiac arrhythmias and seizures are symptoms of more advanced poisoning. Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine. In general, theobromine levels are higher in dark chocolates (approximately 10 g/kg) than in milk chocolates (1-5 g/kg). Higher quality chocolate tends to contain more theobromine than lower quality chocolate. Cocoa beans naturally contain approximately 300-1200 mg/ounce theobromine (note how variable this is!).

3 Alternative Trucking Careers to Consider

3 Alternative Trucking Careers to Consider Have a truck driving career, but feel like a change? Sick of the solitude of the long haul and all the heavy lifting? Don’t feel like sitting in a cab for quite so many hours each day, but don’t feel qualified for anything else? Don’t stress. There are actually plenty of alternative careers for qualified truckers out there. You just need to get yourself in the game. 1. DispatchWhile you’d still need some training, who better than a trucker who knows the ropes to work dispatching loads? You’re familiar with the lifestyle and the lingo, and the ins and outs of hauling. Check with your current employer first, for ease of 401k, IRA, and health insurance transfer, then branch out.2. LoadingIf you don’t mind the heavy work and a probable pay cut (dock workers often make less than an OTR driver), you could easily get a more stable 9-5 kind of job- even at your own company- on the loading dock. You’ll be home a whole lot more, and could have a regular schedule for once.3. ManagementYou’ve thought of being an owner-operator, but you’re starting to feel even more ambitious. Why not step into the big leagues? Get yourself some educational training in business administration (try vocational schools and two year associates programs, or even online enrichment programs, to get some certification). A bit of business education combined with your existing experience and skills would make you an asset in trucking company management. You could work for an existing company, or even make it your goal to run your own someday. Either way, you’ll be out of one driver’s seat and into another.

Brain Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brain Cancer - Research Paper Example The growth of cancer cells in the brain tissue is termed as brain cancer. A tumor or mass of cancer tissue is formed by the cancer cells. These tumors affect the functions of the brain, such as memory, muscle control and memory. Tumors are classified as malignant, when they are comprised of cancer cells. On the other hand, tumors consisting of non – cancerous cells are termed as benign (Davis & Stoppler, 2013). Furthermore, cancer cells resulting from brain tissue are termed primary brain tumors; whereas the cancer cells that spread to the brain from other sites in the body are termed as metastatic brain tumors. It has been projected, by the available statistics that brain cancer could develop in approximately 22,000 individuals per year. Moreover, 13,000 deaths could occur due to cancer (Davis & Stoppler, 2013). Symptoms Individuals with glial origin tumors depict general, non – focal signs and symptoms, or focal manifestations pertaining to the specific region of the brain where the tumor is located. The most frequently observed symptoms among such individuals include headache, nausea, vomiting, generalized seizures and alterations in the level of consciousness. Headache tends to accompany several instances of brain tumors; nevertheless, only a few individuals with headache have a brain tumor (Pan & Prados, 2003). Headache tends to be the sole symptom in a fifth of the patients with brain tumors. Such headaches vary between moderate to severe, tend to be intermittent, and pronounced to a greater degree in the early morning, or increase with coughing and other actions that enhance the intracranial pressure. Headaches that are associated with increased intracranial pressure tend to be generalized, non – focal and non – lateralizing to the location of the tumor. Furthermore, tumors can be localized by headaches that are not associated with enhanced intracranial pressure (Pan & Prados, 2003). In 15% of the cases, the initial manifestat ions of brain tumors are seizures. In addition, 30% of the individuals with brain tumors could develop seizures in the long run. Usually, seizures transpire along with the slower developing and superficial tumors that involve the sensorimotor cortex (Pan & Prados, 2003). Some of the rapidly developing brain tumors may not present seizures as a distinguishing feature, but may do so eventually. With respect to adults, the onset of a new seizure necessitates neuroimaging, so as to eliminate the presence of a brain tumor as the underlying cause. Brain tumors have been seen to prevail to the extent of 10% among patients suffering with generalized seizures (Pan & Prados, 2003). With regard to children, seizures had been observed to result from intracranial tumors in less than a hundredth of the instances. This could be indicative of the fact that the majority of the central nervous system lesions in children transpire infratentorially. All the same, if a child exhibits seizures that tend to be difficult to control, then magnetic resonance imaging techniques have to be used, in order to evaluate the condition. In general, the brain tumors that cause seizures in children tend to be slow growing neoplasms (Pan & Prados, 2003). Increase in intracranial pressure can cause vomiting in a patient with glial tumors. On rare occasions, such vomiting can be due to invasion by the tumor of the vagal nucleus in the posterior fossa. Sometimes, a rapid

Marketing Management Tesco&Asda Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Management Tesco&Asda - Case Study Example It considers all the future cash flows of that customer arising from him consuming in the future. Customer relationship management should lead to increased CLV. When one thinks of maximizing CLV, one has to take a long term perspective and hence focus on customer retention rather than just making a sale. This, coupled with the concept of the Pareto principle - that 80% of a company's sales come from 20% of their customers - has made firms have realized that retaining that 20% is integral to their increased profitability (Jobber, Lancastor, 2006) Tesco is the UK's biggest retiler chin who sells everything to stisfy customers' needs such s books, grocery, household equipment, flowers, wine etc. (yhoo finnce 2003) Tesco hve stores in UK, republic of Irelnd, Frnce, Hungry, Polnd, Czech Republic, Thilnd, South Kore nd Tiwn. Through these stores they employ 260 000 people which 65,000 of these re employed overses tht giving them ccess to popultion of 280m cross 10 mrkets. Their gol is to crete 21 000 new jobs in the coming yer. Their min mrket is in the UK where 55 new Tesco stores where opened in 2002, which results in 729 stores now. Their profit in 2002 ws 1,221m before tx compred to previous yer when the result 1,070m. The Tesco group re lso offering non-food division nd retiling services. The non-food division consists of their own opticins. In order to mke it esier for customers for tht reson they cn buy both their grocery nd medicine t the sme time. Tesco re lso the owner of gs sttions. The retil services re offering personl finnce such s life insurnce nd generl insurnce (home, cr, pet, trvel), credit crds nd lons nd sving schemes nd their own webpge (yhoo finnce 2003). s of its 2006 yer end Tesco ws the fourth lrgest retiler in the world. The three lrgest re Wl-Mrt, Crrefour nd Home Depot. METRO ws only just behind nd might move hed gin if the euro strengthens ginst the pound, but METRO's sles include mny billions of wholesle turnover, nd its retil turnover is much less thn Tesco's. t 25 Februry 2006 Tesco operted 1,897 stores in the UK (25.9 million squre feet, 2.395 million m) nd 814 outside the UK (32.8 million squre feet, 3.02 million m). In the UK, there re 83 Tesco Extr stores; 447 Tesco superstores; 161 Tesco Metro stores; 277 Tesco Express stores nd 910 recently-cquired T&S stores still to be converted (see 'Moving in on the convenience ("c-store") sector', below. Tesco's mrket cpitlistion on 31 December 2005 ws 26.035 billion ($44.8 billion), which ws the lrgest of ny retiler bsed outside the United Sttes. Tesco is incresingly trget for people in the UK who dispprove of the effects supermrket chins cn hve on frmers, suppliers nd smller competitors. sd SD ws founded in 1965 when group of Yorkshire frmers decided to go together. SD's successes led to prtnership with the Wl-Mrt fmily from U.S. in 1999. The mission SD hs is to be "Britin's best vlue retiler, exceeding customers needs", (SD 2003) offering prices 10% lower thn min competitors on product such s fresh food, clothing, home, leisure nd entertinment goods etc. The compny lso offers hll lmb nd chicken to meet the demnd of Muslim customers, this long with rnge of ethnic foods, found in Hong Kong nd Jmic. SD ssures tht the "slughter process re crefully set nd monitored by SD's Product Development Tem". (SD 2003) SD hs currently 255 stores nd 19 storehouses throughout the UK nd is plnning to open 10 new stores

