This paper discusses the Federal Reserve Board, a primary part of the Federal Reserve System of the United States and its effect on the economy of the United States.
Abstract The paper explains that, in 1913, the Federal Reserve System, an integral part of the United States economy, was created by the Federal Reserve Act to deter the periods of financial panics, which were occurring in the United States. The author points out that managing the nation's monetary policy is the most important responsibility of the Board of Governors. The Board has three tools to conduct monetary policy: open market operations, reserve requirements, and the discount rate. The paper relates that the increase in the federal funds rate is the Federal Reserve's way of controlling inflation because, by raising the cost of borrowing money when there is too much money in circulation, the Federal Reserve's intention is to slow the economy down.
Table of Contents
Introduction
History
The Federal Reserve Board
Responsibilities of the Federal Reserve Board
The Fed and the United States Economy Today
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Federal Reserve Board was established as a federal government agency and is the governing element of the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve Board, or the "Board of Governors," is made up of seven members who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Once confirmed by the Senate, the length of a term for a Board member is four-teen years. No Board member may be reappointed to the board. Every four years a new Chairman and Vice Chairman are also appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate."
Abstract This paper examines how America's forefathers had the right idea in wanting to educate Americans and rid the great country of ignorance. It looks at how policy makers have since attempted to draw up the best way to make sure education is a success in America and how the No Child Left Behind Act is just another milestone in the public education system. It examines the debate on whether it is helpful and puts forward the author's opinion that, while the NCLB is a good start for reform for American schools, perhaps it is time for it to be fully revised to ensure that, truly, no child is left behind.
From the Paper "Politicians have used the school system as a political issue to gain support for their election. Most recently President George W. Bush was elected into office by a nation that fully knew his beliefs on the education system. Bush was first the governor of Texas and his ability to turn around the school system in that state gave hope to presidential voters in 2000. The testing scores in Texas were brought up as was the graduation rate. Yearly testing became the norm to ensure that no student was left behind to not be able to complete the basic educational skills needed to survive in the American job market."
Abstract This paper explains that the American Red Cross is one of the first organizations, which comes to mind when there is an emergency or disaster, a need for training in health and safety procedures or blood donations. The author points out that most all of the activities and processes performed by the American Red Cross are monitored and measured; leaders are responsible for documenting and reporting the sources of funding and donations. The paper relates that American Red Cross functions on different levels; chapters located throughout the United States function independently, are granted the ability to provide service in its given area and report to their regional office who in turn will report to the National Office.
Table of Contents
Formal Statements of the Organization
Work Environment
Slogans and Sayings
Role Modeling, Training and Teaching
Motivating Employees
Stories and Legends
Organizational Activities, Processes and Outcomes
Reactions to Crises and Incidents
Workflow and Organizational Structure
Selection and Replacement of Employees
Conclusion
From the Paper "The American Red Cross staff consists of both paid employees and volunteers. They pride themselves on the importance and recognition of their volunteers. For every paid employee there is a volunteer counterpart on every level of the hierarchy. When looking at candidates, several different areas are considered. The individual must be flexible with his or her time, must be able to work in teams, have a history of working with people and want to help people. Volunteers go through the interview process and evaluation process just as a paid employee does. Volunteers are also subject to the same disciplinary action and termination action if necessary."
Abstract This report deals with how the gaming and entertainment industry affects Las Vegas in terms of structure. The report looks at issues of urban structure, consumption, culture, and economy to look at the ways in which this city operates and has operated in the past, in terms of changes that have been taking place in Las Vegas, the role of the worker, the target of tourism, and other attendant issues. The report
also explores the relationship between consumption and cities in post-war and contemporary America, because these are the two main epochs of the growth of Las Vegas' structure via the gaming and entertainment industry.
From the Paper "Aside from showing how this industry contributes to Las Vegas' structure, this report will also look at elements of the commodity city and the landscape as it is organized around consumer desires, particularly in terms of the recent Wynn developments in the city being commodity spectacles. The report will also look at Las Vegas as a place of consumption, focusing on economic factors which again link the
gaming and entertainment industry to Las Vegas as a city in terms of its essential structure. "
Abstract A team is a small number of people gathered together to serve a common purpose. Each member has complementary abilities and is devoted to a common objective, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves equally responsible.This paper covers the benefits of having a team, how to create a team and the issue of problems and solutions within teams.
Paper Outline:
Introduction
The Benefits of Team-Building
Creating a Team
Problems with Teams
References
From the Paper "After the team is established, there are several things that can be expected during the first months. As with anything new, uncertainty and frustration is inevitable. Team members may be confused about their expectations. Team members are faced with different expectations, responsibilities and challenges. Similar to beginning a new job, team members need to orientate themselves to their work, figuring out the best way of doing tasks or gaining information."
Abstract This paper explains that employees no longer just want good wages and job security; they really want appreciation and involvement, demand a balance between work and family life and are not willing to sacrifice everything for their careers and their employers. The author points out that, to retain employees, the government must have an effective retention strategy, similar to non-governmental companies, which addresses four key components: Effective management, career development opportunities, life-work balance benefits and programs and compensation and recognition. The paper stresses that the government must understand employee child-care needs and provide such benefits as on site public schools, which meet the educational requirements of the local school district, on-site day care and child-care subsidies.
