President Obamas Higher Education Agenda

Higher education in the United States of America has been dwindling for the last few years. This may be the major reason as to why President Barack Obama has turned his focus on improving education sector. He has been reinstating that economy of the United States of America relies heavily on education.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on President Obama’s Higher Education Agenda specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More His education goal of producing 8 million more graduates by 2020 is because America is currently experiencing shortage of skilled labor in the manufacturing sector which forms the basis for economic growth. Speaking at the University of Texas at Austin, he stated: â€Å"Education is an economic issue when nearly 8 of 10 new jobs will require workforce training or a higher education by the end of this decade† (Lee, 2010). He openly admitted that education standards in the United States of America have been declining over the past years. This has been proven by a drastic fall from position one to the current 12th position world wide over a short period of time. He remarked: â€Å"I want you to know we have been slipping. In a single generation, we’ve fallen from first place to 12th place in college graduation rates for young adults† (Lee, 2010). He, therefore, expressed his fears that countries with well streamlined education systems may become more prosperous than the United States of America. He claimed: â€Å"Education is an economic issue when we know beyond a shadow of doubt that countries that out-educate us today, they will out-compete us tomorrow† (Lee, 2010). However, President Obama’s goal of producing 8 million more college graduates by 2020 may not be achieved due to economic constrains. For instance, the current impact of inflation has led to negative effects on the U.S economy. This situation has been worsened by fluctuations of oil p rices which have also affected global economic status. Unemployment of young adults in the United States of America has also added its impact on the economy of the United States of America. As a result, the U.S Government has reduced its educational funding. Consequently, inadequate educational funding has led to a very great shortage of learning resources in educational centers. Almost all the States of America are experiencing challenges in the education sector (Cramer Elliot III, 2012). Therefore, educational standards in the U.S have been compromised. Some States have made remarkable efforts to generate extra revenue for supplementing National educational funding through increase of taxes.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, very few improvements have been achieved. The K-12 education has been adversely affected by the shortage of funds because it receives the least share o f funds from the States’ budget allocations (Cramer Elliot III, 2012). It is, therefore, true to assert that the President’s brilliant educational objective will not be achieved unless educational funding is increased. Increase in educational funding remains a great challenge in virtually all States, thus this challenge has to be dealt with first. Though the President talked of designing effective strategies so as to ensure that students receive educational grants and loans, lack of enough learning resources in educational centers may impede developments in the education sector (Cramer Elliot III). President Obama’s Higher Education agenda may be made more difficult to be achieved by the current shortage of renewable energy resources. Nevertheless, President Obama believes that renewable energy sustainability holds the key to a stable economy (Lee, 2010). References Cramer, R. Elliot III, W. (2012). To Limit Debt, Promote Savings. Retrieved from http://www.in sidehighered.com/views/2012/02/10/essay-role-encouraging-savings-efforts-reduce-debt Lee, J. (2010, August 9) Re: President Obama on Higher Education in Austin: â€Å"We Are Not Playing for Second Place† [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/08/09/president-obama-higher-education-austin-we-are-not-playing-second-place This essay on President Obama’s Higher Education Agenda was written and submitted by user Gloria F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The 25+ BEST Writing Tools in 2019

