Abstract This paper examines how all types of disasters whether natural or man-made, cause extensive loss to life and property. It looks at how the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) makes provisions for Federal funds to be provided on a high priority bases to help mitigate hazards at local levels. It analyzes the factors that need to be taken into account to predict and plan for all kinds of disasters and how many states are working towards defining and stating an emergency plan for disaster preparedness, warning and relief.
From the Paper "People react differently when faced with disaster, some may respond and follow the disaster response plan without a problem, other may forget key instructions and follow their own plans, the most dangerous situations however are when individuals freeze and fail to act when disaster strikes. Response before, during and after a disaster can be the difference between life and death. Failure to heed a hurricane warning when on open seas can be disastrous, for example, there is no plan or emergency option that can help if an individual does not follow the instructions. Very often, adventurers and risk takers will try and approach the disaster region to try and experience the phenomena. There are example of people trying to water ski in the surf produced by a hurricane and individuals who go close to volcanoes and craters to observe them."
Abstract Homelessness continues to be a major problem within the U.S. Since the 1980s, it has continued to receive ongoing attention as an issue of concern to the public as well as policy-makers. Within this paper, an overview of homelessness is provided. The service programs that have emerged as a consequence of governmental influences are identified and discussed. Finally, a proposed solution to homelessness within the US is offered. A summary and conclusions are also provided.
From the Paper "When homelessness was first brought to the public's attention during the 1980s, it was estimated that there were approximately two to three million homeless individuals living throughout the US (Hewitt, 1996). The accuracy of these estimates as well as those that exist today remain questionable and have led to many discussions among homeless experts and within the literature as to the problems associated with counting the homeless. The challenges involved with counting the homeless are a result of a number of different factors including the manner in which the homeless are defined; the reality that many of the homeless are "hidden" throughout the country at any one point in time which may not correspond to periods when the homeless are being counted; duplication in counting that occurs when the homeless are counted on the basis of participation in a service; the mobility of the homeless as they search for different locations for shelter; and the reluctance of those who count the homeless to approach some potentially homeless persons (Wright, Rubin & Devine, 1998)."
Abstract This paper presents a detailed examination of the history of the police department in America. The writer explores why the nation determined police departments were necessary and how they began their ascent to various cities.
From the Paper "Before one can understand the current police departments in America it is important for one to understand how the police came to be viewed as something that was needed. Police departments in America origins have been traced back to early English Society. Before the Norman Conquest there were no police forces that were formally administered and implemented. Instead society depended on something called the pledge system which entailed a type of code of honor. This code said that each village member pledged to protect the entire village against crimes such as thieves and murderers. If any member of the village saw something occurring they were honor bound to make such a fuss that the rest of the village would be alerted. They as well as the village members that they had alerted were honor bound to pursue and deal with the criminal in question. While this system was considered successful for many years as villages grew larger it became necessary to design a more organized system. This is when the tithing system came to be. A tithing was ten a ten family group in a village. The ten families banded together and worked with the honor system of before, but the tithing was also overseen by one person that was called a constable. Constables have since been considered the first real police officer in the world(Police History and Organization History of Police
http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/just/just110/police1.html). "
Abstract This research paper addresses a debatable, yet highly pressing issue, regarding military practices based on the concept of insubordination. The paper incorporates various examples from real life situations and military cases that the world history has witnessed so far in order to highlight the right as well as the inaccurate and unjustified practices in the name of insubordination.
From the Paper "Just like other realms of society, military or armed forces also have their well-defined codes of ethics in order to strengthen the entire armed force and to promote discipline and order. These laws and regulations form the basis on which rests the foundation of the military and command various aspects of the lifestyle of military men (Marple). Military society is that part of our society that is devoid of emotions and therefore its laws and rules are rigid and remain constant without subject to any change. Thereupon, every soldier is expected to reflect the moral, ethical and social values that this institution works hard on to incorporate in its people (Marple). Thus, the autocratic institution of military exists "with a built in moral compass to avoid change of that nature. If the military did not have that moral compass, then any order that came down would be obeyed despite the morality of the order" (Marple). For instance, Nazi Germany is considered to be a nation devoid of humanity or a nation with a military force functioning without a built in moral compass. This is because their armed forces did not hesitate even in taking away precious and most of all innocent human lives."