Capital Structure Essay Example for Free

Capital Structure Essay Capital structure is how a company finances its overall operations and growth by using funds from equity or debt (Investopedia, 2012). Of course, every company must determine its preference on its debt-to-equity ratio and determine which capital structure works best for them. Some approaches to analyzing capital structure are: 1.EBIT – EPS: This analyzes the impact of debt on earnings per share (EPS). Optimizing shareholder’s wealth is the optimum goal and therefore, this approach analyzes the high EPS based on an expected range of earnings before income taxes (EBIT). 2.Valuation: Determines impact of debt use on shareholder’s value by determining the level of debt at which the benefits of increased debt no longer outweigh the increased risks and expenses associated with financing (Wenk, 2012) 3.Cash Flow: Analyzes a firm’s debt capacity by using the weighted average of cost of capital (WACC). The WACC is a calculation of a firm’s cost of capital in which each capital source (bonds, stock and other long-term debt) are proportionally weighted to determine how much interest the company has to pay for every dollar it finances (Investopedia, 2012). Look more:  capital budgeting examples essay Part of Competition Bikes’ (CB) main consideration in the decision to merge or acquire Canadian Biking is working capital. Lets use the EBIT – EPS approach to determine how to maximize shareholder return while minimizing the cost of capital. We currently know Canadian Biking’s moderate sales forecast of EBIT figures for the next 5 years (Year 9 – 13), therefore we can apply the EBIT – EPS approach to choose an optimal capital structure. The total of capital sources in each of the 5 years is $600,000. We will use EBIT – EPS to determine which assortment of bonds*, preferred stock, and common stock is the best option to increase Canadian Biking’s EPS. The five alternative capital structures include: Option 1: 100% Bonds (fully financed) Option 2: 50% Preferred Stock 50% Common Stock (no bonds) Option 3: 20% Bonds 80% Common Stock Option 4: 40% Bonds 60% Common Stock Option 5: 60% Bonds 40% Common Stock *Annual bond interest rate is 9% After using the EBIT – EPS approach using the forecasted EBIT amounts for Years 9 through 13, we can average the EPS for each of the 5 years to determine which capital structure produced the highest EPS. The EPS averages computed for the capital structure options are: Option 1: Average EPS = .0452 Option 2: Average EPS = .0542 Option 3: Average EPS = .0526 Option 4: Average EPS = .051 Option 5: Average EPS = .0494 Based on the EBIT – EPS approach, the recommended capital structure is option 2, â€Å"50% preferred stock 50% common stock†. This is the best capital structure mainly because there are two things to consider: 1) long-term debt and associated interest expense and, 2) equity and # of common shares. Option 2 is the best capital structure because there are no bonds and therefore, no interest expense. For example, if we look at option 1 in Year 9, and the bond interest is 9%, then the bond interest expense is $54,000 (.09*600,00). This lowers the income before taxes by $54,000. Although companies can finance debt and use the interest expense deduction to lower their taxable income, it doesn’t make sense for Canadian Bikes to fully finance their capital, because the interest expense costs outweigh the benefit of the tax deduction, resulting in a significant decrease in total income available for common stock. Additionally, because the capital structure consists of 300,000 shares of preferred stock, the company must pay dividends of 5%, reducing the company’s total income available for common stock by $15,000 (.05 * 300,000). Although this reduces the total income available for common stock, the company will maximize its EPS by only having 50% capital in common stock. This reduces the total number of common shares outstanding, which means less shares to divide the total income among. Therefore, Option 2 is the most optimal capital structure that considers minimizing long-term  debt expenses and the optimal number of common shares in order to maximize shareholder return. CAPITAL BUDGETING: Competition Bikes’ is considering building a manufacturing facility in a new Canadian location. The total investment for this project would be $600,000 USD. This consists of $400,000 to build the facility and an additional $200,000 in working capital to support operational costs. The company has projected cash flows over the next five years; therefore we can use cash flow budgeting methods such as net present value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) that consider time value of money for long-term investments (Pearson Education, Inc., 2008). Net present value analyzes the profitability of a project by determining the difference between the present value of the project’s cash inflows and outflows followed by subtracting the initial investment. (Investopedia, 2012). The decision rule applied to NPV is fairly simple, if the NPV is positive, invest; if the difference is negative, do not invest. Competition Bikes applies NPV to forecasted low and moderate sales for the next 5 years. After using the forecasted sales for low demand, the total present value (after subtracting cash outflows from inflows) is $560,719. If we subtract the initial investment of $600,000 from this amount, the NPV is -$39,281. This is a significant warning that the company should not proceed in building a manufacturing facility. On the other hand, if we use the forecasted sales for moderate demand, the total present value is $608,447. If we subtract the initial investment of $600,000, the NPV is $8,447. Therefore a positive NPV indicates the company should proceed with building the manufacturing facility. The biggest concern is determining which NPV to lean towards based on low or moderate sales. Unfortunately, the risk of having low sales outweighs the profitability benefit of having moderate sales. It is too risky for CB to move forward with the investment based on the NPV of low sales (-$39,281). In order for the company to profit from this investment, CB would need to have a moderate sales demand at minimum! The present value in NPV is calculated using an interest rate, also known as the required rate of return. CB’s required rate of return is 10%. When this interest rate is altered or calculated to make the total present value equal to the initial investment, the NPV becomes equal to zero; this is called the internal rate of return (IRR) (Pearson Education, Inc., 2008). The IRR is what a company can expect to earn from investing in the project and the higher the IRR, the more desirable the investment. The calculated IRR for low demand cash flows is 8.2% and the IRR for moderate demand cash flows is 10.4%. Based on these IRR figures, the company should not pursue the capital investment because the average IRR between both low and moderate sales is 9.3%. This is below the company’s required return on capital (hurdle rate) of 10% to pursue a capital investment. Again, the company would need to have a moderate sales demand, at minimum for this capital investment to be profitable and should therefore not pursue building a new manufacturing facility. WORKING CAPITAL: CB must effectively obtain and manage working capital for the expansion of the operation. CB must first look at their operating cycle, cash conversion