13 Domestic Cabinet Departments Essay Example for Free

13 Domestic Cabinet Departments Essay 1.) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – responsibilities include farming, agricultural products, food stamps, and anti-poverty programs, and conservation and natural resource protection. The inspectors of this department are responsible for the safety of the nation’s food supply. 2.) U.S. Department of Commerce- responsible for everything we buy and sell, they regulate everything from foreign trade to fishing to the granting of patents, they oversee programs that support minority businesses, and provides statistics and analyses for business and government planners. 3.) U.S Department of Defense (DOD)- responsible for supplying military hardware, administering personnel pay and benefits, providing info to the public and military, managing military education programs and attempting to locate missing personnel or prisoners of war. 4.) U.S. Department of Education- their first responsibility is making sure that the nation’s public school systems provide students with proper school supplies, educational facilities and qualified teachers. Personnel promote parental involvement in their children’s education, develop financial aid policies and encourage the use of modern technology in the classroom. 5.) U.S. Department of Energy- works to ensure that the nation has a steady, consistent and safe supply of energy. Energy scientists work to harness the sun’s power while its physicists attempt to capture nuclear energy for civilian or military use. 6.) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the governments primary agency for overseeing the health and well-being of the American people. HHS employees work on more than 300 programs and perform essential services ranging from food safety to medical research to drug abuse prevention. HHS has regional offices across the country. 7.) U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) first priority is to protect the nation against further terrorist attacks. Component agencies will analyze threats and intelligence, guard the nations borders and airports, protect critical national infrastructure, and coordinate the nations response for future emergencies. 8.) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) responsible for ensuring that American families have access to decent, safe and affordable housing. Among HUDs biggest programs are insuring mortgages for homes and loans for home improvement, making direct loans for construction or rehabilitation of housing projects for the elderly and the handicapped, providing federal housing subsidies for low- and moderate-income families, and enforcing fair housing and equal housing access laws. 9.) U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) manages the nations natural resources, from land and water to coal and natural gas. By monitoring the extraction of natural resources, Interior Department personnel work to efficiently protect and preserve the environment. The Department also houses the office responsible for overseeing Native American affairs. 10.) U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) makes sure that federal laws aimed at protecting the public and promoting competitive business practices are implemented, including immigration and naturalization statutes, consumer safeguards and criminal prosecutions. The FBI falls under the Justice Departments authority. 11.) U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) administers and enforces laws and regulations that ensure safe working conditions, minimum hourly pay and overtime. Through its varied initiatives, it also works to meet the special employment-related needs of the disabled, the elderly and minorities, and provides job banks, unemployment benefits and workplace health regulations. 12.) U.S. Department of State- responsible for the conduct of the nations foreign affairs and diplomatic initiatives. State Department personnel coordinate conferences with foreign leaders, hammer out treaties and other agreements with foreign governments and protect the safety of US citizens traveling abroad. 13.) U.S. Department of the Treasury- Printing the nations money is only one of many responsibilities overseen by the nations second oldest cabinet department (only the State Department has been around longer). It also sets domestic financial, economic and tax policy, manages the public debt and collects taxes. Less obvious is Treasurys other major role—law enforcement; the Secret Service and the Customs Service are Treasury agencies. 14.) U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Cars, trucks, buses, trains, boats, and airplanes all fall under the Department of Transportations authority. So does the nations transportation infrastructure. The work of Transportation Department employees makes it possible for Americans to travel home for the holidays, away on vacation, and even to and from work. The Transportation Department is also home to the new Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for protecting the countrys transportation systems and ensuring the safety of its passengers. 15.) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Best known for its healthcare system, the VA also provides social support services, administers pensions and other veterans benefits, and promotes the hiring of veterans.

The Miller Essay -- essays research papers

The Miller The Miller is not in the tale, but is as vivid a creation of Chaucer as characters that are. The Knight presents us with an ideal to which he probably aspires; the Miller presents us with the real everyday world. While the Knight stresses the nature of romantic love, the Miller considers love in sexual terms. Neither view alone is wholly true. Each is a corrective to the other: love embraces both of these elements. This paper will describe The Miller’s characteristics, his humor, his education level, and his habits. Like the Wife of Bath, the Miller is a character of commanding physical presence: he is a massive man who excels in such displays of strength as wrestling matches, and breaking doors "at a renning with his heed". He is a bearded, strong, working man. By stressing the Miller's physical attributes, Chaucer suggests to the reader the idea of a down-to-earth man who takes pleasure in satisfying basic appetites. Though the Miller is a man of down-to-earth outlook and physical pleasure, he is a very intelligent man. His narrative style, if less complex and conventionally sophisticated than the Knight's, is superb in its realism, economy and control, especially of the humorous elements. The Miller is an educated man, and able to describe the paraphernalia of Nicholas's astrological activities. This rather unexpected subtlety is indicated in the final lines of the description in the General Prologue. These are introduced by "And yet..." sh...