The 25+ BEST Writing Tools in 2019 The 25+ Best Writing Tools in 2019 Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing - like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds. (Fun fact: the name â€Å"Reedsy† is inspired by the â€Å"reed pen,† which was used as early as 800 B.C. for documentation).As you can tell by now, the act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves - and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools. In fact, today’s writers and storytellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which tools to use.The following list details our favorite writing tools and resources for taking any idea through to its written conclusion.Writing toolsWe all know Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so we’re not going to waste your time giving those two a run-down in our list. Below are four other word proc essors you might not know about, and that are worth checking out.Reedsy Book Editor - freeDoes â€Å"fake it ‘til you make it† ring true to you? Well, the Reedsy Book Editor is a free, online word processor that formats your book as you write. See your drafts automatically turn into a professional-looking manuscript - and allow this glimpse of your work as the final product spur your motivation to write. One of the Reedsy Book Editor’s best functions is that it lets you instantly typeset your manuscript to EPUB and print-ready PDF files.Check it out if: if you want a writing tool that takes care of formatting and conversion for you.Draft - freeDo you like a helpful tap on the shoulder, reminding you about something you need to do? Well, you’ll likely enjoy Draft then, because the online word processor not only keeps track of how many words you write per day, it can also email you daily reminders about your daily word count goals. (Of course, if this sounds a little too â€Å"hands-on† for you, you can always turn the reminder function off).Other than that, Draft functions a lot like Google Docs: allowing you to track changes, collaborate via suggested edits, and make comments on the doc.Check it out if: you like Google Docs, but want an even simpler interface.LibreOffice - freeYes, we did say that we wouldn’t mention Microsoft Word, because by now everyo ne knows that it’s a useful writing tool. But we didn’t say we wouldn’t mention it’s free counterpart: LibreOffice.LibreOffice is the open source answer for people who want to try Microsoft without paying the price tag. (Open source means that the software is built on code that anyone can inspect and enhance). Plus it’s compatible with all of the regular file types people are used to, such as   .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, and .pptx files.Check it out if: you like a classic word processor - and moreover, a free one.Mellel - $50 (or try a 30-day free trial)The people behind Mellel don’t just know word processing - they also know catchy, memorable marketing. Their description of why writers should choose Mellel starts like this: â€Å"Mellel is a writer's dream come true. To start, it is exceedingly boring: it just works, day in and day out, reliably. An enormous number of people used Mellel to write and they all report that their jou rney with Mellel was boring and uneventful. As well it should. In other words, it does all the mundane bits, and leaves the creative stuff to you.†Mellel is not free (and note that it’s only for Mac). In return for the price tag, you’ll get more book-specific tools than other, perhaps more traditional word processors - such as outlining and bibliography-making functions. And, judging by the witty, funny copy on Mellel’s website, Mellel makes the process of writing much more fun than they let on.Check it out if: you’re a Mac user who wants more than the Pages app offers.Organization tools Check it out if: you’ve ever felt envy at Rita Skeeter’s Quick-Quotes Quill in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.Ergonomic desk setups - variesAs more and more of the workforce moves to sedentary jobs where the majority of 9am to 5pm is spent sitting - usually hunching - at a computer, a growing number of sitting-related health injuries have been occurring. That’s why looking into more ergonomically friendly desk setups is a good idea for writers who spend long hours at the computer - or even writing in a notebook. This could be a standing desk, or even just a number of textbooks piled under your desktop so that your screen is eye level, resulting in less stress on your shoulders.Check it out if: you don’t want writing gains to come at the cost of growing back pains.Computer Glasses - variesWriters are all familiar with computer-caused eyestrains. Because you blink far less when looking at a screen than you do otherwise, computer vision syndrome (CV S) is a condition people have been developing due to long stretches of staring at a computer.One way to help alleviate this - other than just making sure to take time looking away from your computer - is to invest in some computer glasses. They typically come in blue or amber shades, and are coated with a protective coating.There are a number of brands you can check out, such as Pixel Eyewear or Felix Gray.Check it out if: you notice itchy or tired eyes after long writing sessions.FREE writing coursesMaybe you’ve got all you need to actually get the writing done, but you could use a leg up when it comes to craft. These free, ten-day courses are intended to help you do the best writing you can!On writingNovel Writing 101 - Over the course of ten lessons, you will learn how to plan an amazing novel, create compelling characters, and build a writing routine to make sure you get from 'page one' to the final chapter of your magnum opus.Writing Non-Fiction - In this 10 day cour se, publishing coach Azul Terronez goes through which common writing mistakes to avoid, which questions to ask yourself before you get started, and finally, how to stay motivated throughout the writing process.Writing YA Novels - Over ten lessons, you will discover the most common pitfalls of first-time YA authors, and learn how to hone your craft towards writing for a teen audience.How to Write a Business Book -   In this course, Alison Jones, a publishing partner for businesses and organizations, will teach you how to approach the writing of your first book, from the idea itself down to the day-to-day writing routine you should adopt.On productivityBuild a Solid Writing Routine - Over ten email lessons, we’ll give you a bunch of practical, actionable tips to help you understand and face down your procrastination gremlins to find a writing habit that works for you.How to Stop Talking About Writing a Book and Actually Start Doing It - In this short course, book coach Jen nie Nash shares the secrets for how to start strong so you can move forward with confidence. It’s a powerful way to stop talking about someday writing a book, and to actually start doing it, by getting the idea out of your head and onto the page.On editingHow to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro - Lisa Lepki of ProWritingAid is here to help you spot (and fix) the ten most common writing mistakes. These mistakes won't just make you seem like an amateur - they will also hinder your chances of landing an agent or securing a publisher.Story Editing for Authors - In this email course, author and Fictionary CEO Kristina Stanley shares her method for ensuring that your story is well-told, well-paced and highly effective. Over ten lessons, you will be guided through the process of reviewing your story, scene-by-scene, with the help of a downloadable resource that you will receive in lesson one.Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites - The editors behind #RevPit will show y ou how to dive into the revision process and methodically prepare your book for publication. The best writing tools of 2019 that every writer should consider adding to their arsenal  Ã¢Å" Ã¯ ¸  At this point, your arsenal is fully stocked: you’ve got a place to do the writing, tools to help you concentrate and edit, a workspace that makes long hours at your desk a little more fun, and advice from professionals on perfecting your craft. At the end of the day, putting these writing tools to good use is down to you - so show us what you’ve got!Have you tried any of the above writing tools - and if so, which were your favorites? Or maybe you feel there are some great resources missing from this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Should I choose online or classroom SAT prep

