Abstract
The paper discusses that while Nebraska is a Republican state by majority, there is also a strong Democratic Party and movement. The author describes and highlights the parties and then points out the similarities as well as the differences in them.

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that Omaha, Nebraska is an economically healthy city. The writer then discusses that its financial statements give a picture of how the city government is performing its fiduciary duties.

From the Paper
"Municipal income statements are large and unwieldy monsters when taken as an aggregate. This is because the incorporate many different activities with different goals and objectives. The finances for each entity are reported as a separate fund allowing the voters to determine which projects are doing well and which it needs the city government to address. Three funds of interests in the financial statements for Omaha Nebraska are the Special Assessments Fund, the Convention Center Hotel Fund and the Printing Services ..."

Tags:fund, accounting, enterprise, funds, special, tax, assessments, hotel, management, internal, service, funds

Abstract
This paper is an examination of the case of Matthew Koso, who was charged and forced to plead guilty to having sex with an underaged child, and sentenced to 18-to-30 months in prison. The paper relates that after she became pregnant, the defendant took the female, apparently with her parents' consent, to Kansas, where they went through a marriage ceremony. The paper contends that however unpopular the prosecution was, it was entirely within the bounds of the law.

From the Paper
"The defendant has been convicted of statutory rape. The defendant, a Nebraska resident, does not deny having had sex with his girlfriend when she was 13 years of age. She was also a resident of Nebraska. She became pregnant, and has since had the child. After she became pregnant, the defendant took the female, apparently with her parents' consent, to Kansas, where they went through a marriage ceremony. He was convicted under a Nebraska law making it a felony for any person age or older to have intercourse with a person under age 16, specifically Sexual Assault on a Child in the First Degree. This case raises two key issues:..."

Tags:rape, statutory, married

Abstract
This paper explains that the protagonist in Willa Cather's 'O Pioneers!' is a woman, Swedish by birth, who worked her land up to rich production and brought prosperity to her whole family; for the time the novel was written, this was somewhat out of the ordinary. The author is impressed by the way Cather set the mood in her story by beginning with a Great Plains winter scene as the backdrop to the struggle of the Borgson family, which was going to lose their father no matter what anyone did. The paper stresses that, in the time and place O Pioneers! was written, a father was the one with the power, not the mother, and the attitudes expressed by the brothers also provide a clear denunciation of patriarchy.

From the Paper
"Perhaps in our time it is difficult to imagine that people would actually just do what they were told by a dying father but that was the world of late Victorian America and I believe that in setting the story as she did, the case can be made that Cather did criticize patriarchy. She made it very plain. If the father had not commanded, the brothers would have been in charge and Alexandra's fine capabilities would have been relegated to the kitchen. As the story progresses it isn't hard to see what would have happened to the family farm if the brothers had been running things. They are not only easily discouraged, but time and again it is shown that they just plain don't have Alexandra's ability to look at a situation and see a creative, positive way to deal with it. She not only keeps the original homestead, but as others in the areas do give up under drought and other challenges, she mortgages the home farm to buy these places as well."

Tags:lesbian, critics, struggle, cold, patriarchy

From the Paper
"The communications industry in the United States is actually composed of many subindustries, each of which contains large, even huge, participants. The sudindustries are related by the fact that they all participate in electronic communications of one type or another, but they are widely diverse beyond that. As technology grows more complex, it also brings these widely diverse entrance points closer together, with the result that phone companies are now venturing into cable television ventures, and cable television companies are interested in providing interactive entertainment and educational opportunities. This research examines the broad communications industry as a whole, then focuses on the telecommunications industry in particular, with an emphasis on the telecommunications industry in Nebraska.

The Standard Industry Code (SIC) for the communications ..."

Abstract
The paper explores how the Mexican-American War, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln Douglas Debates and the Freeport Doctrine all influenced the coming of the American Civil War. The paper also discusses the military campaign in the Western theater of the war from January through June of 1862 and provides a brief outline of the generalship of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan.

Outline:
The Relationship Between the Mexican-American War and the Coming of the American Civil War
The Relationship Between the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Coming of the American Civil War
The Relationship Between the Dred Scott Decision, the Lincoln Douglas Debates, the Freeport Doctrine, and the Coming of the American Civil War
The Military Campaign in the Western theater of the War from January through June of 1862
Generalship of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan

From the Paper
"The Civil War represented one of the most important parts in the history of the United States. It was the essence of the American struggle for democracy as well as for the national identity and unity that would eventually emerge after its end. The premises of the war revolved around the issue of the Texan territory. Thus, the early connections were established "at the invitation of a Mexican government that had just won its independence from Spain. However, by 1830, Mexico was alarmed at the influx of a population alien in language and culture, suspect in political allegiance, and committed to slavery in defiance of Mexico's recent abolition of the institution" (McPherson, 2001) Therefore, what started as a limited relationship came to be seen as a possible threat."