cycle and free cash flow factors in order to improve production and management of working capital. Let’s discuss the company’s current status of each of the working capital and cash flow factors and determine how the company can improve in these areas. First, the operating cycle involves CB sending the distributor a monthly invoice for all raw materials ordered with terms of net/30 days. This can be improved by renegotiating the payment terms will distributors to net/15 days. This would increase cash flows by improving payment turn around time and accounts receivable collections. Additionally, the company can improve its relations with its distributers to increase effectiveness of its collection process. Another operating cycle factor is ordering and paying for inventory. Currently, the company pays for inventory in the month following production and all inventory ordered for the month is used leaving inventory levels (at the end of each month) at consistent levels. In order  to improve working capital the company should utilize and lower its year ending inventory balance. For example, at the end of Year 8, the company had $91,573 worth of inventory left over. The company should utilize the current inventory on hand before ordering similar raw material items. This will decease cash flows and leave fewer inventories on hand at the end of the year. Currently the average time in inventory is 25 days. This is a substantial turnaround time currently, however in the future, the company can consider replacing labor workers with fixed asset items to improve production time. This will satisfy customer demand by decreasing delivery time and improve cash flows by invoicing customers more frequently than 25 days after production. CB’s cash conversion cycle factors also impact working capital. Currently, the CB’s suppliers invoice at the end of the month for orders that month with terms of net/15. CB does an excellent job of preserving its cash flows by paying the invoices on the 15th of the month following the order.. CB can improve its working capital by negotiating for longer payment terms, i.e. net/30 days, allowing for more time for the company to earn money to pay their invoices. If this is not possible, the company can improve its forecasting measurements for ordering supplies and order the majority of the supplies needed for the month at the beginning of the month. This would increase the amount of time the company has sufficient supplies on hand without having to pay more money, (because the suppliers will still invoice for the orders at the end of the month, regardless of how early in the month the supplies were ordered). This can increase working capital because it acts as a contingency plan, to reduce the likelihood of running out of supplies, avoiding delays, or ordering supplies in excess. Free cash flow factors also affect CB’s working capital. Currently, the company recognizes depreciation in both manufacturing overhead and as depreciation expenses depending on the fixed asset. The company can use their depreciation data to increase management of cash flows by predicting when the company will have to spend a significant amount of money to replace an asset when its useful life expires. This will prepare CB for those unwanted although necessary – fixed asset costs. Currently the  corporation’s marginal tax rate is 25%. The company can consider obtaining working capital by financing debt. This will leave the company with an interest expense at the end of the year, which is deductible from gross earnings and results in paying lower taxes. After CB improves its working capital, let’s discuss how CB can use its working capital for the lease vs. buy option for a factory building in Canada. CB can use its working capital to cover the $50,000 down payment (or buy out option if they decide to lease) and $200,000 for operational costs of the new factory. According to the data provided for the lease vs. buy option, the lease option will preserve cash outflows of $12,339, (purchase cash outflows are $333,999 and lease cash outflows are $321,660). Therefore, the company should lease the manufacturing facility to preserve cash outflows. Leasing the facility will also allow CB to deduct annual interest payments (6% interest) from the gross earnings to lower their tax payments. This will increase the company’s net earnings at the end of the year, also resulting in higher retained earnings and increased shareholder value. MERGER OR ACQUISITION: CB should consider many factors when deciding to merge or acquire Canadian Biking. Let’s analyze the pros and cons between a merge vs. acquisition and determine what the best move would be for CB. First off, if the company were to merge with Canadian Biking, the potential EPS would increase by approximately .021. This shows potential for increased ownership earnings, but is it significant enough? At the same token, the price/earnings ratio for Canadian Bikes at the end of Year 8 was 9 and CB’s was 70. This shows that CB’s current investors are expecting greater earnings in Year 9 and are willing to pay $70 for $1 of current earnings. This is not the case with Canadian Biking’s investors. Unfortunately a low P/E ratio of 9 indicates that investors are not expecting a significant growth in company earnings. This raises a concern if the merge will result in a potential increase of .021 in EPS. On the other hand, a merge would result in lower costs because CB would not be purchasing Canadian Biking outright. Canadian Biking also has a lower cost competition bike that can decrease production costs and complement CB’s current bike model being offered. This will result in  greater net earnings and cash flows. If the company were to acquire Canadian Bikes, CB can expect a gradual increase in cash inflows over the next 5 years. However, the current offered sales price for Canadian Biking is $286,000; this is 30% more than what the company was valued at, at the end of Year 8. Although CB has enough working capital to make the purchase, it would take 5 years of gradually increasing cash inflows to recoup the price tag of $286,000. This means it could take approximately 5 years, before shareholders saw a significant increase in earnings per share. Based on the pro and cons, CB should merge with Canadian Bikes to lower their production and delivery costs, increase net income, EPS and cash flows, and preserve working capital. The price to acquire Canadian Biking is simply unreasonable based on predicted cash inflows over the next 5 years. The merger will enhance CB’s market position in Canada by having a local distributer to handle all customer orders and provide cost effective and great customer service to the growing Canadian market. References Investopedia. (2012). Capital Structure. Retrieved from http://www.kotzinvaluation.com/articles/capital-structure.htm Investopedia. (2012). Weighted Average Cost of Capital. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wacc.asp#axzz2Azkq4E2V Investopedia. (2012). Net Present Value. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/npv.asp#axzz2Azkq4E2 Pearson Education, Inc.. (2008). Horngren Accounting. Retrieved from http://wpscms.pearsoncmg.com/wps/media/objects/6716/6877765/hha08_flash_main.html?chapter=nullpage=1042anchory=nullpstart=nullpend=null Wenk, D. (2012). Using an optimal capital structure in business valuation. Retrieved from http://www.kotzinvaluation.com/articles/capital-structure.htm