Should I choose online or classroom SAT prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Like most things in life, the answer to this question is: it depends. In this case, it depends on what kind of learner you are, what your schedule looks like, how quickly you need to beef up your skills, and how much you (or your parents) want to pay. Online education is still young, trying to find its footing as technologies become more sophisticated and people become more connected to the internet 24/7. And SAT prep is also entering a phase of speedy evolution, as theCollege Boardannounced recently that willprovide free preparation for theredesigned testthat begins in the Spring of 2016. But if the College Board’s record for (lack of) transparency is any indication, the prep they provide will be incomplete at best. They've been providing "College Board Official Prep" for decades and certain students benefit from more than that. After all, their job is to present questions that can’t be â€Å"tricked†! So it’s important to keep on top of all your options, as you only have to take the test once if you prepare well. Like it or not, the SAT is probably an important factor in the direction of your post-high school life. A quick comparison of online and classroom SAT prep: Online Classroom where wherever you want major cities when whenever you want late (average weekday start time 7pm) or early (average weekend start time 8am) setting home, library, your choice high school and college classrooms customization fully customized algorithmic program* none timed practice 10 full practice tests* none (no time!) program design self-paced pre-planned (if you get sick, too bad!) upgrades every 2 weeks when the test changes (approx. every 10 years) progress tracking constant and precise none instructor availability 24/7 during class time (about 3-6 hours per week) feedback constant and updated very little *with PrepScholar When Classroom is Better: Of course, there are advantages to traditional classroom instruction that are difficult to quantify. There are some types of students who will do well in a classroom setting: students who require the presence of an authority figure to get anything done students who enjoy the high school experience students who aren’t much higher or lower than the average ability of the class students who are willing to ask every single question they have students who prefer pen-and-paper work to online work If you or your student(s) fall into a few of these categories, you may want to consider classroom preparation. But most students don’t. Obviously, online SAT prep has a ton of advantagesand its abilities are expanding every day. The bottom line is that most proponents of classroom teaching don’t know what technology is capable of. Most educators, in high schools and big prep companies, are middle-aged or older. Their experience with technology is limited at best. PrepScholar (time to toot our own horn!) is founded and staffed entirely by people who have been using computers our whole lives. The company was founded on the principle that technology can provide enriching, compelling educational experiences and we are constantly working to push the boundaries of what we can deliver. We aren’t the least biased authority on the advantages of online test prep, but we may be the best informed. Next Up: Should you take the New SAT or Old SAT? And if you found this interesting or helpful, sign up to the right to stay updated on the topics we think SAT preppers and their parents might find useful. Also, get our FREE SAT guide!

The Arab-Israeli Conflict Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Arab-Israeli Conflict - Assignment Example The importance of the Middle East can hardly be overstated. Spread across North Africa, Asia Minor and Near Asia, the term Middle East' refers to 22 countries. In geographic terms, these countries are the doorways to Africa and Asia. In economic terms, they are the world's largest repositories of oil and natural gas, holding the majority of the world's known reserves of natural energy. Further, in economic terms, the Arab Middle East represents a valuable source of investment capital which has the potential to significantly contribute to the economy of any nation it is even partially diverted to. In political terms, the Arab Middle East has, officially, been the voice of moderate Islam - a force which the Western world can no longer afford to ignore or dismiss as inconsequential, considering that it is the world's second largest religion and it is fastest growing one. At the present moment, the West and the Arab Middle East are engaged in a conflict which, to date... In other words, the protraction and continued intensification of the Arab-Israeli conflict have negatively impacted on the West and on Middle East-West relationships. The West and the international community cannot afford the continued alienation of the Arab Middle East. From the strategic perspective, they can not afford it from the economic, political or security standpoints. At the same time, the international community cannot compromise on the issue of the survival of the State of Israel or on its right to security. The implication here is that the international community has to devise an approach to the conflict which is founded upon international law.  

Professional international business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Professional international business law - Essay Example Wally Solar Manufacturer hereinafter referred to as â€Å"Principal†; a corporation organized and registered in accordance with the laws of _________, having a registered address at ____________ and herein represented by ___________. Japan Sun Power Ltd., herein after referred to as â€Å"Agent†; a corporation organized and registered under the laws of Japan, having a registered address at ____________ and herein represented by ______________;† There are many ways of arranging the sections of an agreement to make in understandable and coherent. I propose that this agreement will be divided into sections with headings and subtitles for easy references. Statement of Purpose. The draft agreement you provided me has no statement of purpose. This provision is important as it will define the whole document and will guide the reader as what purpose it will serve. This should appear as section 1 in the agreement. Definition of Terms. In an agreement, as well as any other contracts, it is highly desirable to define the terms we use in the provisions thereof. There are words, which may have dual meanings or connotes a deferent interpretation when conjunct with another word or phrase. My recommendation is that we include a definition of terms in the agreement and put it as Section 3. Appointment and Territorial Coverage. A clear provision appointing the Agent and defining the territory upon which the agent shall have authority to operate should be included. This should be included as Section 4. I would like to suggest that provisions for this section should read as follows: The Principal hereby appoints the Agent to serve as its exclusive sales agent and representative in Japan and shall act in accordance with the terms of this agreement. The appointment should limit the coverage of the Agent within the Japanese territory as you already mentioned that the Agent is a small company with no capability of handling transactions outside Japan. Non-Transferability

