Tecumseh Essays - Shawnee People, Tecumseh, Indiana In The War

Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership By: R. David Edmunds Luke Adair His 101 Mr. Jack McKnight Tecumseh was the fifth child born into the family in 1768. Tecumseh always the leader springboards into the position of War Chief, in which he leads many battles and defenses for the Shawnee tribe. Europeans settled in North America, claiming land that was never theirs to claim. The British initially making a deal to protect the Indians went back on it when a battle broke out in which many Shawnee fled the battlegrounds to a British Fort, where they were not allowed inside for protection. On August 3rd, the Indians signed a treaty calling for them to remain at peace, relinquish all the prisoners, and give up the land in the southern, eastern, and central Ohio. In return the United States gave the Indians trade goods, valued from $5,000 to $10,000. The Shawnees lives were simple and they were spiritual people. The role of men and women is very simple; the men are the hunters and warriors. While the women are used as the housekeepers, clothe makers, and kept the families close. In the Spring/Summer months the main two projects are to farm and to re-build the villages. In the Fall/Winter months they do hunting, allowing them to feed the family. By the early 1800s the Indian life became much more difficult. The white hunters wiped out most of the wildlife, forcing the Indians to start using more modern, white man, ways of hunting. The British finally agreed to a farming agreement and sent William Kirk in 1807 on a mission to Wapakoneta, where they set up farming for the Indians and British. The mission was a success, but in the long run did damage to the Shawnees ways of life. Lalwethika is Tecumsehs brother that is disliked by many people. Leading Lalwethika to drink such an abundance of alcohol that he passed out and fell into a deep trance, later that day several other Shawnee members found his body in the wigwam. They pronounced him dead. After this he woke from his trance he was known as Tenskwatawa, and was looked upon differently. The Prophet, as he was also known, gave the tribe a new faith. The Americans and British knew they were nearing a war; therefore the Americans made sure the Indians would not side with the British. Tecumseh ended up giving a three hour-long speech where he stated that there would be no further advancement by the Whites. Throughout the years, things became much more difficult for the Shawnee to survive at the village site. Thus they decide to movie further west for better protection and food source. After the Treaty of Fort Wayne is where Tecumseh becomes known as more of a leader than just The Prophets Brother. After several meetings Tecumseh warns the British not to meddle with intertribal politics or a war will result. Later in a meeting with Harrison he stated Tecumseh is The Moses of The Family. The next few months were brutal on the Shawnee tribe. Tecumseh went to meet with the British demanding the food and ammunition promised. Harrison had information making him believe that the Indians were going to be rebellious. Harrison sent troops into the Wabash area, Tecumseh found out before arrived and ambushed the sleeping troops, planning to kill Harrison. The plan did not succeed because they were discovered before they got to the troops; the battle lasted for several hours. Just before dawn the Indians retreated, as a result ending the Battle of Tippecanoe. All was quarrels were eventually settled, Tecumseh and Harrisons friendship was still intact. A British leader named Brock and Tecumseh join together in taking the American fort in Detroit. Tecumseh and Brock succeed in what seems to be an easy victory in Detroit as Americans surrender. Brock and Tecumseh create a strong friendship, until Brock is summands to Niagara to lead a counterattack against the Americans, during this attack Brock loses his life. Tecumseh, considered the bravest of the brave and the greatest Indian, was killed in the Battle of Thames. Colonel Richard M. Johnson claimed that he is the one man that single handedly shot Tecumseh. Although many believe that Johnson truly was the one that

How Plants Animals Alter the Planets Surface

How Plants Animals Alter the Planet's Surface One of the agents of organic weathering, bioturbation is the disturbance of the soil or sediment by living things. It may include displacing soil by plant roots, digging by burrowing animals (such as ants or rodents), pushing sediment aside (such as in animal tracks), or eating and excreting sediment, as earthworms do. Bioturbation aids the penetration of air and water and loosens sediment to promote winnowing or washing (transportation). How Bioturbation Works Under ideal circumstances, sedimentary rock is formed in predictable layers. Sediments bits of soil, rock, and organic matter collect on the surface of the land or at the bottom of rivers and oceans. Over time, these sediments are compressed to the point of which they form rock. This process is called lithification. Layers of sedimentary rock may be seen in many geological structures. Geologists are able to determine the age and composition of sedimentary rock based on the materials included in the sediment and the level at which the rock lies. In general, older layers of sedimentary rocks lie under newer