Working as a Housekeeper Essay -- essays research papers

Today's workers and families are overworked and stressed. After working through a 9-to-5 job, feeding and putting the children to bed, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is cleaning the house. Weekends are spent running errands and spending quality time with friends and family members. Therefore, many families are looking for outside assistance with housekeeping. In the past, housekeepers were thought of as the "hired help" and were thus treated like 18th century scullery maids. This is no longer the case. Housekeepers have reached a well-deserved level of respectability for their highly appreciated services. Starting a house cleaning business is an easy job for most people because there is very little start up cost involved. To help you get started, here is a step-by-step set of instructions to send you on your way to engaging in this highly profitable business. The first thing that you need to do before seeking out your clientele is to develop a business plan and policy. For starters, you need a name. Choose a name that denotes an air of sophistication. You don't want a name like, Tim's Cleaning Service or A-1 Cleaners. Those names are much too common and do not reflect any sort of professionalism. Try something original such as, Homestead Helpers. Such a name stands out from the many "fly-by-night" and unreliable services. Once you've chosen a name for your business, the next important step to take is to insure your business. As a house cleaner you are a sole-proprietor. This entitles you to the status of an independent contractor. This means that your profession is no different than that of a plumber, electrician, or a freelance writer. Insurance is a must have. For one thing, it eases the minds of your future clientele. Put yourself in their shoes; would you want an uninsured person coming into your home, handling your personal articles, and perhaps doing so while unattended in your home? Probably not. Having insurance will put you on top of the list for jobs, as most house cleaners do not carry insurance. The insurance will also give you piece of mind. You will not have to worry about your personal assets being seized in a lawsuit because someone accused you of stealing a family heirloom. Unfortunately, as with many service professions, dishonest people have tarnished the respectability of independent contractors, so you'l... ...ou money on graphics and design. A business card display ad catches people’s attention far quicker than a worded classified ad. Given the independent contractor status, and depending on the tax laws of your state, you are eligible for various tax deductions. For example if you own your own home, you can set up a small office space and take deductions for the square footage of the space, utilities, a computer, office supplies, phone calls, and cleaning supplies that you might purchase. Also, advertising and insurance costs are tax deductible. Many of the same deductions can be used for people who rent their home or apartment. Check with your local state's laws of taxation to see which deductions you can use. House cleaning is a highly profitable profession, with some house cleaners making $15-17 an hour, so be sure to report all of your income to the IRS. As an independent contractor, you can open an IRA account and start saving toward your retirement. In conclusion, I feel housekeeping is a respectable profession. The payment can be benevolent, and you can pick up habits for your own home, to keep a respectable looking residence. Also, no special talents or education is required. Working as a Housekeeper Essay -- essays research papers Today's workers and families are overworked and stressed. After working through a 9-to-5 job, feeding and putting the children to bed, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is cleaning the house. Weekends are spent running errands and spending quality time with friends and family members. Therefore, many families are looking for outside assistance with housekeeping. In the past, housekeepers were thought of as the "hired help" and were thus treated like 18th century scullery maids. This is no longer the case. Housekeepers have reached a well-deserved level of respectability for their highly appreciated services. Starting a house cleaning business is an easy job for most people because there is very little start up cost involved. To help you get started, here is a step-by-step set of instructions to send you on your way to engaging in this highly profitable business. The first thing that you need to do before seeking out your clientele is to develop a business plan and policy. For starters, you need a name. Choose a name that denotes an air of sophistication. You don't want a name like, Tim's Cleaning Service or A-1 Cleaners. Those names are much too common and do not reflect any sort of professionalism. Try something original such as, Homestead Helpers. Such a name stands out from the many "fly-by-night" and unreliable services. Once you've chosen a name for your business, the next important step to take is to insure your business. As a house cleaner you are a sole-proprietor. This entitles you to the status of an independent contractor. This means that your profession is no different than that of a plumber, electrician, or a freelance writer. Insurance is a must have. For one thing, it eases the minds of your future clientele. Put yourself in their shoes; would you want an uninsured person coming into your home, handling your personal articles, and perhaps doing so while unattended in your home? Probably not. Having insurance will put you on top of the list for jobs, as most house cleaners do not carry insurance. The insurance will also give you piece of mind. You will not have to worry about your personal assets being seized in a lawsuit because someone accused you of stealing a family heirloom. Unfortunately, as with many service professions, dishonest people have tarnished the respectability of independent contractors, so you'l... ...ou money on graphics and design. A business card display ad catches people’s attention far quicker than a worded classified ad. Given the independent contractor status, and depending on the tax laws of your state, you are eligible for various tax deductions. For example if you own your own home, you can set up a small office space and take deductions for the square footage of the space, utilities, a computer, office supplies, phone calls, and cleaning supplies that you might purchase. Also, advertising and insurance costs are tax deductible. Many of the same deductions can be used for people who rent their home or apartment. Check with your local state's laws of taxation to see which deductions you can use. House cleaning is a highly profitable profession, with some house cleaners making $15-17 an hour, so be sure to report all of your income to the IRS. As an independent contractor, you can open an IRA account and start saving toward your retirement. In conclusion, I feel housekeeping is a respectable profession. The payment can be benevolent, and you can pick up habits for your own home, to keep a respectable looking residence. Also, no special talents or education is required.

The Twentieth Century Saw a Major Increase in the World

The twentieth century saw a major increase in the world’s population. Yet large parts of the globe remain uninhabitable, so people are drawn towards living in existing towns and cities. A result our modern day cities face a number of serious problems which are due to overcrowding. Cities teeming with people are put under great strain to supply housing, healthcare, education, jobs and a certain quality of life for the inhabitants. The consequence of too dense a population is that one or all of these areas must suffer.Owing to being over-peopled, Britain’s main cities all have a number of people living on the streets. Life must be extremely hard for these people and one effect of such a lifestyle is that drug abuse and crime rates rise. Cities are environmentally unfriendly places. This is because light, heat, travel and food must all be supplied artificially as one is removed from nature. Hence, the greater the population, the more natural resources are burnt up and, con sequently, the more pollution is created. A city crowded with people leads to roads crawling with cars.The effect of the consequent levels of carbon monoxide in the air is said to, in cities as crowded as Mexico City, be equivalent to smoking twenty cigarettes a day. Living in a city, therefore, forces us to be part of an unhealthy consumer throwaway society, which creates illness and environmental crisis, rather than curing it. It is the Government’s responsibility to find solutions for these problems. As a result a lot of taxpayer’s money is spent on trying to keep the effects of overcrowding under control. More housing is built, more roads are planned. This tactic might alleviate some systematic problems at high cost.However, it will never solve the problem of overpopulation. For this reason, we must look to the cause of the problem, which is simply an unchecked epidemic of people. Thus, governments must educate people to limit the size of their family. In China, co uples are penalize;, ed financially as a consequence of having more than one child. This may seem cruel, but the â€Å"one-child policy† is beginning to have an effect on the world’s most populous nation. Similar such policies may also be necessary in other overcrowded nations and this, in turn, would eventually result in solving the problem of overcrowding in cities.