Teacher Shortage Essay Example for Free

Teacher Shortage Essay Today teachers are not paid a lot and as a result there has been a shortage of teachers, especially good, qualified ones. Until teacher salaries are raised and teaching comes to be a desirable profession, teacher shortage is going to have a negative impact on both teachers and students. Teacher shortage is bad for students because it means an increased number of students in class. Teacher shortage is bad for teachers because larger class sizes mean more students to be responsible for and more papers to grade. Currently, most teachers are older men and women. Today there are an average of twenty teachers per district retiring ever year (Perrin). But what is going to happen when those teachers retire? Who is going to fill all those positions? Most likely, it will not be education majors currently enrolled in college because everyday, education majors are changing their majors. Teaching does not seem like a desirable profession due to the low salaries and strenuous work load. After spending thousands of dollars to earn a college degree, college students want their degree to work for them. They do not want to work a high hour, low paying job when they know they could be out making good money at an entry level computer job. Until teacher salaries are increased, things are only going to get worse. Already, many of the teaching jobs are held by substitutes, many without college degrees, and that are not always experts in the field in which they teach. With the current teacher shortage, large class sizes are just going to get larger. The problem does not sound serious right now, but what will happen when those students are doctors, teachers, or presidents years down the road? This is a serious problem that could have a very negative impact on our nations future. So, what are we doing to address the teacher shortage? Right now, recruiters are going out of the country to find qualified teachers. Recruiters are mainly tapping into India, Russia, Canada, and Spain for new teachers. While it seems like a good idea, school districts are paying high dollar to fund these recruiting trips. Districts often even have to pay a finder fee of up to five thousand dollars per teacher. They also must sponsor them for special visas, help them with housing, and hold orientations to ease the cultural transitions(Lord). Perhaps a better alternative wouldbe to use this money to increase teacher salaries. Paying for the new teachers is not the only problem with this idea. Even while the foreign teachers might be experts in their fields, what are they going to teach the students if they students can not understand them? Also, a teacher from India is not used to walking through a metal detector every day before work. Classroom discipline may also be a critical issue. Indian students tend to be more orderly and respectful. When an Indian teacher walks into a classroom, they expect the full attention of the class. Unfortunately, this is not always the case today. In this kind of case, I think it is bad for the students and the teacher. The students may not be able to understand the teacher. The teacher may not be ready for the type of students that they are going to see. So, what do we need to do about teacher shortage to make people want to go into teaching? The teachers need to be paid more money. According to Jared Bernstein, an NEA official, most teachers are underpaid at least five thousand dollars a year, based on their education skills, even taking into account summers off. Teachers are even more underpaid in Missouri. With the national average at just over forty thousand dollars per year, the Missouri average is just under thirty-five thousand dollars per year. So if most teachers are underpaid five thousand dollars, Missouri teachers are underpaid about nine thousand dollars per year (Bernstein). The First Lady, Laura Bush is even trying to help solve the nations education problem, vowing to go to college campuses and military bases to recruit desperately needed new teachers. She and President Bush are even going to try to set an example by teaching in classrooms. The First lady used to teach second grade and holds a masters degree in Library Science. A program has started called Teach for America becauseit is estimated that over thenext ten years the United States Education Department will need over two million teachers (Perrin). The program encourages college graduates to make a minimum two-year commitment to teaching. Another plan the First Lady and the President are committed to is the Troops to Teachers program. This plan is to recruit qualified teachers that are retired members of the military. Many of the retired members have degrees in science, math, and engineering. Plus, they bring something to schools that is desperately needed, discipline. Bush believes in the Troops to Teachers program so much that he plans to increase spending from three million dollars to thirty million dollars on the program (Killian). The teacher shortage is really a serious problem. But, I really do feel that the necessary steps will be made to move in the right direction. The change will not happen overnight though. Great ideas to come up with new teachers, especially the Troops to Teachers plan, are being pursued. Many of the retired military members are overqualified for the jobs. Their discipline in the classroom is much needed. The bill they are working on could be a good idea. The bill gives the districts more freedom with the money, which could be a good or a bad thing. They could use the money to hire good teachers, or they could use the money to build better facilities for the schools. The answer is not to go to other countries to find teachers because it costs too much money to go recruit teachers. Why not just use that money to increase teacher salaries?

A Comparison of Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent Essay -- compar

A Comparison of Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent      Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay consists of two separate parts but the intention is that both these parts will prove to be relevant from the point of view of what this essay sets out to study. The first part will present Joseph Conrad's life and some of his works and the latter part will consist of a comparison of two of Conrad's works, Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent. In this essay I will begin from two assumptions, namely, that both the works mentioned above include clearly identifiable similarities in their narration, theme and method, and, that Conrad's own experiences and views have had great effect on both works.    The method of this essay is firstly to discuss Conrad's life and then to try to find out what kind of similarities and differences Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent contain and also to try to discover how Conrad's own experiences relate to these works ( and his other works in general). I will also try to relate Conrad's works to some other writers' styles whenever I am capable of doing so despite of my poor knowledge of Conrad's contemporaries and despite of the fact that I was unable to get hold of such works as Conrad and His Contemporaries which surely would have been useful. My sources for carrying out this task are Conrad himself, his critics and my own opinions/interpretations of the two works by Conrad.       Joseph Conrad    In dealing with the life of Joseph Conrad I will focus on the period before he settled in England and started his actual writing career and so I will not present his life after his trip to the Congo and nor will I deal with how it affected him afterwards. I take this approach simply because in my opinio... ...r to be able to understand what is happening.    In conclusion, both The Secret Agent and Heart of Darkness are loosely based on reality; the former on a historical incident and the latter on Conrad's experiences of Congo. Both works have surprisingly much in common and, in my opinion, are also great works of art.    Works Cited    Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. 1902. New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1990.    Conrad, Joseph. The Secret Agent (1907)   New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1990.    Fleishman, Avrom. Condrad's Politics: Community and Anarchy in the Fiction of   Joseph Conrad. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1967.    O'Prey, Paul. 'Introduction', 'Heart of Darkness'. (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1983).    Warner, Oliver Joseph Conrad Longmans, Green and Co., London, New York, Toronto. 1950.   