layers. Organic matter and fossils that make up the sediments also provide clues to the age of the rock. Natural processes can disturb the regular layering of sedimentary rock. Volcanoes and earthquakes can disturb layers by forcing older rock closer to the surface and newer rock deeper into the Earth. But it doesnt take a powerful tectonic event to disturb sedimentary layers. Organisms and plants are constantly shifting and changing Earths sediments. Burrowing animals and the actions of plant roots are two sources of bioturbation. Since bioturbation is so common, sedimentary rocks are divided into three groups that describe their level of bioturbation: Burrowed rock is filled with evidence of organisms, and may contain elements from several different sedimentary layers.Laminated rock shows evidence of bioturbation at the surface caused by nons include furrows and tracks created by aquatic or terrestrial animals.The massive rock contains sediments from just a single layer. Examples of Bioturbation   Bioturbation occurs in many different environments and at several different levels. For example: Earthworms digging through soil can shift older materials to higher layers. They can also leave behind traces of their activity in the form of fecal matter which, over time, lithifies.Burrowing marine animals such as crabs, clams, and shrimp, can radically change sedimentary layers. These animals burrow into the sand, creating tunnels and moving materials from one sedimentary layer to another. If the tunnels are sturdy enough, they may later be filled with material formed at a later time.Tree roots often run through multiple layers of soil. As they grow, they may disturb or mix sediments. When they fall, they pull older materials to the surface. Significance of Bioturbation Bioturbation provides researchers with information about sediments, and thus about the geology and history of the sediments and the area. For example: Bioturbation can suggest that a particular area is likely to be rich in petroleum or other natural resources;Bioturbation can provide clues to ancient life in the form of fossilized animal and plant remains;Bioturbation can provide information about life cycles, dietary habits, and migration patterns of contemporary organisms.

Holidays of Spanish-Speaking Countries

Holidays of Spanish-Speaking Countries If youre traveling to a Spanish-speaking area, one thing to consider is the countrys fiestas, holidays and other celebrations. On the positive side, you may get an opportunity for an upclose look at the countrys culture and a chance to participate in activities youll see nowhere else; on the other hand, with some of the more important holidays, businesses may be closed, public transportation may crowded and hotel rooms may be difficult to reserve. Spring Holidays Because of the Roman Catholic heritage, in nearly all the Spanish-speaking world la Semana Santa, or Holy Week, the week before Easter, is among the most widely celebrated of holidays. Specific days observed include el Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, a celebration of Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his death; el Jueves Santo, which commemorates la Última Cena de Jesà ºs (the Last Supper); el Viernes Santo, or Good Friday, marking the day of Jesus death; and the weeks climax, el Domingo de Pascua or la Pascua de Resurreccià ³n, or Easter, a celebration of Jesus Resurrection. The dates of la Semana Santa vary from year to year. Winter Holidays La Navidad, or Christmas, is also universally celebrated on December 25. Related days include la Nochebuena (Christmas Eve, December 24), el dà ­a de san Esteban (St. Stephens Day, honoring the man traditionally believed to be the first Christian martyr, on December 26), el dà ­a de san Juan Evangelista (St. Johns Day, on December 27), el dà ­a de los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Innocents, honoring the babies who, according to the Bible, were ordered slaughtered by King Herod, December 28) and el dà ­a de la Sagrada Familia (the Day of the Holy Family, observed the Sunday after Christmas), culminating in la Epifanà ­a (January 6, Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, marking the day los magos or Wise Men arrived to see the infant Jesus). In the middle of all this is el Aà ±o Nuevo, or New Years, which typically is celebrated beginning on el Nocheviejo, or New Years Eve. Independence Holidays Most Latin American countries also celebrate an Independence Day to mark the day of separation from Spain or, in a few cases, some other country. Among the dà ­as de la independencia are February 12 (Chile), Feb. 27 (Dominican Republic), May 24 (Ecuador), July 5 (Venezuela), July 9 (Argentina), July 20 (Colombia), July 28 (Peru), August 6 (Bolivia), August 10 (Ecuador), August 25 (Uruguay), September 15 (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua), September 16 (Mexico) and November 28 (Panama). Spain, meanwhile, celebrates its Dà ­a de la Constitucià ³n (Constitution Day) on December 6. Other Days of Celebration: Dà ­a del Trabajo or Dà ­a del Trabajador - May Day or Labor Day is widely observed on May 1.Fiesta Nacional de Espaà ±a - This day, observed on October 12, marks the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. It also goes by other names, including la Fiesta de la Hispanidad. In Latin America, it is often known as el Dà ­a de la Raza.Cinco de Mayo - This Mexican celebration marking a victory in the Battle of Puebla has been exported to the United States, where it is more widely observed than in Mexico.Dà ­a de la Asuncià ³n - A day commemorating the Assumption of Mary is observed in some countries on August 15.Dà ­a de la Revolucià ³n - Mexico celebrates the start of the Mexican Revolution on the third Monday of November.Dà ­a de Todos Santos - All Saints Day is widely observed on November 1.