Of Mice and Men Chapter Summary Essay

Chapter One Two itinerant workers, George and Lennie, are introduced. They rest in a small clearing by the Salinas River, on their way to a nearby ranch where they expect to sign on for work. They have hurriedly left the last ranch, following an incident involving Lennie in Weed. Lennie pleads with George to tell him over and over again about their dream ranch, where Lennie’s main task will be to tend the rabbits. Lennie’s Aunt Clara, whom he refers to as â€Å"that Lady†, is briefly introduced to the novel, as is Lennie’s love of petting mice. Key Points: †¢ Introduction of George and Lennie – character descriptions (p.19-20) †¢ We first hear about the American Dream (p. 31-33) †¢ First hints of what happened in Weed (p.24, 29) Chapter Two The next day George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and go to the bunk house, where they meet most of the other main characters in the novel: Candy, an old â€Å"swamper† with only one hand; Curley, the boss’s son; the boss, who is suspicious that George will not let Lennie speak for himself; Curley’s â€Å"purty† young wife, who flirts with the other men; Slim, the top ranch hand who is respected by all the other ranch hands; and Carlson, another of the established hands. Slim is friendly towards George and Lennie. His bitch dog has recently given birth to pups and begs George to ask him if he will give one to Lennie as a pet. Key Points: †¢ Introduction of the other characters (and mention of Crooks, the stable buck) – character descriptions are throughout the chapter †¢ We can begin to see the hierarchy on the ranch – introduction of Curley (p.46-48) – introduction of Slim (p.55-57) – CONTRAST †¢ Introduction of Curley’s wife – important for the theme of sexist attitudes towards women? (p.53-54) Chapter Three George reveals to Slim the real reason why he and Lennie travel together. Slim realises that Lennie has the mentality of a child. George tells Slim about the supposed rape in Weed involving Lennie. Carlson bullies Candy into allowing him to shoot his ageing, smelly, rheumatic dog. George, at Lennie’s insistence, describes to him again their dream farm, and Candy who is listening in, also becomes enchanted by the idea. Curley starts a fight with Lennie and at George’s command Lennie eventually unleashes his strength and crushes Curley’s hand with ease. Slim persuades Curley that to avoid further humiliation, it would be in his best interests to pretend that his hand got caught in a machine. Key Points: †¢ Further character development of George and Lennie – reader gets more of an insight into their past together – George’s â€Å"confession† of how he used to treat Lennie ( p.65-66) †¢ Shooting of Candy’s dog – a forewarning of what is to happen to Lennie? Because the relationship between Candy and his dog could be seen as similar to George and Lennie’s. (p.70-72†¦74-76) †¢ George and Lennie realise their dream could become a reality, as Candy gets involved, and the three realise they could save the money together (p.83-89) Chapter Four All the men go into town on Saturday night except Lennie, Candy and Crooks. Crooks reluctantly allows Lennie into his room where they talk and Crooks taunts Lennie that George may not return, leaving Lennie on his own. Lennie begins to panic at this thought and Crooks is forced to apologise in an attempt to calm Lennie down. Candy joins them and he and Lennie let slip to Crooks their intention to buy a farm. They are interrupted by Curley’s wife, who is looking for company. Candy and Crooks resent her presence and when Crooks orders her out of his room, she attacks him verbally, using her superior social status as a white woman. Key Points †¢ Proper meeting of Crooks’ character – insight into life as a coloured man in 1930’s America and the hardships he has suffered. (p. 98-105) †¢ Character development of Curley’s wife – a sense of vulnerability is revealed about her as she describes how her life could have been if she wasn’t married to Curley – the grim reality of life is shown when she attacks the three men when they tell her to leave. (p.109-115) Chapter Five Most of the men are outside the barn playing at throwing horseshoes. Only Lennie is in the barn, where he has just accidentally killed his pup by stroking it too hard. Curley’s wife comes in and starts to flirt with Lennie who confesses to her his liking for stroking nice things. She invites him to stroke her long, soft hair, but as his stroking becomes harder, she panics; the harder her strokes the more she panics and in the end, Lennie accidentally breaks her neck. He half buries her body in the hay and runs off. Candy discovers Curley’s wife’s body and informs the rest of the men. Curley is furious and decides to seek revenge, organising a man-hunt to pursue and kill Lennie. Slim suggests that Curley stay with his wife, but Curley shows his true feelings for her as he is more concerned about getting revenge on Lennie that grieving for the loss of his wife. Reluctantly, George joins the hunt. Key Points: †¢ Further development of Lennie – a violent side to him which was always present is shown in the extreme, although it is made clear that Lennie meant no harm – killing the pup (p. 121) – killing of Curley’s Wife (p. 127-128) †¢ CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT – Curley’s Wife’s dream to become an actress, how her dream never worked out (p.124-125) – in death she appears more vulnerable and innocent, and the most positive way in which Curley’s wife is portrayed throughout the novel is in death – (p.129) †¢ Character development of Candy – the importance of the dream to him in particular is shown (p. 132) †¢ Curley’s lack of love for his wife even when she has been killed – all he thinks about is revenge (p.133, 135) Chapter Six George meets up with Lennie at the clearing where he had instructed Lennie to go in the event of any trouble. Lennie is panicking and George attempts to calm him down by telling him once again about their dream ranch. George distracts Lennie’s attention and shoots him in the back of the head with Carlson’s Luger pistol which he had stolen from the bunk house. The other men come running to where George and Lennie were on hearing the gun shot. When Carlson asks George how he killed Lennie, George replies tiredly â€Å"I just done it†. Slim kindly tells George he â€Å"hadda† kill Lennie, and the two go for a drink. The novel ends: â€Å"Curley and Carlson looked after them. And Carlson said, â€Å"Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?† Key Points: †¢ The novel ends where it began – by the Salinas River with George and Lennie by the brush †¢ CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT of Lennie – for the first time, the reader gets an insight into Lennie’s mind as he hallucinates, whereas before throughout the novel Lennie appears simplistic and not much feeling is shown. (?) †¢ Lennie’s death – like Candy’s dog, but George does it himself – Candy wishes he had killed his dog himself. †¢ Bond formed between Slim and George, which, like George and Lennie’s bond, seems unusual and strange to the other men – Carlson, who perhaps has never known such a close bond between itinerant workers, says â€Å"Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?† – He will never understand the close bond Slim and George now share.