From the Paper "Employees are placing increased importance on programs and benefits that help provide a balance between work and home life.Programs that emphasize employee satisfaction are key and are ranging from flexible schedules to onsite massages to virtual teams to childcare assistance. The government must realize that individuals have lives outside of the office. The Calvert Group, an investment firm, has seen the benefits to life work balance programs first hand. The Calvert Group includes such benefits for employees as 15 minutes of free massage therapy each week, tuition reimbursement for any class, flex time, casual dress, and 12 days of community leave per year. By tying benefits to employees' basic survival, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs, the company has reduced turnover from an industry average of 20% to 5%."
Abstract This paper looks at President George W. Bush's promises for his first and second terms of presidency. The writer discusses whether or not Bush has kept these promises. The paper examines the budgets for the two terms. The state of the current deficit is also discussed. In this article, the writer looks at how this deficit has impacted the poor and minorities.
From the Paper "In his first campaign, Bush made a number of promises, few of which have been kept. First he promised to put Medicare on firm financial ground and make prescription drugs available and affordable for every senior who needs them. Medicare costs have skyrocketed in the meantime and premiums rose greatly this year and a similar hike is expected next year. There is a prescription drug plan but it is confusing to understand, requires an enrollment fee and monthly premiums and only saves a small percentage of the ... "
Abstract In this paper, firefighters and the firefighting occupation are discussed. The writer explores a number of aspects in this regard. The writer discusses issues related to health, safety and the well-being of firefighters. Information discussed also includes protective apparel and firefighting equipment.
From the Paper "Firefighting represents a hazardous occupation with long irregular hours, with firefighters being required to pass written physical and medical examinations. Firefighters must rapidly respond to a host of emergencies from fires and automobile accidents to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Firefighters often risk their lives to save the lives of others. The worst firefighter disaster in history occurred in New York City during the terrorist attacks in which firefighters lost their lives. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics there are ... "
Tags: physical health, hazard, emergency response, NFPA, fire chiefs, tankers, cooling system, cardiac arrest, injury, property damage, loss of life
Abstract This paper looks at the Communicable Disease Center(CDC), renamed Center for Disease Control and Prevention to reflect its broader scope. CDC history, budget, staffing, scope and activities. It looks at problems it has faced, and problems it has solved.
Tags: Centers, for, Disease, Control, and, Prevention
Abstract This paper discusses the debate over the legalization of marijuana use. It describes the position and opinions of the United States Government, doctors, marijuana users and anti-drug citizens with regards to the legalization of this drug. The paper then compares and contrasts these four positions and shows in which ways their outlooks differ the most.
From the Paper "Marijuana users across the U.S. evidently want to legalize marijuana. If they take part in using it, they apparently want to be able to do it legally. "Among students surveyed in a yearly national survey, only about one in six 10th graders report they are current marijuana users (that is, used marijuana within the past month). Fewer than one in four high school seniors is a current marijuana user" according to www.nida.nih.gov (National Institute on Drug Abuse). This covers only half of students in high school. There are many more citizens in the U.S. that use marijuana or have used before in the past. People use marijuana for many reasons. They may see an older brother or sister use it and want to follow. They may think its "cool." They may even be peer pressured into it. Marijuana is used all over the world daily and these users believe it should be legalized. The users explain that it is less harmful to your body than drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes. That is their main argument, but they also feel that if marijuana was legalized that the government would put a tax on it and it would then become too expensive to use as some people do now. Marijuana users are split pretty evenly on whether marijuana should be legalized or not based on the fact that it would become too expensive."
Abstract This paper begins with a historical perspective on the American health care system. It compares health care systems across various cultures and analyzes the current state of health care in America. The paper then describes three distinct measures to reform health care without resorting to socialized medicine. It looks at regulatory reform, quality improvements and mandatory immunization programs.
Table of Contents:
History Of American Health Care
Health Care Abroad
The Current Situation
The Cost Of Poor Quality
Good Medicine
Payin' And Suffering
Conclusion And Proposal
Appendices
From the Paper "Health care in the United States didn't begin as the complex system we grapple with today. The first health care market worked very well- patients with very low expectations paid "doctors" for cures that didn't work. While this system was often less than ideal for patients, it was ideal from an economic point of view. This practice continued as doctors began to offer effective services to patients who developed an appetite for care that often exceeded their ability to pay. As the Great Depression fell upon America, hospitals began to suffer from patients' inability to pay for care. Desperate for relief, hospitals lobbied states for a way to ensure bills were paid. The creation of the first modern insurance company, Blue Cross, resulted . Originally, Blue Cross was a non-profit organization that simply paid the bills, without getting involved in what type of care was provided. Once doctors realized the benefits of this system- primarily, fast and complete payment of bills- the insurance industry began to grow. Soon, the practice was so popular that employees began demanding that their employers provide insurance benefits- a practice encouraged by the government in the form of tax benefits. This change in how care was paid for meant that the burden of health care costs shifted from the general population to the government. In the years after World War II, the United States experienced dramatic leaps in medicine. In the 1960's, the US saw a major change in how health care dollars are spent when Medicare and Medicaid began . Since that time, the US has seen a rise in the percentage of health care dollars spent by the government from 24% in the 1960s to 60% in the 1990s. Including tax subsidies for health insurance, 51% of health care spending in the US is done by government- and paid for by taxpayers."
