Author: chris

Explain how the Constitution provides for a system of separation of powers and checks and balances.

 

  1. Please explain how the Constitution provides for a system of separation of powers and checks and balances.

 

“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive and judicial in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self–appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny” (James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788).

Our country’s system of government rests on a separation of powers. (Inside federal courts) Our founding fathers were clear that there must be a separation of power, so they created three equal branches to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power over the other. The three branches that make up our government are: Judicial (Supreme court), Executive (President), and Legislative (Congress including the house of representatives and the senate). Any of the three branches of the government having too much power over the other disallows the existence of liberty amongst the people for whom the government was established.

While creating the government and how it should work, the founding fathers wanted to make sure that this new system of self-governing they laid out remained as they designed it. By creating the Constitution of the United States of America they could protect and preserve the newly created democratic system of governing.  Our founding fathers knew all too well how an excessive amount of power in the hands of one government branch or person could turn quickly into a dictatorship. In fact, the separation of powers doctrine, is included in the Constitution, to ensure that the three branches of government remain separate.

 

Furthermore, James Madison posed the question “What will prevent the accumulation of power in the absence of pure separation?” (James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788). James Madison knew that there must be a system of checks and balances so the different branches of government could “watch” over one another to prevent corruption within any of the three branches of government and to allow for shared power and accountability between the three branches that make up our government. Some examples of how each of the three branches have shared power over the other include but are not limited to: The President may check Congress by vetoing bills Congress has passed. Congress may override the president’s veto with a vote of two-thirds of both Houses. The Supreme Court can then check both branches by declaring a law unconstitutional. (Inside federal courts)

 

In conclusion, the democratic system of governing set forth by our founding fathers to include three separate branches within one central government and protected by the Constitution allows for there to be justice and liberty without bias for all citizens who call the United States of America home.  Even today, some two hundred and thirty-nine years after its inception our system of democratic government remains one of the oldest unchanged governments in the world.

Why do you think team leaders at Zappos are required to spend 20 percent of their time with their teams outside the work environment?

Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, with its fulfillment center situated next to the UPS hub,Zappos.com has $1 billion in annual revenue. In 2010, Zappos.com was ranked #6 byFortune magazine as one of the best places to work in America. The origin of Zappos was an entrepreneurial effort by Nick Swinmurn called ShoeSite.com. Swinmurn launched this company during the dot-com boom. The concept emerged as a result of Swinmurn’s inability to locate shoes that he was looking for in malls. Swinmurn took photos of the shoes from various shoe stores and uploaded them onto his website. He would take orders, go to the shoe store and purchase the shoes for the customer, and ship the shoes the next day. At the time, there was no single place online to purchase shoes in that way.

Today, Zappos is owned by Amazon.com, which purchased the company for $1.2 billion in 2010. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh remains at the helm of the company, and the culture of the firm remains intact. In short, Amazon.com has allowed Zappos to continue to operate as it had in the past.

The emphasis on customer satisfaction and employee happiness permeates the culture of Zappos. The name “Zappos” is a derivative of the Spanish word for shoes, “zapatos.” Its culture is driven by 10 core values, the first being to “wow” the customer. Two important core values influence the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions at the firm. They are (1) to pursue growth and learning; and (2) to have passion and determination. These and the other core values emphasize teams and employee empowerment, so much so that team leaders (management) are required to spend at least 20 percent of their time off the job with their team members.

Relationship building helps drive a management approach that focuses on the primary goal of the company—to provide the best possible experience for the customer. The four functions of management are discussed in the video, and members of the Zappos team indicate how these functions are practiced at Zappos.

THINKING IT OVER

  1. What does the vision statement for a company like Zappos include?
  2. How does the employee satisfaction and empowerment at Zappos help support the primary goals of the company?
  3. Why do you think team leaders at Zappos are required to spend 20 percent of their time with their teams outside the work environment?

Reflect on what you have learned so far in this course.

“Reflection to Date” Please respond to the following:

 

Note: Online students, please select one of the two subjects to discuss.

  • In one (1) paragraph, reflect on what you have learned so far in this course. Determine the most interesting, unexpected, or useful piece of knowledge that you have learned. Provide a rationale for your response.
  • In the second half of the quarter, we will extend our statistical thinking concepts to practical applications. We will discuss using tools (e.g., Excel) for the execution. Watch the video titled “Descriptive Statistics using ‘Data Analysis’ tool in Excel”, located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MFjwM6K5Sg. Next, speculate on the overall manner in which you would use tools, such as Excel, to apply a business critical thinking strategy. Include one (1) example of such application to support your response.

What facets of the country, its culture, and its people will you focus on?

  • Choose a country, you would like to research for your final project and an alternate. Send both country names to your professor for approval of your first or alternate choice.
  • Write an outline that introduces the topics and structure you will use for your final project. The final project will be a paper on the content you would include on an imaginary website about the Pacific Country website.  Your outline should include topics that will address the following questions:
    •  What country will you write about? Why?
    •  Who will be your main audience for your web page?
    •  What facets of the country, its culture, and its people will you focus on?
    • What topics will be of interest to your imaginary website (e.g., audience, people may not know anything about the country)?
    • What topics will be important for future visitors to the country?
    •   What topics will be of interest to those wanting to do business or non-governmental organization (NGO) work in the country?

Analyze the plans for range and scope. How are the plans (dis)similar?

Download two technology plans from school system websites (anywhere throughout the country).  Pick one at random.  Pick another one that you think is particularly good.  Write a 1-2 page reflection/analysis of the plans.  Analyze the plans for range and scope.  How are the plans (dis)similar?  Why is one better than the other?  Focus on the best one.  Are any areas lacking?  What stakeholders were involved in the creation of the plan?  Can you make recommendations for improvement?  

Explain the meaning of the phrase, “The Lord repented.”

Answer the following questions (based on the reading), save it and then submit it to the professor.

 

  1. Explain the meaning of the word “knew” in 4:1.
  2. How is God’s grace evident in chapter 4? Be thorough.
  3. Look up the following verses and explain how they fit the story of Cain and Abel:

John 8:44

I John 3:12

Hebrews 11:4

Hebrews 12:24

  1. Where did Cain get his wife? Support your answer from the Bible.
  2. Offer an explanation or two as to why the patriarchs lived so long.
  3. How do we know the birth order of Noah’s sons? Be specific.
  4. When did Methuselah die (how old, relation to flood)? See the genealogy chart, pg 13.
  5. Name the two fundamental reasons for the flood.
  6. The “sons of God” are identified by Davis as being whom?
  7. Who are the “nepilim”?
  8. Explain the meaning of the phrase, “The Lord repented.”

 

  1. Describe Noah’s character.

Describe what a behavioral psychologist must do in order to ensure proper ethical and physical care of their research animals.

Animals have long been used to study learning and behavior. However, over the past couple of decades, the use of animals in research has become quite controversial leading to a debate on whether we should continue to conduct research with animals as test subjects or simply stop research into the different areas where there is no viable alternative.

As part of your research for this discussion, conduct an Internet search to see what you can discover about animals in research. Use the following phrase for your Internet search:

  • “Ethical guidelines for using animals in research”

By placing quotation marks around the phrase you are searching for, your search engine will be more effective in locating relevant results.

Based on your readings in Module 1, address the following questions:

  • Identify a few of the advantages and disadvantages in employing animals in this area of research.
  • Highlight the ethical issues that have been a cause for concern when dealing with the use of animals for research purposes.
  • Describe what a behavioral psychologist must do in order to ensure proper ethical and physical care of their research animals.
  • Suggest a few alternatives to using animals in research.