The New SAT vs. the ACT Full Breakdown

The New SAT vs. the ACT Full Breakdown SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips For the past decade or so, the SAT has come under increasingscrutiny for its confusing structure, trick questions, and obscure vocabulary. Meanwhile, the ACT is often seen asthe fairer test, more closely based in what students learn in school. As you might have heard, the College Board undertook a radical overhaul of the SAT that went into effect in March 2016 and, in many ways, made it much more similar to the ACT. Adding to the confusion is the fact that ACT, Inc., also made some minor changes to the ACT. What are the main differences between the current versions of the two tests?The short answer is that the SAT and ACT are now quite similar.The changes have eliminated many of the two tests' major differences in both style and content. Nonetheless, there remain important variations- some long-standing and some newly introduced. I'm going to start by talking about what the SAT and ACT look like in general, and then I'll break down the new similarities and unique characteristics of each test, section by section: Test Structure (Timing/Sections and Scoring) Reading Writing/English Math Science Essay Brief Timeline of Changes to the SAT and ACT Before we get into the key differences between the two tests, I've included a basic timeline of when the changes to each exam went into effect below: Early 2015 and earlier Slight changes to ACT question distribution Paired passages on ACT Reading Fall 2015 New ACT Writing test RedesignedPSAT March 2016 Redesigned SAT As you can see, the ACT, the SAT, and even the PSAT have all undergone noticeable changes in the past few years. Yet while the content and format of the ACT has stayed mostly the same, both the SAT and PSAT have been completely revamped (or, rather, redesigned). Now that you understand when these big changes happened, let's begin our analysis by comparing the overall structures of the current SAT and ACT. SAT vs ACT: Overall Test Structure One of the goals of the SAT overhaul was to make the testmore straightforward, so many of its structural oddities, such as the wrong-answer penalty, were eliminated.The College Board also streamlined the SAT structure by including only one section of each type (except for Math, which has two subsections now) rather than three. The ACT structure, on the other hand, hasstayed mostly the same.The biggest changes to the test mainly targeted the Writing (essay) section, and that's it. Let's go over the specific layouts of the two tests so you can better understand the similarities and differences between them. Timing and Sections The current SAThas one Reading section and one Writing section. The Math section is divided into a No Calculator Test and a Calculator Test (meaning you may not use your calculator on the former but may on the latter). In addition, there is one Essay section, which is optional. The four sections are always in the same order. The entire SAT is three hours without the Essay, and three hours and 50 minutes with the Essay. The exact breakdown looks like this: SAT Section Total Time # of Questions 1. Reading 65 minutes 52 2. Writing and Language 35 minutes 44 3. Math No Calculator 25 minutes 20 4. Math Calculator 55 minutes 38 5. Essay (Optional) 50 minutes 1 prompt By contrast, the basic ACT structure and timing have not changed, with the exception of the new essay section, which is longer.Here is the breakdown of the ACT's timing and questions: ACT Section Total Time # of Questions 1. English 45 minutes 75 2. Math 60 minutes 60 3. Reading 35 minutes 40 4. Science 35 minutes 40 5. Writing (Optional) 40 minutes 1 prompt As you can see, the format of the current SAT is more similar to that ofthe ACT than to that of its previous incarnation. While there's no Science section on the SAT, it contains sections on Reading, Writing/English, and Math, just like the ACT does. It also has an optional Essay section like the ACT (before, the SAT Essay was mandatory!). Scoring The 2016 SAT redesign also involved major changes to the scoring system; we'll go through these one at a time: Scoring returned to the 400-1600 scale:In 2005, when the College Board last implemented major changes to the SAT, it added the Writing section; this meant there were three scores (each on a scale of 200-800) to combine, making the top possible score 2400. Nowadays, the Writing and Reading sections count toward the same Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score, which are combined with your Math score to get a final score between 400 and 1600. There's no wrong-answer penalty:You're no longer penalized by 1/4 point for every wrong answer! The original idea behind this policy was to discourage guessing on the SAT, but the College Board's research found that eliminating it doesn't affect scores that much and cuts down on students' reliance on test-taking strategies (a major goal for this overhaul). The Essay is given three scoresand no longer affects your total SAT score:Since it's now optional, the SAT Essay works a lot more like the ACT essay- you get a separate Essayscore that does not factor into your final score (on the 400-1600 scale). Essay scoring also changed: rather than getting onescore between 2 and 12, you'll get three scores, for Reading, Analysis, and Writing, between 2 and 8. You get lots of subscores:As part of its attempt to provide more helpful information to colleges, the College Board now provides several subscores and cross-test scoresfor the SAT: Analysis in History/Social Studies, Analysis in Science, Command of Evidence, Words in Context,Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions,Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math. That said, it's unclear how (or if) colleges use these scores, so don't worry about them for now. On the other hand,ACTscoringstayed mostly the same. You get four section scores, each on a scale of 1-36. These are then averaged to create a composite ACT score, also on a scale of 1-36. The exceptionis ACT Writing. This section is separate from your composite ACT score and scored on a scale of 2-12. Like the SAT Essay, it'sscored across multiple domains, which are as follows: Ideas and Analysis Development and Support Organization Language Use Each of these subscores is between 2 and 12, and the average of these four subscores is your ACT Writing score. Now that we've covered the big-picture changes, let's move on to the nitty-gritty of each section of the SAT and ACT. Jason Parrish/Flickr SAT/ACT Reading Section SAT Reading is the section that's most similar to its previous incarnation. However, there are still some big changes to note. One is that the SAT Reading section only includes longer passages.Without Sentence Completions or short passages, this section now looks a lot more like the ACT Reading section, which contains a series of 500-750 word passages followed by several questions. Also,thanks to a recent change to the ACT,both tests feature paired passages. These are just the basic similarities of the two tests' Reading sections, but how specificallydo these two sections differ? The chart below shows the specifications for each test: SAT Reading ACT Reading Total Time 65 minutes 35 minutes # of Questions 5 passages, 52 questions 4 passages, 40 questions Passage Types 1 US/World Literature, 2 History/Social Studies, 2 Science 1 Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative, 1 Social Sciences, 1 Humanities, 1 Natural Sciences Question Types Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Evidence Support, Data Reasoning, Technique, Detail-Oriented Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Detail-Oriented SAT Reading Although the Sentence Completions and short passages have been eliminated, the remaining long reading passages look more or less the same as they always have, with a few exceptions: Inclusion of classic texts:As part of the plan to make the Reading passages more complex and therefore more similar to what you might read in school, the SAT Reading section now includes excerpts from texts from the Western canon, including stories and essays by famous authors, US founding documents, and other historically important works. Because these are often quite old, they tend to include more challenginglanguage. Evidence questions:One of the big changes to SAT Reading that you might've heard about is the addition of evidence questions, which ask you to indicate what part of a passage supports your answer to a previous question. As these questions are quite tricky, you'll definitely want to learn effective ways to approach them. Questions go in chronological order (for a passage):This is one aspect of the SAT Reading section that didn't change and that really sets it apart from the ACT Reading section, in which questions do not follow the order of the passage. Charts and figures in science passages:Two of the five SAT Reading section passages cover scientific topics and include charts and figures. Here's an example of the types of charts and data you'll see, taken from an official SAT practice test: ACTReading The big difference between ACT Reading and SAT Reading remains how you need to budget time. Also, while the SAT is more focused on analyzing specific points in a passage and understanding how the author constructs an argument, the ACT deals more withreading comprehension. Here are some of the key features of ACT Reading, in comparison with SAT Reading: Randomly ordered questions:SAT Reading tells you where to look for the answers to most questions, but one of the biggest challenges on ACT Reading is finding the information you need. The questions are ordered randomly and often do not give line numbers, which can makefinding specific details very tricky. Less time per question:The strict time constraint is the other challenge many students face on ACT Reading: you have roughly eight and half minutes per 10-questionpassage on the ACT,compared with 13 minutes per 10- to 11-minute passage on SAT Reading. SAT Writing/ACT English Section Of the three SAT sections, Writing underwent the biggest changes (though if you've taken the ACT, its new format is going to look familiar). The current SAT Writing and Language section uses the same passage-based format as the ACT English section. Here's an official example of an SAT Writing passage and the questions that follow: SAT Writing also includes more ofthe same grammatical concepts as ACT English,most notably of which is punctuation. SAT Writing ACT English Total Time 35 minutes 45 minutes # of Questions 4 passages, 44 questions 5 passages, 75 questions Content Tested Standard English Conventions: 20 questions (45%), covering sentence structure, conventions of usage, and conventions of punctuation Expression of Ideas: 24 questions (55%), covering development, organization and