Abstract A category-4 hurricane named Katrina exploded onto land August 29th, damaging large parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. With 145-mph winds, huge storm surges and torrential rains that flooded whole towns, Katrina left hundreds dead or missing, more than one million others temporarily homeless, and caused at least $25 billion in damage. This paper relates that many of the people in the affected areas who died could have been saved and the damage could have been less devastating if the government's response had been planned with more awareness and sensitivity of the known destruction of hurricanes. The paper contends that Hurricane Katrina changed the Gulf Coast area forever because local authorities did not establish better communication systems with other government departments for help before the storm hit and because superior evacuation policies were not set up in the cities that would be most affected. The paper also examines how President Bush and his cabinet were not fully prepared to deal with the high level of responsiveness that was needed for the residents of the affected areas.
From the Paper "The communication between all government divisions was so badly executed that Federal and State officials have blamed each other for the disastrously poor response in New Orleans and neighboring states. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin have blamed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the slow response. Federal officials said that initial evacuation and hurricane preparation plans were the responsibility of Louisiana and New Orleans authorities. Also, the Feds blame those officials for not asking for the help of the federal government soon enough, and for not being more specific when they eventually requested help. It was not a matter of pointing fingers and worrying about who was responsible for handling the preparation of the evacuation; it was a matter of helping the people of New Orleans and assisting them in the evacuation, which again shows that the law enforcement was not prepared as well as they should have been to minimize the damage and destruction of the hurricane. "
Abstract This paper examines how discretion is a certificate of authority which gives police officers a vast amount of freedom and how it gives officers authorization to act freely and use that authority in carrying out the rights and responsibilities of policing. The paper further discusses how, in order for police officers to exercise good discretion, there must be guidelines and proper training to apply this discretion successfully. The paper concludes that, without using this unspoken practice, an officer's job would be burdened with another layer of complexity that they would have to overcome.
From the Paper "There are a number of strategies that could be implemented for controlling discretion. First and most important is for law enforcement to hire officers who exhibit use of good police judgment and this comes from having good character. Law enforcement should take more time in hiring officers to be able to assess if they have common virtues of character as honesty, modesty, and empathy. After they determine these features, then the other police requirements for using discretion can be learned from on the job training. Another strategy for controlling discretion is for officers to be properly trained on how to use discretion. With the denial of this practice, discretion training is not part of the academy's program, but it should be incorporated into the procedures of when and where an officer can use discretion. "
Abstract This paper explains that the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a program formulated and implemented by both federal and state governments to assist poor working families, who cannot afford private health insurance. The paper then points out SCHIP is not immune to various issues that threaten its efficacy as a federal and state program. The paper then goes on to discusses these issues involving SCHIP, together with proposals for the enhancement of the current policy. Moreover, the paper investigates prospects for the future of SCHIP, specifically those involving fiscal and economic factors that would determine the capacity of SCHIP to help federal and state governments provide health care assistance. The paper includes charts and an annotated bibliography.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Statement and Significance of the Health Policy
Related Issues and Consequences, Including Groups Supporting/Opposing the Policy
Proposals for Enhancing, Changing, or Eliminating the Health Policy
Prospects for the Future of the Health Policy
Author's Position While Critiquing the Health Policy
From the Paper "The importance of public health care coverage becomes more apparent when the situation is viewed from the perspective of low-income children who lack private coverage. These children are shown to have persistently lagged behind children with public or private coverage when their status of health is assessed based on any measure of access to care. Since poor children have no access to preventive and primary health care, there is great and apparent disparity in the children's health status."
Looks at the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), which requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide up to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave "each year for specified family and medical reasons."
Abstract This paper explains that the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) was designed to help those individuals who need to care for either a close family member with a serious medical disorder or to assist employees when a serious medical condition arrives without notice. The paper first describes some of the provisions of the FMLA, including entitlements to leave, the maintenance of health benefits during leave, job restoration after leave, and protections for employees who request or take FMLA leave. The paperalso relates the process by which an employee can use FMLA leave. The paper concludes that the success of this legislation has led many states to pass similar acts.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Leave Entitlement
Maintenance of Health Benefits
Job and Benefits Protection/Restoration
Notice and Certification
Illegal Acts
FMLA Case Examples
Conclusion
From the Paper "As is the case with many federally-backed laws, the FMLA includes a number of items that are required by both parties. First, an employer is not allowed to "interfere with, or deny the existence of any right provided" by the FMLA. In addition, an employer is not allowed to "discharge or discriminate against any individual for opposing any practice or because of involvement in any proceeding related to FMLA," meaning that employers must adhere to all anti-discrimination laws within the United States."
Tags: entitlements, health benefits, job restoration, states case