National Science Teacher Association Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

National Science Teacher Association - Essay Example NSTA Journal Articles contain peer-reviewed journals that can be easily searchable by science professionals. These online resources are very useful for the teachers as they effectively fit the needs and learning style of every science teacher. The teachers are able to access these online resources whenever required. It also provides membership to the science professionals, which include teachers, administrators, scientists, and all those people who are related to the field of science. NSTA has some guiding principles, which make this association the largest organization committed to the progress of science professionals. Some of those guidelines include valuing scientific excellence, facilitating researchers to enhance their learning and teaching, promoting the concepts of diversity and respects, and making NSTA a dynamic and professional organization. NSTA is a dynamic organization, which constantly provides extraordinary services to science teachers and professionals. Summing it up , NSTA not only facilitates the teachers to evaluate and improve their teaching skills but also enables them to receive a certificate upon completion of training and learning style of every science teacher.

NAFTA - Managerial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NAFTA - Managerial Economics - Essay Example In addition to labor concerns, opposition to NAFTA was strong among environmental groups, who contended that the treatys anti-pollution provisions were inadequate. To ease concerns that Mexicos low wage structure would cause U.S. companies to shift production to that country, and to ensure that Mexicos increasing industrialization under the Treaty would not create environmental pollution to a harmful degree, special side agreements were included in NAFTA. Under those agreements, the tri-national grouping agreed to establish appropriate commissions to handle labor and environmental issues. The commissions had the power to impose steep fines against any of the member governments that failed to consistently impose its laws. There have been criticisms regarding NAFTAs implementation of environmental protection provisions. Mexico, together with Canada, has been repeatedly cited for environmental malfeasance. Also, many observers have charged that the three governments have been lax in ensuring environmental safeguards since the agreement went into effect (Wikipedia). The NAFTA members are autonomous states that have yielded some of their sovereignty to establish and effectuate a treaty that would economically benefit some 365 million people in the region, but they have retained their power to determine their principal economic and social policies. In other words, the free trade arrangement does not include a supranational government that would enforce policies from the center. Consequently, each state is free to determine its policies, subject only to agreements it has committed itself to implement. An important consideration in this analysis is the fact that Mexico, unlike the United States (and Australia), is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The Kyoto protocol is concerned with the reduction of global pollution but requires less

Harvard business publishing Essay Example for Free

Harvard business publishing Essay In mid-September of 2010, Emily Harris, vice president of New Heritage Doll Company’s production division, was weighing project proposals for the company’s upcoming capital budgeting meetings in October. Two proposals stood out based on their potential to strengthen the division’s innovative product lines and drive future growth. However, due to constraints on financial and managerial resources, Harris knew it was possible that the firm’s capital budgeting committee would decline to approve both projects. She also knew that New Heritage’s licensing and retail divisions would promote compelling projects of their own. Consequently, Harris had to be prepared to recommend one of her projects over the other. The Doll Industry Revenues in the U.S. toy and game industry totaled $42 billion in 2008 and were projected to increase by 4.6% per year to $52.5 billion by 2013. The market was divided into two broad segments: video games (48%) and traditional toys and games (52%). The second segment was further divided into infant/preschool toys (14.5%), dolls (14.1%), outdoor sports toys (12.3%), and other toys games (59.1%) including arts and crafts, plush toys, action figures, vehicles, and youth electronics. The U.S. market for toys and games was dominated by large global enterprises that enjoyed economies of scale in design, production, and distribution. Revenues were highly seasonal; the largest selling season in the United States coincided with the winter holiday period. Within the toy and game