effective language use Usage and Mechanics: sentence structure (20-25%), grammar and usage (15-20%), and punctuation (10-15%) Rhetorical Skills: style (15-20%), strategy (15-20%), and organization (10-15%) Despite the massivesimilarities between the SAT Writing and ACT English sections, there are still some noticeable differences. Let's go through them one at a time. SATWriting and Language As I noted above, the SAT overhaul involved a complete redesign of the Writing section so that all of the questions are now presented in the context of reading passages.Here are other major changes to note: The Writing section is included in your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score: With the current SAT, the Writing section is part of the same final section score as the Reading section is; this change returned the SAT to its original 400-1600 scale (as opposed to the previous 600-2400 scale). Slightly more focused on writing style:These days, SAT Writing has slightly more questions dealing with Expression of Ideas (writing style and argument) than it does targeting Standard English Conventions (grammar and sentence structure). Includes charts and graphs:Like the SAT Reading section, SAT Writing includes charts and graphs with its passages. However, there are only a few questions of this type per test. Some word choice questions involve challenging vocab:While word choice questions on the ACT are more focused on nuanced differences between common words, this type of question on the SAT sometimes tests knowledge of more traditional vocabulary words like those that wereincluded in old Sentence Completion questions. ACTEnglish Again, the similarities between these sections are much greater than their differences, but the ACT does emphasize slightly different skills than the SAT does. Here are the main features of the ACT English section and how they differ from the SAT Writing section: A lot more questions:ACT English has almost twice as many questions as SAT Writing. This doesn't necessarily make it more difficult, but it does necessitate a slightly different approach. Read our guide for more suggestions on how to approach ACT English passages. Slightly more focused on grammar and conventions:While the SAT has more questions about writing style, the ACT has theemphasis reversed: it's primarily focused on Usage and Mechanics questions, which coversentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Big-picture questions:Though the two tests cover almost all the same material, ACT English hasone type of question that SAT Writing does not have: main idea questions. Both tests ask questions such as "What is the purpose of this passage?" on their Reading sections, but only the ACT includes these on the English section as well: SAT/ACT Math Section SAT Math is the section that remains the most similar structurally, but there were some pretty big changes in terms of its content. Like the ACT Math section, SAT Math now includes somemore advanced math topics, such astrigonometry and complex numbers, though there are only a few questions on these concepts. SAT Math questions are also closer to ACT Math questions in style: they're more straightforward and test the kinds of math you learn in school rather than more obscure topics. Here's an overview of the two Math sections: SAT Math ACT Math Total Time Calculator: 55 minutes No Calculator: 25 minutes 60 minutes # of Questions Calculator: 38 questions No Calculator: 20 questions 60 questions Topics Tested Heart of Algebra - 33% Problem Solving and Data Analysis - 28% Passport to Advanced Math - 29% Additional Topics in Math - 10% Pre-algebra - 20-25% Elementary algebra - 15-20% Intermediate algebra - 15-20% Coordinate geometry - 15-20% Plane geometry - 20-25% Trigonometry - 5-10% SAT Math The changes to SAT Math were designed to make it more similar to the tests you take in math class, meaning you're asked harder questions in a more straightforward way. Here are some of the key changes to note: Divided into a Calculator section and a No Calculator section:SAT Math is now split into two sections, one for which you're allowed to use a calculator and one for which you aren't. Don't worry about the No Calculatorsection too much, though, as it only requires basic calculations you can easilydo by hand or in your head. Heavily focused on algebra:As I mentioned above, one of the goals of the SAT was to make it more similar to what you learn in school and what you'll need for college. One part of this change was shifting the focus of the test toward algebra. Now, 61% of Math questions deal with algebra topics, including manipulating equations and expressions, writing equations to solve word problems, solving quadratics, and working with formulas. More data analysis: The proportionof data analysis questions has also increased. Almost one-third of SAT Math questions focus on manipulating ratios and percents, in addition to understanding graphs and charts. Very little geometry:With so much of the SAT Math section devoted to algebra and data analysis, there's very little room for geometry. In fact, only six questions ask about geometry and trigonometry, though the test still provides most of the common formulas you'll need. Still has grid-ins:Like the old version of SAT Math, the current Mathsectionhas 13 student-produced response questions, commonly known as grid-ins. These questions require you to write in your own answer instead of choosing one from the options given to you. ACT Math ACT Math stayed more or less the same, despite some tweaks to topic distribution. However, the changes to the SAT have created some new differences between the tests: Farmore geometry and trigonometry:If you like geometry, the ACT's the test for you. One-quarter to one-third of ACT Math questions deal with geometry or trig. However, unlike the SAT, the ACTdoesn't provide you with any formulas, so you'll absolutely have to know the common ones. A wider range of material:In fact, ACT Math tests more topics in general than the SAT does. You might see questions about logarithms, graphs of trig functions, and matrices- none of which appear on the SAT. SAT/ACT Science Section While there still isn't a Science section on the SAT, the College Board has attempted to incorporate these skills into the other three sections. According to the College Board website, "[the redesigned SAT]call[s] on the same sorts of knowledge and skills that students will use in college, in their jobs, and throughout their lives to make sense of recent discoveries, political developments, global events, and health and environmental issues." The current version of the SAT includes questions that ask you to analyze a chartorgraphin all three sections, as well as two reading passages on scientific topics. The ACT continues to have a lot more science questionssince it has a dedicated Science section. It also asks more complex questions than the SAT does, particularly with regard to experimental design. SAT Essay/ACT Writing Section The Essay is the one section for whichboth tests underwent a major overhaul.Moreover, both the SAT Essay and ACT Writing sections became more complex and are nowoptional. Ideally, the changes to the essay create results that better reflect your ability to understand and build arguments, though it remains to be seen how many schools will require the essay section onceit's optional for both tests. SAT Essay ACT Writing Total Time 50 minutes 40 minutes Optional? Yes Yes # of Prompts 1 prompt 1 prompt Scoring Domains Reading, Analysis, Writing Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, Language Use SAT Essay The College Board shifted the SAT essay task from one that asks you to make an argument to one that asks you to dissect an argument. Take a look at the official sample prompt below to get a sense of the type of question you'll be asked on test day: Here are some of the main features of the redesigned SAT Essay section and how it differs from the old SAT Essay: You're given a text and asked to analyzethe author's argument:Unlike the prompt for the old SAT Essay,the current essay assignment asks you to read and and analyze an argumentative essay. You're thengraded on three skills: reading, analysis, and writing. They don't want your opinion: According to each SAT Essay prompt, it doesn't matter what your opinion on the issue is- rather, you need toexplain how the author makes his point. More similar to essays in English class and on AP tests:In keeping with the College Board's goal to make the SAT more accurately reflect the skills you learn in school, the SAT Essay task is now much closer to the types of essays you write in school. ACT Writing The Writing (essay) section is the only part of the ACT that underwent major changes. Nonetheless, it's remaining more similar to itsold format than the current SAT Essay did to its. Take a look at the official sample prompt below to see what you'll be asked to write about: Here are some key ways in which the ACT Writing section differs from the SAT Essay section: Asked to analyze three perspectives on an issue:Rather than simply laying out a question, the prompt gives you three perspectiveson an issue and asks you to evaluate them. Must argue your opinion:Like the previous ACT and SAT essay prompts, the current ACT Writing task requires you to argue your own position on the issue at hand. Need to generate specific examples:Since the prompt itself only provides perspectives on the issue, not facts, you'll need to come up with specific examples to bolster your argument. Caleb Roenigk/Flickr What Do These SAT and ACT Differences Mean for You? I've written an in-depth breakdown of how to decide whether you should take the SAT or ACT here if you want to read through it. But for now, here are the important takeaway points as you create a long-term study plan. Content Differences Between the SAT and ACT The redesigned SAT is much more content-based than the old SAT, so if you're planning to take it, make sure you understand exactly what will be on it. Also, keep in mind that the ACT still tests more grammar and math concepts than the SAT does. Check Whether You Need to Take the Essay Both the ACT Writing test and SAT Essay are optional, so before registeringfor either test, check whether you need to take the essay. Requirementsvary depending on the schools you're applying to. Even if you aren't sure where you want to apply, I recommend signing up for the essay anyway. What's Next? If you've decided to takethe SAT,check out our in-depth study guideas well as our expert guide to a perfect 1600 SAT score, written by a full scorer. On the other hand, if you think the ACT might be the test for you, try an official ACT practice test, calculate your goal score, and learn how to get a perfect 36 ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Learn Whether Cloud Seeding Can Kill Hurricanes