How michael porter five model affects Costco Wholesale Corporation Essay

According to Michael Porter, an industry is affected by certain forces, which enable them to attain different levels of profitability. These five forces help managers analyze the industry to gain a better understanding and develop a more effective business strategy. In the discount retailing industry, it is important to consider the following when considering entry: Threat of New Entrants: Four major competitors, WalMart, Kmart, Target and Costco Wholesale dominate the discount retail industry. The threat of new entrants is low, as this small number of large firms has spent decades establishing their position in the market. While online retailers, such as Amazon.com, and smaller department stores do create a semi-competitive environment, there is no major threat as the entry barriers are high (there is major risk and expensive start-up costs) and small start-ups are discouraged from trying to penetrate the market. The lack of patents and government regulation allow the existence of small department stores in the industry, but their expansion is limited. Rivalry Within the Industry: In the discount retail industry, there is fierce competition among the major brands, as products sold are usually relatively price elastic; most of the shoppers are looking for the â€Å"best value for price† and the goods are not significantly differentiated from one another. This leads to efficient management and competitive costs. While dollar stores and other small retailers have established a niche market, they do not pose a significant threat to the market leaders. Supplier Power: The existence of a large number of suppliers and limited shelf space has lead to low supplier power; retailers like Kmart are free to switch to alternate, cheaper brands. Threat of Substitutes: In terms of brand identity, the main players attempt to differentiate themselves from each other by emphasizing on their strengths; while WalMart is known as the price leader, Target

The Lasting Impresion of Reality Tv and Its Lack of Moral

Reality television has been around far longer than many give it credit. Many viewers forget about the very first reality television shows such as Big Brother, Survivor, and non-trashy versions of The Bachelor that displayed things such as alliance, friendship, and character development through the praises of its audience. Although newer shows have been accused of growing â€Å"trashier†; I feel that this change is actually only in response to the demand of its audience. Show popularity drops when the message they portray becomes â€Å"unhip†, or â€Å"uncool†.So in order to keep up ratings shows were forced to show what people wanted to see. As our country has slowly let go of morals and standards, its people have been forced to adapt. Reality television has been forced to diminish all possibilities for ever being labeled as â€Å"moral†. It has taken a direction for the worse and shows today lack little meaning or value. In its most current state, televis ion shows force its younger viewers to grow up faster, making younger and younger kids do adult things.These reality shows exemplify things such as sex, drugs, violence, and self-harm. Television producers these days simply have no problem exposing the youth to this rubbish. In fact, the producers are specifically targeting the youth with their unmoral and controversial shows. They often reward the rebel characters with extra TV time or book them for another reality show, while the moral and respectable characters are made out to be boring and hardly ever get rewarded.America keeps asking what is making each generation less and less moral, but they fail to recognize what kinds of examples are being set. Children have not become more influential, they simply have been influenced by worse things. In the past few years, there has been a major change to reality television that diminishes its moral teaching reputation. From music videos of half naked women to reality shows full of betray al, lies, and more vulgar than most can handle, the state of American television is in trouble.So where can you turn to when you want to avoid these unmoral shows and watch something good for a change? Well there is no clear-cut answer. Sadly, even some of the biggest networks such as CBS and NBC have started targeting the young crowd with shows that are completely inappropriate. The only solution to this problem is to simply search around a bit to find the perfect show for you. Use sites such as TVguide. com and Amazon. com to check out some reviews and customers' opinions on the show before you start getting into it..