Political Stupidity Essay

In E . J. Dionne’s essay, â€Å"Political Stupidity, U. S. Style† he wants to address the political stupidity that the government is making. To start his argument, he raises an emotional question, â€Å"Can a nation remain a superpower if its internal politics are incorrigibly stupid? † The author is saying are we letting politics, irrational ideas on fiscal policy and an antiquated political structure undermine our power. He divides political stupidity into three parts: stupid tax policies, irrational ideas on fiscal policy and antiquated political structure. In his essay, â€Å"Political Stupidity, U.S Style,† Dionne employs ethos, connotation and an emotional appeal. In paragraph sixteen, Dionne uses ethos. He writes, â€Å"I’m a chronic optimist about America. † E. J. Dionne is confident about the future to get better but we need well intentioned republicans who care about the nation interest to realize something has gone fundamentally wrong with their party and work to help bring it back. To get rid of political stupidity, he wants to form a senate, a new conservatism that is worthy of our name, liberals willing to speak out on the threat our daft politics poses to our influence in the world, and moderates. However the readers might have complete trust of the government of the United States and so they might not like someone questioning their credibility. In paragraph number seventeen, Dionne uses connotation saying â€Å"We need moderates who do more than stick their fingers in the wind to calculate the halfway point between two political poles. † Dionne is hoping to make people aware of the political stupidity and the need to bring change in the system of politics. Sticking their fingers in the wind, means a person putting his finger in the wind is unlikely to come up with original solutions, and decisions are made without backing evidence. It says that the politicians are making blind decisions without even thinking about its consequences. It also makes them look like fools running the country. However, if some people think that the politicians were fools, the United States would not have been a super power. In paragraph seven, Dionne uses a strict emotional appeal as a mean to persuade his audience. He writes, â€Å"The simple truth is that the wealthy in the United States- the people who have made almost all the income gains in recent years- are under taxed compared with everyone else. † Consider two reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. One, issued last month, highlighted findings from the Congressional Budget Office showing that, â€Å"The gaps in after-tax income between the richest 1 percent of Americans and the middle and poorest fifths of the country more than tripled between 1979 and 2007. † The other, from February, used Internal Revenue Service data to show that the effective federal income tax rate for the 400 taxpayers with the very highest incomes declined by nearly half in just over a decade, even as their pre-tax incomes have grown five times larger. He writes this, hoping that by using the reports from the Congressional Budget Office, he would be able to prove his point that the United States is politically stupid. It seems as if he is trying to bring awareness among the people of the United States about the decisions made by politicians. Although he has demonstrated his evidence very convincingly and it seems that he would get his readers attention and they would listen to his concerns but some of his readers think that he is being blunt and through his essay he is making direct acquisitions on the politicians of the United States. The United States is falling behind and the public seems not to notice. In paragraph number fourteen, Dionne talks about the structure of our government. He talks about how the ratio between the largest and smallest state was 13 to 1. Now it’s 68 to 1. He writes,† because of the abuse of the filibuster, 41 senators representing less than 11 percent of the national population can, in principle, block action supported by 59 senators representing more than 89 percent of our population. And you wonder why it’s hard to get anything done in Washington? ’’ Dionne gives convincing evidence to support his claim which is the politics of the United States is stupid. He uses ethos and shows his concerns by saying he is a chronic optimist about America. He also uses reports to prove his point and persuade the audience. However he seems blunt and tells it like it is without any fear.