segment, U.S. retail sales of dolls totaled $3.1 billion in 2008 and were projected to grow by 3% per year to $3.6 billion by 2013. The doll category included large, soft, and mini dolls, as well as doll clothing and other accessories. The phenomenon of â€Å"age compression†Ã¢â‚¬â€ the tendency of younger children to acquire dolls that had traditionally been designed for older girls—reduced growth in the â€Å"baby-doll† sub-segment. Competition among doll producers was vigorous, as a small number of large producers targeted similar demographics and marketed their dolls through the same media. Lasting franchise value for a branded line of dolls was rare; the enormous success of Barbie ® dolls was an obvious exception. More recently and on a much smaller ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HBS Professor Timothy Luehrman and HBS MBA Heide Abelli prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. Th is case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration. Copyright  © 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business Publishing. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. Purchased for use on the MSc Business Valuation, at Imperial College London. Taught by James Sefton, from 21-Aug-2013 to 31-Dec-2013. Order ref F211857. Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact [emailprotected] Educational material supplied by The Case Centre Copyright encoded A76HM-JUJ9K-PJMN9I Order reference F211857 New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting 4212 | New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting scale, New Heritage also had created a durable franchise for its line of heirloom dolls. But the popularity of most doll lines waned after a few years. New Heritage Dolls By 2009, New Heritage had grown to 450 employees and generated approximately $245 million of revenue1 and $27 million of operating profit from three divisions: production, retailing, and licensing. The production division, discussed further below, designed and produced dolls and doll accessories. The retailing division offered a unique â€Å"intergenerational experience† for grandmothers, mothers, and daughters, centered upon the character histories and storylines of the company’s dolls and delivered through an online website (42%), a mail-order paper catalog (33%), and a network of retail stores (25%). In fiscal 2009, the retailing division generated roughly $190 million of revenue and $4.8 million of operating profit. The licensing division was started in 1998, and represented the company’s newest and most profitable division. It sought to extend the New Heritage brand and capitalize on high levels of customer loyalty by selectively licensing the company’s doll characters and themes to a variety of media that reached the firm’s target demographic of toddler to pre-teen girls. In fiscal year 2009 the licensing division generated $24.5 million of revenue and $14.5 million in operating profit. New Heritage’s Production Division Production was New Heritage’s largest division as measured by total assets, and easily its most asset-intensive. Approximately 75% of the division’s sales were made to the company’s retailing division, with the remaining 25% comprising private label goods manufactured for other firms. Table 1 summarizes the division’s various sources of revenue and operating income. Table 1 Production Division Data: Revenue ($ millions) Operating Income ($ millions) New Heritage’s dolls and accessories were offered under distinct brands with different price points, targeting girls between the ages of 3 and 12 years. The company’s baby dolls were generally priced from $15–$30, and were offered to younger girls in earlier stages of development. These dolls typically came with a â€Å"birth certificate† and a short personal history. Dolls in the higher-end of this category incorporated technology that produced a limited amount of speech and motion. For the 1 The division revenue figures include approximately $95 million of internal sales within divisions which are eliminated when considering consolidated revenue for the company. BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING Purchased for use on the MSc Business Valuation, at Imperial College London. Taught by James Sefton, from 21-Aug-2013 to 31-Dec-2013. Order ref F211857. Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact [emailprotected] Educational material supplied by The Case Centre Copyright encoded A76HM-JUJ9K-PJMN9I Order reference F211857 The New Heritage Doll Company was founded in 1985 by Ingrid Beckwith, a retired psychologist specializing in child development and the grandmother of two young girls. Dr. Beckwith believed the dolls produced by the major toy companies did little to develop girls’ imagination or foster a positive self-image, so she created a line of dolls with unique storylines and wholesome themes. Dr. Beckwith’s dolls struck a chord among mothers and grandmothers who also rejected the dated, clichà ©d images portrayed by the popular dolls of the day. New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting | 4212 New Heritage outsourced much of its production to a select number of contract manufacturers in Asia. To ensure product quality and safety, the company maintained a fulltime staff to oversee material sourcing, production, and quality control on site at each of its manufacturing