Understanding the K1 Fiancee Visa Process

Understanding the K1 Fiancee Visa Process A K1 fiancee visa is a non-immigrant visa, which allows a foreign fiancà © or fiancà ©e (to simplify things, well use fiancee in the rest of this article) entry into the U.S. to marry a U.S. citizen. After marriage, an application is made for an adjustment of status for permanent residence. Obtaining the K1 visa is a multi-step process. First, the U.S. citizen files a petition to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once that is approved, the foreign fiancee will be allowed to complete the process to obtain a K1 visa. The foreign fiancee will provide additional documentation to the local U.S. embassy, attend a medical exam and visa interview. Filing the Fiancee Visa Petition The U.S. citizen (also knows as the petitioner) submits a petition for his or her foreign fiancee (also known as the beneficiary) to the USCIS.The petitioner submits Form I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance, along with Form G-325A Biographic Information, current fees and any required documentation to the appropriate USCIS Service Center.After a few weeks, the U.S. petitioner receives Form I-797, the first Notice of Action (NOA), from the USCIS acknowledging that the petition has been received.Depending on processing times, the petitioner then receives the second NOA from the USCIS acknowledging that the petition has been approved.The USCIS Service Center forwards the petition to the National Visa Center.The National Visa Center will process the file and run preliminary background checks on the beneficiary, then forward the approved petition to the beneficiarys embassy, as listed in the I-129F. Acquiring the Fiancee Visa The embassy receives the file and processes it locally.The embassy sends a package to the beneficiary that includes a checklist of documents that must be collected. The beneficiary will be instructed to send certain items back to the embassy immediately, while other items will be brought to the interview.The beneficiary will complete the checklist and any forms, include any documents required immediately and send the package back to the embassy.Once received, the consulate will send a letter to the beneficiary confirming the date and time of the visa interview.The beneficiary attends a medical interview.The beneficiary attends the visa interview. The interviewing officer will review all documents, ask questions, and make a decision on the case.If approved, the K1 fiancee visa will be issued that day or within the week, depending on the embassy. Activating the Fiancee Visa - Entering the U.S. The beneficiary will travel to the U.S. within 6 months of the K1 fiancee visa being issued.At the port of entry, an immigration officer will review the paperwork and finalize the visa, allowing the beneficiary to officially enter the U.S. First Steps - In the U.S. The K1 fiancee visa holder should apply for a Social Security number shortly after entering the U.S.The couple may now apply for a marriage license. Watch your timing! Most states apply a short waiting period between applying for the license and the marriage ceremony. Marriage The happy couple can now tie the knot! The marriage must take place within 90 days of activating the K1 visa. After Marriage If the foreign spouse is making a name change after marriage, take the new Social Security card and marriage certificate back to the Social Security Administration office to make a name change on the card. Adjustment of Status Now its time to apply for an Adjustment of Status (AOS) to become a permanent resident. It is important to file for the AOS before the K1 expiry date, otherwise, you will be out-of-status. If the foreign spouse wants to work in the U.S. or travel outside the U.S. before permanent resident status is granted, an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and/or Advance Parole (AP) must be filed along with the AOS.