Pricing and Costing Methods Essay

Organizations today more than ever before must ensure that they reduce costs as well, as the time used to avail products and services to the market. Since planning as well as the estimation of costs are critical to businesses it is important that organizations chose the best pricing and costing techniques. (Seonen, 2006). The implication here is that the fundamental goal of any business concern is to minimize its costs of operation while maximizing its returns to the shareholders. In order to achieve this, there is need to put in place the best pricing policies as well as the most appropriate costing techniques. This paper will attempt to examine the various costing as well as pricing methods that are available for use by business organizations. Traditional costs estimation methods like marginal and absorption costing will be looked at. Equally the newer costing method, the activity based costing will be discussed alongside other pricing methods. (Seonen, 2006) Pricing Methods Average cost pricing One example of pricing methods is the average cost pricing. Average cost pricing as a cost method involves the calculation of average costs per unit. To obtain this, the total cost of goods available for sale is divided by the total units available for sale. The weighted average approach is applied to all the closing inventories. (Duffie, 1992) The disadvantage with this method is the fact that it ignores the effects of cost increases as well as decreases. This is usually due to the fact that cost of closing inventory calculated under this category is usually affected the prices paid in the entire year as well as the cost of the opening stock. The method thus ignores more recent costs which are more reliable in income determination and decision making. Pricing methods Cost plus pricing: this is one of the pricing methods where by the price for a given product or service is the sum of the actual cost of the product or service plus a profit margin. This method of pricing is mostly used as an interim contractual measure. (Lintner 1965) The major advantage of this method is that it’s easy to calculate and need little information in computing the project costs and thus mostly used in pricing government contracts. The other hand this method has come under sharp criticism for encouraging wasteful expenditures in government contracts coupled by corruption. The other pricing method is the option pricing method that is commonly used in the motor vehicle industry. (Birge, 1997 ) option pricing method is basically where by an organization prices its products in a way that it provides a base price for its products which in most cases is always low to attract customers who upon visiting the store find other product accessories that can be purchased and added to the product. For example most vehicle manufacturing companies will provide a base price for their cars and use their showrooms to market other product parts like the car music systems, alarms e. t. c. Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is another pricing approach that can be used in the financial sector, (Lintner 1965, pp. 12-39) it basically based on the investors ability to invest in many other fronts (divest) without additional costs, this approach is advantageous in that any future cash flows can easily be monitored with only knowing the investments correlation with the market, market risk premium as well as the risk free rates. Comparable uncontrolled price method(CUP),this is a method that seeks to establish the ALP, through comparing the controlled and the uncontrolled transaction in relation to the asset or service that has been transferred, (Duffie,1992) this method is mostly used in provision of loan by financial institutions as well by other organizations that sell intangibles. Resale price method, this is a method that seeks to evaluate the process of activities performed or done rather than the eventual output (product) (Lintner,1965,pp. 2-37)its commonly used in instances where the reseller do not add any meaningful value to the finished product and no physical changes are made on the product, the eventual resale price is determined by the resale price of a commodity then subtracting the gross profit margin achieved from the resale as well as all the expenses incurred, before arriving at the resale price of the commodity Bid pricing: This is a method of pricing that is commonly used in the stock exchange markets. it basically involve the respective clients placing bids or prices they would like to purchase the stocks of shares, and with the buyers and the sellers, with the highest bidder purchasing the property, price movements at times in the stock market always leads to the uncertainty in the market prices. (Sharpe,1964,p. 425-442) Target pricing: This is a method of pricing where business organizations price their products differently basing on the different market segments that they target with their products, the products may not necessarily have diverse differences to justify the difference in prices but the underlying idea is to maximize on profit in market segments that can pay higher prices for the product as this helps to cover on the lower segment, where the product may be priced lower. (Dominick,2008,p. ) The basic advantage of this pricing method is that it enables a company to earn higher profits without necessarily increasing production costs since it’s the same product that is sold to different target markets, Target pricing is generally common in the mobile phone industry where the same gadgets with minor modification are actually sold to different target markets at different prices Costing Methods Marginal costing This method also known as the direct coasting method has the main characteristic of charging all the manufacturing or product costs to the product irrespective of whether the costs are variable or fixed. Lucey, 1993) This method is useful in pricing decisions that are short term in nature in determining the least price that can be charged to a product below which losses will occur. The implication here is that marginal or direct costing as a traditional costing method suffers from the major drawback of oversimplification because it tends to employ only the volume of the product. Job costing is the method of costing where the coast of a product or service is determined by allocating costs ton a particular unit, a batch or even to a lot of the product or service. It is more or less the same as batch costing. Precisely, job costing method is applicable where good and services are produced as a result of a series of continuous operations. It is thus considered a product costing technique in which case emphasis is laid on the determination of the cost of a unit product. (Sobngwi, 2007) Absorption costing It has been the practice of many firms to charge manufacturing overheads on the basis of direct costs like direct labour. The technique used tended to differ in terms of details as well as allocation bases. Some systems employ a single base like total direct cost while others use several bases like direct labour and raw materials. Absorption costing as a method of costing allocates all the costs to the objects of the cost. This usually happen based on direct costs or even physical output measures. Marginal cost allocations are important for many managerial decisions like the valuation of stock as well as calculation of profits. (Sobngwi, 2007) The method may however not be very appropriate for product range decisions since the net profit figure from this technique tends to be unsatisfactory base for product range decisions. Allocation of expenses between two departments may be difficult. One department may for example have a fully developed product which could require only a little development resources while the other department could be in need of full development. In such a case dividing the costs will thus be inaccurate. This has the implication that there is uncertainty as to whether dropping one product line would lead to a reduction of the total expenses allocated to that product. (Bjornlund & Rossini 2005). Activity Based Costing (ABC) The activity based costing (ABC) was developed as a reaction to the shortcomings of the marginal and absorption costing methods. This method gives a description of the activity in overhead departments which can be recognized by both the departmental managers as well being driven by cost factors. The cost factors are usually the characteristics of the products s well as other cost objects. ABC is usually a two step process. First, the costs of similar activities in various overhead centers are collected. In this case the total direct cost of each department is then charged to each activity based on its use of total capacity as well as the total of all the costs of all activities collected from all the departments in activity cost pools. Seonen, 2006) Second, the cost drives of each cost pool are identified after which cost drivers are quantified and the allocations to product costs derived. (Seonen, 2006) There are usually many varieties of cost drivers to choose from in an attempt to explain the costs of an object. The bottom line however is that they have to be capable of being quantified in terms of both the cost pool as well as the cost objects. Conclusion There is always need for consistency as well as standardization of the methods of financial pricing and costing methods have been recognized. Adam et el,2003) This has led to the innovations of many sets of guidelines for both economic evaluations and costs. In the final analysis therefore, variations in cost methods that are usually used in business organizations have raised many questions resulting into the inability to compare the results of various costing as well as pricing methods. However in order to achieve both the transferability as well be able to generalize results there is need to apply uniform cost pricing and estimation methods in order to minimize any chances of variations.