partners. Manufacturing activities that required precise tolerances or proprietary processes, along with all the creative elements (design and product prototyping, for example), were handled in-house at the company’s headquarters facilities in Sacramento, California. Educational material supplied by The Case Centre Copyright encoded A76HM-JUJ9K-PJMN9I Order reference F211857 Capital Budgeting at New Heritage New Heritage’s capital budgeting process retained some of the informality that characterized the company’s early years as an innovative startup. As the company grew, deliberate steps were taken to decentralize some of the project approval process and increase spending authority at the division level. However, large and/or strategic spending proposals were reviewed at the corporate level by a capital budgeting committee consisting of the CEO, CFO, COO, the controller, and the division presidents. The committee examined projects for consistency with New Heritage’s business strategy and sought to balance the needs and priorities of each division against practical financial and organizational constraints. The committee also sought to understand project interdependencies and the potential for a given investment to strengthen the whole company, not solely the division proposing it. New Heritage’s capital budget was set by the board of directors in consultation with top officers, who in turn sought input from each of the divisions. The capital and operating budgets were linked; historically, the capital budget comprised approximately 15% of the company’s EBITDA. The committee had limited discretion to expand or contract the budget, according to its view of the quality of the investment opportunities, competitive dynamics, and general industry conditions. Before being considered by the committee, projects were described, analyzed, and summarized in self-contained proposal documents prepared by each division. These contained business descriptions, at least five years of operating and cash flow forecasts, spending requirements by asset category, personnel requirements, calculations of standard investment metrics, and identification of key project risks and milestones. Financial Analyses Financial analysis began with operating forecasts developed with oversight from New Heritage operating managers. Revenue projections were derived from forecasts of future prices and volumes. Fixed and variable costs were estimated separately, by expense category. Forecasts of working capital requirements were likewise vetted by line managers, who paid particular attention to a project’s requirements for various types of inventory. Forecasts for fixed assets and related depreciation charges were developed in cooperation with analysts reporting to the controller. HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING | BRIEFCASES Purchased for use on the MSc Business Valuation, at Imperial College London. Taught by James Sefton, from 21-Aug-2013 to 31-Dec-2013. Order ref F211857. Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact [emailprotected] $75–$150 price range, New Heritage produced a line of heirloom-quality dolls and accessories. These were designed to appeal to older girls and to convey a sense of cultural and family tradition among grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. The heirloom dolls had more elaborate accessories and personal histories. Finally, the company offered a line of high-end dolls based on fictional â€Å"celebrities,† each associated with a charitable cause and embracing more contemporary fashion trends. These dolls targeted girls in the so-called â€Å"tween† age range of 8–12 years, and also were priced from $75–$150. Like the heirloom dolls, celebrity dolls also came with more elaborate stories and accessories. 4212 | New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting New Heritage assigned discount rates to projects according to a subjective assessment of each project’s risk. High-, medium-, and low-risk categories for each division were associated with a corresponding discount rate set by the capital budgeting committee in consultation with the corporate treasurer. Assessments of each project’s risk were made at the division level, but subject to review by the capital committee. Factors considered in the assessment of a project’s risk included, for example, whether it required new consumer acceptance or new technology, high levels of fixed costs and hence high breakeven production volumes, the sensitivity of price or volume to macroeconomic recession, the anticipated degree of price competition, and so forth. In 2010, â€Å"medium†-risk projects in the production division received a discount rate of 8.4%. High- and low-risk projects were assessed at 9.0% and 7.7%, respectively. Projects that created value indefinitely, given continuing investment, were treated as going concerns with a perpetual life. That is, NPV calculations included a terminal value computed as the value of a perpetuity growing at a constant rate. However, to preserve an element of conservatism, the capital committee generally insisted on relatively low perpetual growth rates – lower than New Heritage’s historical growth and lower than near-term growth forecasts for a given division. Investment Opportunities in the Production Division Emily Harris was focused on two of the production division’s most attractive current