Severe Emotional Disturbances (SED) Classrooms

Severe Emotional Disturbances (SED) Classrooms Self-contained classrooms for students designated with emotional disturbances need to create a structured and safe environment for students with behavioral and emotional disabilities to learn appropriate ways to interact with peers and adults. The final goal of a self-contained program is for students to exit and join the general education population in regular classrooms. Students with SEDs may be included in general education classrooms with support from a special educator. In many cases, when a students behavior puts him or herself at risk or threatens typical peers, they may be placed in self-contained settings. Sometimes, when children have come to the attention of law enforcement because of violent or destructive behavior, they may return from some form of confinement to a residential program. Decisions are often made on LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) based on the safety of the student, peers, and teachers. Because these special placements are very expensive, many school districts look to self-contained programs to help students with Severe Emotional Disturbances re-enter the general education population. Critical Elements of a Successful Classroom Structure, Structure, Structure: Your classroom needs to exude structure. Desks should be in rows, evenly spaced (maybe even measure and mark each spot with tape) and should be aligned so that students cannot make faces at each other. Trust me, theyll try. Classroom rules and reinforcement charts need to be clearly displayed. Be sure that all materials or resources are easily available, and that your classroom layout requires as little movement as possible. Students with Emotional Disturbances will use sharpening a pencil as an opportunity to annoy a neighbor. Routines: I make no bones about the fact that I am a devotee of Harry Wongs excellent book, The First Days of School, which lays out ways to create routines for a classroom to run smoothly. You teach the routines, you practice the routines, and then you make very sure that everyone (even you) follows the routines and executes them with fidelity. Routines require a teacher to anticipate the sorts of challenges he or she will meet. Its wise for new teachers or new emotional support teachers to ask a veteran special educator to help them anticipate the kinds of problems that you will meet in an Emotional Disturbance program so you can build routines that will avoid those pitfalls. A Token Economy: A lottery system works well in general education classrooms to reward and reinforce appropriate behavior, but students in an Emotional Disturbance classroom need ongoing reinforcement for appropriate replacement behavior. A token economy can be designed in a way that connects it to individual behavior plans (BIP) or a behavior contract to identify target behaviors. Reinforcement and Consequences: A self contained classroom needs to be rich in reinforcers. They can be preferred items, preferred activities, and access to the computer or media. Make it clear that these reinforcers can be earned through following rules and appropriate behavior. Consequences also need to be clearly defined and clearly explained so students know what those consequences are and under what circumstances they are put in place. Obviously, students cant be allowed to suffer natural consequences, (i.e. if you run in the street you get hit by a car) but instead should experience logical consequences. Logical Consequences are a feature of Adlerian psychology, popularized by Jim Fay, co-author of Parenting with Love and Logic. Logical consequences have a logical connection to the behavior: if you tear up your shirt during a rant, you get to wear my ugly, ill-fitting shirt. Reinforcement needs to be things that your students actually find important enough to work for: although age appropriate is the mantra of the day, if behavior is extreme, the most important factor has to be that it works. Create menus of appropriate reinforcers from which students can choose. Choose or design reinforcers that you can pair with replacement behaviors. For example, a certain number of days with a certain number of points, and the student gets to eat lunch in the lunch room with a partner class. A certain number of day with a certain number of points might also earn a student the opportunity to invite a typical peer to play a game in the ED room.

International trade Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International trade - Assignment Example The relatively smaller enterprises are concentrated in Baden-Wurttemberg as well as in Bavaria. The production of mechanical machineries has achieved a pivotal importance in the economy of Germany. In the second half 1990s the sector of mechanical machineries experienced slow growth. However accelerated globalization has contributed much to the success of mechanical machineries production. The employment record is best for Germany among the EU member states. The economic performance also improved significantly. The wage modernization process provided competitive advantage to the industries. The advantage of wage modernization and still productivity of labor coupled to improve the economic performance. The mechanical machineries sector is a well diversified sector. The subsector of machine tools also gained importance. Over the past decade specialization is on the process. The subsectors are closely linked with the automobile industry and gained the attention of the European Union. Th e â€Å"engines and turbine† manufacturing is one such industry that has achieved much importance. The share of contribution of this sector is volatile and it is difficult to get any clear trend from the analysis of the sector. The country offers excellent research conditions for the development of technical machineries. But one challenge that the German companies have to deal with is that of high wages as well as some structural change (Vieweg, 2012). International Trade between Germany and Canada The exchange of capital goods as well as services across the international borders is regarded as International Trade. A significant portion of Gross Domestic Product is contributed by trade. In recent centuries the significance of international trade has gained much importance in economic, social as well as political terms (UN/DESA World Economic Vulnerability Monitor, 2012). The determinants or the evolution of the patterns of trade is not incorporated in the formal models of mac roeconomic dynamics. The models generally take into account the patterns of international trade and the structure of the markets along with the factors of production. Germany is a significant partner in trade for Canada. The bilateral merchandise trade of Canada with Germany accounted to more than 14 billion dollars in 2009. In the same year Germany was the second largest destination for export for Canada among the European Union. The decade of 1998 to 2008 the amount of imports from Germany doubled. The exports of Canada to Germany comprised mostly of manufactured goods. The manufactured goods amounted to 60% of the total exports for the year 2009. The exports of Aircraft witnessed the upward rising curve since 2004 at an average of 55%. The exports of cars and car accessories combined to make up 23% of Canadian imports from Germany in 2009. The trade of resource based goods between the countries is more or less evenly balanced. Germany offers services to Canada. In the year 2007, commercial services formed the major part of exports of services. The figure below shows the data on trade of merchandises. (Holden, 2010). The following figure shows data on major exports to Germany from Canada. (Holden, 2010). The following figure shows trade data category-wise. (Holden, 2010). Socio economic indicators of Germany The socio economic development of a country is measured using the rates of GDP, levels of employment as well as with rates of literacy. The invention f new technologies and