French Presentation essays

French Presentation essays For my presentation Ive decided to research language. I think that is interesting to know how a person acquires language and how they learn a second language. Most people say that children and people who learn a second language learn by imitating what adults or people around them say. But it has been suggested that language is a biologically programmed activity. In 1957 B.F. Skinner published a book where he argued that children and people who learn a second language learn how to speak appropriately because people who know the language correct their grammar. He believed that a parent shapes a childs speech by turning their babbling into words and to combine these words to short or long sentences. And for people who learn a second language, he believed that their primary teacher shapes their grammar and teaches them how to put word together to form sentences. In the 1960s Chomsky proposed that humans are born with a language acquisition device (LDA), a linguistic processor that is activated by verbal input. According to Chomsky, the LAD contains the knowledge of rules that are common to all languages. So LAD should allow any child who has enough vocabulary to put words together. Its the same for people who learn a second language. If a person who learns a second language has enough vocabulary he can put word together to make sentences. But a person who learns a second language can not use the LAD to learn a second language unless he learns the second language during the Sensitive Period. The sensitive period is the period when a childs brain is not developed yet and is specialized to learn language. This sensitive period occurs between birth and puberty. So learning a second language after puberty is very hard because the sensitive period is over. Also, if a child has a traumatic accident during the sensitive period, he can recover and learn language again because the right side of his brain can a...

Business Plan and Implementation.

A business plan is perceived to be a paramount tool in any business organization.   Apple Inc. is an American based company that manufactures and market mobile communication devices, portable music players. This company is the largest information technology provider in the world. The aim of this report is to create business focus, develop and prepare a plan of activities to be used as a guide to Apple Inc. in achieving its set objectives and goals. For companies to thrive, there must be established policies in conducting its operations aiming at increasing their profit margins hence continued business life.   Increasing productivity of the firm’s products, the management may employ strategies like use of new technology in their operation, review of the existing setup and implement continuous improvement approach during the process. One of the primary goals of Apple Inc. firm is to increase the productivity of information technology products. Therefore, this translates to high sales volume hence high-profit margins are achieved in the long run. The company can attain this through creating brand awareness about its products to the customers (Csiszar, 2017). Brand awareness can be accomplished through the internet (web leverage, the creation of social media presence) and sponsoring public events such as open games and golf tournaments. In the event, the products are displayed to the potential customers with disposable inc ome to purchase the product. In every business to remain active in the market, there is a need for established plan of activities declaring a day to day activities. In particular, the plan is used to map the future, to support the growth of the firm, to develop and communicate the course of action to the people and to support exit strategic management processes. Apple Inc. products remain to uphold the original company’s promises to its customers during its inception. The company operates in California and targets global markets. The company uses strategies such as Apple brand personality (focuses on emotions about how the customer feels after using the company product), Apple customer experience (all the goods must conform to Apple brands) and Apple brand halo effect. The company goal in employing such strategies is to maintain a brand promise to its potential customers (Marketing-Minds, 2016). It is much vital for any business to have proper market review requirement processes during their operations. Apple Inc. The company employs tools such as Steeple analysis technique, Scenario planning technique, critical success factor analysis (CSFA) and the five forces technique.   Also, the top management reviews market performance and the desired direction, operational matters pertaining the business and workers organization for proper performance analysis of the firm. The company operates in US based markets and other international markets across the world. Determining resource requirement is one of major goal before business operation commences. The primary purpose of the analyst in business is to give out aspects that can reduce overall costs in operation. Apple Inc. employs mechanisms such as conducting of survey cycle, scheduling brainstorming meeting and interviewing key stakeholders as some of the major processes in identifying resource required. The company is ended by the CEO being assisted by the managers (Rowland, 2017). Consultations with Stakeholders Apple Inc. needs to form both internal and external stakeholders in its operation. Internal stakeholders include the employees and company owners.   On the other hand, external stakeholders include the investors or those funding the business project (Denton, 2017). The firm consultation with stakeholders aim is to yield benefits like an evaluation of firm’s action, identification, and tracking of firm’s needs and the establishment of brand values. Through the consultation process, information flow to and from the stakeholders become much efficient. Therefore, a devised process is much vital in the organization. Developed channel to achieve this can take the form below  Ã‚   Apple Inc. needs to develop performance goal and actions techniques like a balanced scorecard. Management can include new strategies with the aim of achieving a breakthrough in operation. This mode translates strategic business objectives into performance measures. The following schematic chart gives activities flow in performance measures in Apple Inc  (Rousseau, 2015). Report on the main aspect performance measure   at different stages Apple Inc.   Incorporate scorecard technique in evaluating performance action in the management in achieving its set objectives. Executive management focuses on measurement. In all the four categories in the plan and appropriate be drafted. In particular, Apple Inc.   Being scheduled to be a PCs company, consumer loyalty measurements are merely being acquainted in arranging representatives toward turning into a client-driven organization. The company needs to build its free studies with a specific end goal to track its key market fragments in far and broad perspective. At this phase of performance measure implementation, key aspects need to addressed for the easy actualization of the company set objectives (Rousseau, 2015). In innovation and learning perspective, the development and learning goals are proposed to drive change in monetary, client, and interior process execution. At Apple Inc., such upgrades originated from an item and administration advancement that would make new wellsprings of income and market development, and also from a nonstop change in inner work forms. The primary target was measured by percent revenue from new administrations. A staff disposition study and a metric for the quantity of representative, recommendations measured regardless of whether such an atmosphere was being made. At long last, income per worker measured the results of representative duty and preparing programs. Similarly, the financial point of view included three measures of significance to the shareholder. Return-on-capital-utilized and income reflected inclinations, while consistent estimate quality flagged the corporate parent's craving to diminish the chronicled vulnerability brought about by unforeseen varieties in execution. Apple Inc. administration included two monetary measures. Extend benefit gave concentrate on the venture as the fundamental unit for arranging and control.   To create measures of inner procedures, Apple Inc. administrators characterized the life cycle of investment from dispatch to culmination. The new concentration underscored actions that incorporated key business forms. Inner reviews had uncovered that the circuitous expenses from a mishap could be 5 to 50 times the immediate costs. The scorecard included a security file, got from an extensive wellbeing estimation framework that could recognize and order every single undesired occasion with the potential for damage to individuals, property, and process (Rousseau, 2015). The firm has been able to achieve the set goals and objectives, in survey conducted indicates that there is an increase in net sales, increased revenue and minimal complaints from the potential customers. The key performance indicators used by Apple Inc. can be customer feedbacks and quality levels of the products this clearly indicate that the primary set business objectives are set by the firm. Also,   the company has devised other production strategies like patenting with the aim of venturing into wider global markets (NASDAQ, 2017). For this matter, the firm will have wide access to the customers hence enjoying benefits of economies of scale. Since the inception of business operations, Apple Inc. has shown underperformance of around 7% over the period which is an important aspect to market capitalization. Underperformance in any production firm seems to be a major challenge which ought to addressed with immediate effect. This can lead business shut down if the status becomes severe.   In recent years approximately 4.4% drop in revenue has been encountered in the firm as a result of a decrease in iPhone sales over the period (NASDAQ, 2017). To incorporate a change in the organization, bottom-up communication becomes vital goal to be pursued by the management. As a matter of fact, new skills are imparted to the workers hence improve in quality and reduced production cycles. An excellent training model must have five steps namely; first understanding the areas underperforming, planning and preparation, execution and lastly assessing to gauge its functionality. This plan seems to restate Apple Inc. to uplift its underperformed areas (Denton, 2017). Apple's Product Development Process might be a standout amongst the best outline handle at any point actualized. The step is to design layout at the forefront; design teams are separated from the large company, reviewing and lastly packaging of the product ready to the ready (IDF, 2012). Plan goals and objectives need to be communicated to the recipients through the right channel like print or online at the start of the operation. The staff ought to be up to the tasks infirm. In developing performance reports, the message needs to be precise mainly for the recipients to understand quickly.Graphic rating scale method was employed in tracking the performance. More important, production variances were identified through revenue checks. Lastly, recommendations of more improved models become paramount to Apple Inc. Csiszar, J. (2017). How to Increase Brand Awareness for a Product. Retrieved from Chron: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/increase-brand-awareness-product-41158.html Denton, P. (2017). Report to UN Environment Major Groups and Stakeholders, Region of North America. IDF. (2012). Apple’s Product Development Process – Inside the World’s Greatest Design Organization. Retrieved from Interaction Design: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/apple-s-product-development-process-inside-the-world-s-greatest-design-organization Marketing-Minds. (2016). Apple's Branding Strategy. Retrieved from Marketing minds: https://www.marketingminds.com.au/apple_branding_strategy.html NASDAQ. (2017, Feb 21). Apple Inc. (AAPL) Company Financials. Retrieved from Nasdaq: https://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/aapl/financials?query=income-statement Rousseau, M. B. (2015). Organizational Narcissism: Scale development and firm outcomes. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communication, and Conflict, 19(1), 159. Rowland, C. (2017). Company Analysis: Business Potential & Performance. Retrieved from Panmore: https://panmore.com/apple-inc-operations-management-10-decisions-areas-productivity