Learn Whether Cloud Seeding Can Kill Hurricanes Efforts at storm modification date back to the 1940s, when Dr. Irwin Langmuir and a team of scientist from General Electric explored the possibility of using ice crystals to weaken storms. This was Project Cirrus. Enthusiasm about this project, combined with devastation from a series of hurricanes that made landfall, prompted the U.S. federal government to appoint a Presidential Commission to investigate storm modification. What Was Project Stormfury? Project Stormfury was a research program for hurricane modification that was active between 1962 and 1983. The Stormfury hypothesis was that seeding the first rain band outside of the eyewall clouds with silver iodide (AgI) would cause supercooled water to turn into ice. This would release heat, which would cause the clouds to grow faster, pulling in air that would otherwise reach the wall of clouds around the eye. The plan was to cut off the air supply feeding the original eyewall, which would cause it to fade away while a second, wider eyewall would grow further from out from the storms center. Because the wall would be wider, air spiraling into the clouds would be slower. The partial conservation of angular momentum was intended to decrease the force of the strongest winds. At the same time the cloud seeding theory was being developed, a group at the Navy Weapons Center in California was developing new seeding generators that could release large amounts of silver iodide crystals i nto storms. Hurricanes That Were Seeded With Silver Iodide In 1961, the eyewall of Hurricane Esther was seeded with silver iodide. The hurricane stopped growing and showed signs of possible weakening. Hurricane Beulah was seeded in 1963, again with some encouraging results. Two hurricanes were then seeded with massive quantities of silver iodide. The first storm (Hurricane Debbie, 1969) weakened temporarily after being seeded five times. No significant effect was detected on the second storm (Hurricane Ginger, 1971). Later analysis of the 1969 storm suggested that the storm would have weakened with or without the seeding, as part of the normal eyewall replacement process.​ Discontinuing the Seeding Program Budget cuts and lack of definitive success led to the discontinuation of the hurricane seeding program. In the end, it was decided that funding would be better spent learning more about how hurricanes work and in finding ways to better prepare for and lessen the damage from natural storms. Even if it turned out cloud seeding or other artificial measures could lessen the intensity of the storms, there was considerable debate about where on their course the storms would be altered and concern over the ecological implications of changing the storms.

Visionary Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visionary Role - Essay Example He/she uses electronic devices; problem-based learning and the media to access resources, which enhances his/her practice and performance. In addition, a nurse practitioner rapidly expands his/her knowledge through the increasing utilization of informatics and technology in education and practice. The nursing role is also patient-centered care, which incorporates safety, engagement and privacy of the patient (Sines, Saunders, & Forbes-Burford, 2013). According to the United States Bureau of Statistics, in the next 50 years, the population of the elderly will have increased drastically. The generation of baby boom, that is, babies born between 1946 to 1964, will be over 65 years between 2011 t0 2029. In the United States, the population of the elderly will be 19 million between 2000 and 2020. The improvements in nutrition, medical care and safety have increased longevity, which means the number of elderly will grow more. This implies that many people will have disabilities, chronic di seases and living in substandard conditions and in institutions. Hence, these individuals will require considerably more healthcare services than the younger generations. Currently, the scope of a nurse practitioner entails prevention and wellness services; diagnosis and management of various common uncomplicated diseases and chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Nurse practitioners have the same capabilities, skills and knowledge as physicians; however, they are limited in the scope of their work. In the future, it is expected that the scope of nurse practitioners will be broadened, in order to allow them prescribe medication without supervision from a physician; practice autonomously in retail clinics; certify home healthcare visits and admission of patients to hospitals. The specific responsibilities of a family nurse practitioner are: offer general and preventive care; treatment of diseases; conduct check-ups; prescribe medication for adults and children and order for laboratory t ests. The specific responsibility that might change is prescription of medication under the supervision of a physician. A family nurse practitioner forms an effective collaboration with a physician. Both the physician and the nurse practitioner have similar roles; nevertheless, a physician brings in more expertise and in-depth knowledge to patient care. In addition, a physician has the capability to make advanced clinical decisions and carry out special procedures; thus, serving as an outstanding resource in practice. The combination of the two roles results in the sharing of similar objectives and reflecting each other’s practice, which gives a comparable and consistent patient medical management (Clarin, 2007). The role of a family nurse practitioner is relevant in various medical systems, such as: hospitals; community health care centers and private practice. The structure of hospitals flows in a hierarchical order in the following manner: Directors; Executives; Department Administrators; Patient Care Managers and Service Providers. The population that is served by a family nurse practitioner is diverse. The number of the elderly is higher compared to other age groups. This implies that there are many individuals with disabilities and chronic diseases; many live in substandard conditions, institutions or alone. There is the group of ethnic