proposals. The first involved expanding the successful Match My Doll Clothing Line to include matching allseason clothing for tween girls and their favorite dolls. The second involved a new initiative, the Design Your Own Doll line, which employed web-based doll-design software to let users â€Å"customize† a doll’s features to the customer’s specifications. Match My Doll Clothing Line Expansion The Match My Doll Clothing line originally consisted of a few sets of matching doll and child clothing and accessories for warm weather. It quickly became successful after the daughters of a few celebrities were spotted and photographed wearing items from the line, and girls’ magazines included some of the line in â€Å"what’s hot to wear† sections. Given recent publicity, Marcy McAdams, the brand manager responsible for the line, believed the timing was perfect to expand. Specifically, McAdams proposed to create an â€Å"All Seasons Collection† of apparel and gear covering all four seasons of the year. She expected the new offerings to be at least as profitable as the existing line, since its current popularity would make it possible to maintain premium prices. She also hoped to take advantage of off-peak discounts offered by some suppliers and contract manufacturers as they tried to smooth their capacity utilization. In the same fashion, McAdams argued the expansion would help reduce, or at least not exacerbate, the seasonality in New Heritage’s sales and earnings. BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING Purchased for use on the MSc Business Valuation, at Imperial College London. Taught by James Sefton, from 21-Aug-2013 to 31-Dec-2013. Order ref F211857. Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact [emailprotected] Educational material supplied by The Case Centre Copyright encoded A76HM-JUJ9K-PJMN9I Order reference F211857 Operating projections for a given project were used to develop cash flow forecasts that would underpin calculations of net present value (NPV), internal rates of return (IRR), payback period, and other investment metrics. Cash flow forecasts were intended to capture the incremental effect of a proposed project on the firm’s cash flow for each year within the forecast period. That is, each project’s cash flow forecasts excluded non-cash items, such as depreciation charges, and nonincremental items such as sunk costs (i.e., costs that would be incurred regardless of whether a given project was undertaken or not). The cash flow forecasts were computed on an after-corporate-tax basis, but excluded all financing charges. Some elements of the cash flow forecasts were prepared with assistance from treasury analysts, but most of the necessary adjustments were well understood by division staff. New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting | 4212 To exploit the current popularity of the original Match My Doll Clothing line, especially given the fickle nature of children’s fashion trends, McAdams believed the opportunity had to be exploited without delay. Her investment proposal contained relatively large outlays for RD, market research, and marketing to maximize the probability of quick acceptance and longer-term success for the follow-on line. Upfront investment expenditures are summarized in Table 2. Table 2 Match My Doll Clothing Extension Outlays The RD and marketing expenditures would be deductible for tax purposes at New Heritage’s 40% corporate tax rate. The property, plant and equipment was expected to have a useful life of 10 years; the associated depreciation charges, shown in Exhibit 1, were based on the modified accelerated cost recovery system (â€Å"MACRS†) allowed by the IRS. Working capital requirements, shown in Table 2 for 2010 and in Exhibit 1 for subsequent years were based largely on recent historical experience with the original Match My Doll Clothing line. Finally, given the proven success of Match My Doll Clothing, Harris believed the project entailed moderate risk—that is, about the same degree of risk as the production division’s existing business as a whole. Design Your Own Doll This initiative targeted existing New Heritage customers, many of whom owned several of the company’s heirloom dolls. The company’s research showed that, when asked what features (e.g., appearance, ethnicity, â€Å"life story,† etc.) New Heritage should give to future dolls, loyal customers’ responses had a high correlation with their own personal data. That is, girls wanted dolls like themselves. Further research suggested that many loyal customers would purchase yet another doll if they could customize the doll’s features to create a â€Å"one-of-a-kind† addition to a girl’s or family’s existing collection of dolls. It also promised to increase the girl’s pride in and identification with the doll, both because of their shared features and because of the girl’s participation in creating the doll. This in turn further cemented customer loyalty. The customization process would begin with a new section of New Heritage’s website, where proprietary design software enabled the customer to select physical attributes of the doll such as hair color, hair length style, skin color, eye shape, eye color, and other facial features. The software could combine selected features and produce a photo-realistic image showing the finished doll with user-selected accessories. The customer could zoom in or out on the image and rotate it to see different aspects. The software made it easy to try out different combinations of features and accessories before making a purchase. Elizabeth Holtz, brand manager for heirloom dolls, was very excited about the project. She observed, â€Å"A girl’s relationship with her favorite doll is often partly mommy and partly big sister. Either way, having your doll look more like you is really powerful. And there’s excitement in the experience: exploring the website, naming the doll-to-be, selecting her first outfit†¦even the anticipation of waiting for the new doll to arrive. I really think this is big.