Abstract This paper looks at the economic and social factors that cause many of the people in America to be under-insured or uninsured. A contrast is drawn with the elderly, who tend to be happy with their health coverage, even though their health problems are usually more severe. The causes and ramifications of inadequate health coverage are also discussed, and an argument for government intervention in health-care is presented.
From the Paper "Sometimes this is because their company does not offer health insurance, and this is especially true for part-time and seasonal workers. Sometimes employers offer health insurance but the cost of the deductible is so high that the workers cannot afford to have that much removed from their paycheck each week. Many of the workers who cannot afford health care through their employers make too much for Medicaid. Because of this, they are caught in the middle. They don't make enough money to pay for quality health insurance, but they make too much money for the state to pay for health care for them."
Abstract This paper takes the position that many of the policies taken in the name of homeland security amount to harassment. Instead of increasing security, these policies really only threaten to erode the United States? relationship with the rest of the world and, in the end, undermine the very ideals on which American democracy is built.
From the Paper "These new laws, however, have already affected legal immigration rates into the country. University officials, for example, report a significant drop in the number of foreign students in American colleges. Because of stringent visa requirements, many students are opting to study in other Western countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. This translates to millions of dollars in lost revenue, since foreign students contribute nearly $12 billion to the United States economy each year (Paden and Singer)."
Abstract This paper states that the impetus behind rent control is benevolent but misguided. The author believes that rent controls are more damaging than often believed and there is little that government policy can do to ameliorate the situation. The paper relates that price floors are economically unsound policy platforms, and it is more likely that rents would better be determined and controlled by the free use of market forces.
Abstract This paper examines the principles of New Public Management (NPM). Specifically, the conflict between the principles of NPM derived from the private sector and their conflict with the goals and processes of public policy.
Abstract This paper looks at how once a decision is made with regard to a policy, a method of putting it into effect is required. It examines how implementation is a complex process whereby the means must make the goals achievable and how the process of implementation can be approached in two ways ? the "top-down" (also known as "the rational model" or "forward mapping") or "bottom-up" (also known as "backward mapping". It shows how British policy is stuck with with the "top-down" approach and how in order to make the best of it, each policy needs to come with clearly defined objectives, an implementation plan, sufficient support and resources and a system of communication and monitoring to ensure minimal deviation.
From the Paper "The way things are interpreted by each individual can affect the implementation process. For example, a hospital manager may tell a G.P. that he needs to reduce waiting times for operations. The G.P. may interpret from that that he should perform some of the more minor operations at his surgery as he is qualified to do so. Alternatively, he could interpret that he simply needs to put people off operations if they are not an absolute emergency. The first interpretation would mean patients who have minor operations will be seen sooner and by reducing the number of people he is sending to hospital he is reducing the waiting times for those who are having operations there."
Abstract This paper examines the dichotomy of public administration and bureaucracy. Is it efficient or inefficient? Does the role of bureaucrat undermine the influence of politicians and, by extension, the democratic process? This paper focuses on bureaucracy as an expression of private and political interests and conflict, rather than an objective, rational organization.
From the Paper "Within the parameters of an economic paradigm, the government can be viewed as a provider of public goods. These public goods range from national security and international trade opportunities to income supplement programs and public utilities. These goods are 'manufactured' by politicians and un-elected public administrators--the bureaucracy--from tax revenues and other government income."
Abstract This paper shows how the Bush administration has relaxed rules and changed regulations for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), which has in turn caused harm to the environment. Ensuring clean air and water is the most pressing issue for the future of the entire world, not just the United States, and the changes in regulations have caused many to believe that foreign policy and setting a good example through what the United States is doing has become unimportant to the Bush administration. The writer shows that there are many issues that Bush must address when it comes to the environment, and it is vital that he do so now, so that the EPA can continue to do its job with efficiency and so that other countries will see the importance of keeping pollution out of the air and water.