Tags:Mexican-American, War, Kansas-Nebraska, Act, Dred, Scott, Lincoln, Douglas, Debates, Freeport, Doctrine, McClellan, Lee

Abstract
The paper discusses how Abraham Lincoln was deeply troubled by the existence of slavery in the United States, especially after Stephen Douglas managed to have the Kansas-Nebraska Act made into the law of the land. The paper looks at how Lincoln's attitudes toward slavery eventually changed society and finally brought an end to slavery in America in 1862.

From the Paper
"In 1854, forty-five year-old Abraham Lincoln was at a point in his life where politics was beginning to lose its luster, due in part to the recent passage by the U.S. Congress of the Kansas-Nebraska Act which "opened lands previously closed to slavery" and held the potential to help spread slavery into states where it was banned. For Lincoln, the passage of this highly-controversial act was immoral. Although Lincoln was not an abolitionist and held the view that slavery was "unassailably protected by the Constitution in states where it already existed," he did hold the opinion that the Founding Fathers had conveniently "put slavery on the way to ultimate extinction" by not allowing it to spread to new territories or states."

Tags:Stephen, Douglas, Kansas-Nebraska, Act, Emancipation, Proclamation

Abstract
The paper discusses the Compromise of 1850 that was a series of laws that attempted to resolve the territorial and slavery controversies which arose from the Mexican-American War. The paper focuses on the Fugitive Slave Law, the most controversial act of the Compromise of 1850, that enforced the return of runaway slaves to their owners. The paper then looks at the impact of Frederick Douglas, the novel "Uncle Tom's cabin", William Lloyd Garrison, the Kansas Nebraska Act, the violence of John Brown and the "Dred Scott" decision. The paper shows how eventually seven states seceded from the Union, becoming the Confederate States of America, and caused the outbreak of the Civil War.

From the Paper
"When gold was discovered in California 300,000 people rushed to the state seeking riches. While most of those rushing to California were American, news of the discovery also attracted tens of thousands of Latin America, Europe, Australia and Asia. The Gold Rush caused California to develop rapidly. San Francisco changed from a tiny town with tents to suddenly having a boom in population and economy. Roads, churches, schools and other surrounding towns were built and a system of laws and a government were created. As a result of California's rapid development, it was admitted as a state in 1850. ("California Gold Rush")"

Tags:Fugitive, Slave, Law, Frederick, Douglas, William, Lloyd, Garrison, Kansas, Nebraska, Act, John, Brown

Abstract
The paper introduces Willa Cather, who lived in Nebraska in the late 1800s, as having a writing style that was a fresh, new approach to the American experience. The paper reviews her book, "O Pioneers", which is a personification of the Bergson family's life on the frontier. The author concludes that Cather used intense detail to project the main theme, man pitted against nature.

From the Paper
"Alexandra emerged rather quickly as the protagonist of the novel, and evolved into a female heroine. One of the most dominant characters however, wasn't human at all. The land itself was the greatest enemy that Alexandra faced at times. Their relationship was symbolic of the overall theme of the "grand struggle"that existed between humanity and forces out of human control. Alexandra tried to control the land, and tried to exert her wishes upon the land, but the land was bending her at the same time."

Tags:frontier, nebraska, 1800?s, land, character, struggle, imagery, personification, realistic

Abstract
Since NCLB legislation in 2001, schools have seen a drastic change in assessment methods for students and are under increased pressure to be held accountable. This paper details the current situation in which high-stakes testing is not congruent with state standards. The paper then goes on to suggest ways in which states and school districts can alter assessments to increase their validity. Also, issues of how to improve school accountability are discussed. The Nebraska STARS accountability system is also evaluated and recommended.

From the Paper
"While assessment of school systems has been an ongoing issue in the United States for many years, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) created a controversy over accountability of schools and school districts. While NCLB has many admirable goals, such as attempting to provide equal educational opportunity to all students, there are weaknesses in its provision for assessments that plague schools that must not be held accountable for student learning. Spring (2006) notes that while states are able to create standards to determine what is taught and what state tests should contain, there is a requirement that fourth and eighth grade students must take the National Assessment of Educational Progress examinations (186). This legislation, in effect, creates a national curriculum because students from all states are expected to pass a national test. Additionally, NCLB's assessment requirements have already led to many states adopting other high-stakes assessments for students, and then holding schools responsible for failure or success on these tests. However, recent literature suggests that there are better assessment systems that can create a balanced approach to accountability."

Tags:accountability, assessment, child, districts, education, high, left, nclb, nebraska, school, schools, sociology, stakes, standardized, stars, state, teaching, testing, tests