† Holtz also believed that the dolls could command a premium price. â€Å"Customers will naturally expect to pay more [for a HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING | BRIEFCASES Purchased for use on the MSc Business Valuation, at Imperial College London. Taught by James Sefton, from 21-Aug-2013 to 31-Dec-2013. Order ref F211857. Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact [emailprotected] Initial Expenditures ($ thousands) 4212 | New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting custom doll],† she said. Market research with focus groups revealed significant enthusiasm for the product concept and supported the notion of premium prices. The web-based software tools and order entry system required New Heritage to make significant modifications to its existing technology infrastructure, expand its webhosting capacity, and modify the terms of its third-party service agreements to ensure a higher level of service quality. The majority of the RD expenditures shown below were related to software development, hardware upgrades, and web design. The development time involved, including product testing, was expected to be approximately 12 months. Initial outlays, some of which occurred in 2010 and some in 2011 As with Match My Doll Clothing, the required RD and marketing costs would be tax deductible. Manufacturing equipment had to be ordered by the end of 2010 to be ready for production at the beginning of 2012. While New Heritage had the option to pay for custom equipment in quarterly installments, the firm could get a substantial discount by paying for the equipment up front, in 2010. Figures in Table 3 and Exhibit 2 reflect the discounted cost of the equipment. To support the forecasted level of sales, substantial investment in working capital (primarily work in process inventory of partially manufactured dolls) would be required beginning in 2011. And still more equipment would have to be purchased and installed no later than 2014. In years 2015 and following, investments in working capital and equipment would revert to patterns familiar from the production division’s traditional lines of dolls. To complete development work, Holtz planned to use some of the company’s existing IT staff. The majority of the work would take place during calendar 2011. The number of people and their fully loaded costs are shown Table 4. These costs were not included by Holtz in the initial outlays shown in Table 3 or in the forecasts presented in Exhibit 2. The development personnel Holtz needed were considered â€Å"corporate† resources and were almost certainly available to work on the project. Table 4 Design Your Own Doll Development Personnel, ($ 000s) Application Development Personnel Costs: Web Application Developers Database Manager Systems Integration Specialist Total Cost BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING Purchased for use on the MSc Business Valuation, at Imperial College London. Taught by James Sefton, from 21-Aug-2013 to 31-Dec-2013. Order ref F211857. Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact [emailprotected] However, even a limited degree of customization increased manufacturing complexity and expense. Further, because of the low production runs and volume, fixed costs on a per unit basis were expected to be relatively high. Consequently, the breakeven volume for the project was also expected to be high. New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting | 4212 Finally, Holtz needed to give Harris her assessment of the project’s riskiness. On the one hand, Design Your Own Doll had a relatively long payback period, introduced some untested elements into the manufacturing process, and depended on near-flawless operation of new customer-facing software and user interfaces. If the project stumbled for some reason, New Heritage risked damaging relationships with its best customers. On the other hand, the project had a relatively modest fixed cost ratio, and it played to the company’s key strength—creating a unique experience for its consumers. Educational material supplied by The Case Centre Copyright encoded A76HM-JUJ9K-PJMN9I Order reference F211857 Emily Harris still needed to complete her review and financial analysis of the two proposals. McAdams and Holtz were in frequent touch with Harris and both had offered to respond to any questions she might have about the proposals: the business case, the financial projections, the operating details, or anything else. Harris expected that she would indeed have some follow-up questions as she worked through her financial analyses. She also knew that her final recommendation might disappoint some executives within the division, who would scrutinize it closely. It had to be well-supported.