Nursing Shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Shortage - Essay Example tions and there is need to change in order to improve quality of healthcare services and increase customer satisfaction by increasing staff ratios in healthcare facilities, introduction of worker retention incentives, development of placement programs and training of more nurses to meet the demand (Satterly, 2004). The stakeholders involved in this kind of change include the government, nursing professional bodies, community representatives, healthcare training institution’s heads, and the nurses. The government allocates more funds for building more training institutions, training of nursing personnel and development of placement programs. The change will also demand that the heads of training institutions expand their capacities by admitting more students. The community leaders are expected to report the level of shortage and engage in developing policy frameworks to address the issue. Nursing professional bodies also have to be up to date in terms of the demand and supply of nurses and will have to engage in identifying areas of high shortage and advice the government on how to deploy (Ross, 2005). Nurses are the subjects in this case and they understand the problem more clearly by implementing change to address the problem of nursing shortage nurses are expected to provide leadershi p and serve as role models encouraging more people to join the profession. Lippit’s Theory used to implement change is the most appropriate for solving the problem of shortage of the nurses. The theory is about finding an external agent to effect change. Here I will propose that one person experienced in the nursing field with transformational leadership mind should serve as the coordinator of the entire process of change. Shortage of nurses can be solved by following the steps of Lippit’s Theory (Feldman, 2013 ). The first stage is diagnosis of the problem. Here the leading nurse who is the transformational leader realizes that the problem of nurse shortage is real and