From the Paper "The environment and its cleanliness are vitally important for the survival of the human race. This is true in the United States, and in other countries all over the world. Because it is such an important concern, one would think that the main goal of the current administration would be to take care of the environment to ensure that it was clean and healthy for future generations, and to set a good example for the rest of the world. This would be the most logical scenario. However, there have been some recent occurrences which have caused many people to call into question the motives of the Bush administration and the President's stance on the environment, pollution, and foreign policy."
This paper discusses the ABC accounting process, which evaluates and determines ways to improve the quality of financial decisions at the Department of Defense (DoD).
Abstract This paper explains that the Department of Defense (DoD), with more than $1 trillion in assets and a budget that accounts for about half of the federal government's discretionary funding, has a need for accurate accounting processes. The author points out that ABC captures quantified cost and time data and translates it into information for making decisions by measuring process and activity performance, by determining the cost of business process outputs, and by identifying opportunities to improve process efficiency and effectiveness. The paper concludes that the ultimate decision will be based on a blended action that minimizes cost and time, while creating a better outcome.
Table of Contents
Big Need for Accurate Accounting
ABC in the Military
Process Decision Example
Success Stories
NASA
Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC)
Military Resistance to ABC?
Who Might Benefit in the DoD?
From the Paper "In the 1990s, the RAND Corporation, including its defense-oriented federally funded research and development organizations, offered a better way for the DoD to pay for its purchases, one it thought would improve the interactions; after all, if a unit overspent in one year, then the next year it would be looking for lower prices. That meant that the organization it purchased from would experience a loss, or potentially could, which in turn could affect the service or product quality or delivery. However, the WCF arrangement bore the stamp of approval of the DoD Comptroller's office, which suggested that the WCF approach has saved ?billions of dollars by providing managers with greater visibility into the costs of DoD support operations.?"
Tags: rand, budget, time, cost, website, purchases
Abstract This paper examines how, over the past decade, there have been a lot of issues brought up about schools and the use of vouchers. Vouchers represent money that is taken out of public schools to help send children to private schools. It looks at how the use of vouchers has brought on an era of school choice. It analyzes the controversy over school choice and the use of vouchers and how state-funded vouchers have many advantages and disadvantages to our school systems.
From the Paper "Vouchers could help our school systems in many ways. By introducing vouchers, we have brought on an era of competition in schools. Competition in schools will cause the school systems to improve, thus ending in a result of both parents and students winning. Also, competition in the school system will make the schools provide a better service or the other competitors will win, because they are able to give better results. (Salisbury9) By allowing competition between schools, each school will have to improve their service or give way to competitors that are better able to deliver. Parental choice would give schools, school administrators, and teachers the choice to perform at their best or sink."
Abstract This paper examines how, originally formed in 1989, the Information Technology Management Reform Act and the Federal Acquisition Reform Act were amended in the year 1996 and renamed as the Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA). It shows how the objective of CCA is to influence performance-based and results-based management by means of an effective use of information technology (IT). It also discusses how the CCA also gives various means to government information technology to function in the same manner as any well-organized and cost-effective business would operate.
Outline
Introduction
Clinger-Cohen Act & Law Governing IT Management
Requirements for Chief Information Officer
From the Paper "In order to ensure that information technology activities align with agency plans and operations, senior user management guidance is used along with standard evaluation of information technology skills record, skills necessities, and skills development programs. In brief, the Clinger-Cohen Act attempts to develop an operative and well-organized, mission-oriented, user-oriented and results-oriented information technology practice in all Federal agencies (University Washington)."
Abstract Discusses the creation and development of the Secret Service, its original narrow role regarding the monetary system, the expansion of its functions, and executive protection duty. Examines the events of September 11, 2001.
From the Paper "This paper logically falls into three sections. Part One will deal with the United States Secret Service from its inception until September 11, 2001. Part Two will deal with September 11, 2001, ..."