The Maratime Rights Movement (Nova Scotia, Canada) :: Canadian Canada History

The Maratime Rights Movement (Nova Scotia, Canada) The Maritime Rights Movement is usually seen as part of the economic decline of post world war period in the Maritimes. The Maritimes were going through hard times, the depression was said to have started in the Maritimes ten years before the rest of Canada did in 1929. The Movement had the Maritimes economic and social needs as it's priorities. The Maritimes views were often contradictory to those of West and Central parts of Canada. The Movement strove to alleviate some of the stress on the Maritimes economy, especially in the midst of hard times after the war. The Movement was seen as an opportunity for Maritimers to stand together for their own interests as Eastern Canadians. In retrospect, most see the movement as a plea for separation, but this was usually not the case. The Period Leading into the Movement In reference to the rest of Canada at the time, the Maritimes were a region with less of an advantage in fields such as the economy, employment and business. At the time the Central and Western areas of Canada were much more populated then the Maritimes. This often this correlated with better economy, employment, and other fields that the Maritimes were weak in. Since the time of Confederation, the Maritimes economy had been on a steady downfall. This was a huge strain on the labor force. Most of the potential employees in the Maritime region were leaving, going to Central and Western Canada for better life and employment . Going into the 1920's the Maritimes were loosing the bulk of its laborer's to other parts of Canada with better economy. This created problems for the Maritimes. The first main problem has to do with the population of the Maritimes. With all of the workers from the Maritimes leaving, the population is dropping. The odd thing is that the overall population of the Nation at this time is growing, while the population of the Maritimes is actually falling. What this translates into is the fact that the population in the rest of Canada was actually growing faster then the population of the Maritimes was dropping. This problem creates a problem in it's self, as can be seen in the impact felt in both politics and the economy . Instead of the Maritime economy advancing, most of our workers left, and thus helped Canada's Western and Central economies increase .

Corrections Paper Essay

The criminal justice system is responsible for enforcing the laws created at each level of government. A major part of enforcing the laws is detaining the people who break them. The way that an offender is punished for a crime can be different depending on age or the type of crime committed. Depending on the age of the offender they could go through the juvenile or adult corrections system. Each system has levels like parole and probation built in to help rehabilitate the offender. Another form of corrections that is used is community corrections. This form allows citizens to help with the corrections process while giving offenders a second chance. Over time each level of corrections has evolved by evaluating the trends and examining different demands on the corrections system. Consistently evolving allows the corrections system to punish and rehabilitate offenders while keeping society safe. Past, present, and future trends pertaining to the development and operation of institutiona l and community based corrections When it comes to community corrections programs that oversee outside of jail or prison, and are administered by agencies or courts with the legal authority to enforce sanctions. Community corrections include probation, which is correctional supervision within the community rather than jail or prison, and parole which is a period of conditional, supervised release from prison.   In the early colonial criminal law there was a curious mix of religion, English barbarity, and pragmatism. Most punishments were public and involved either quick, corporal tortures or more prolonged humiliation. Among the punishments designed to deter crime by inflicting pain, the colonials often used the whipping post, branding and maiming, gags, and device known as the ducking stool. The latter device was essentially a chair connected to a pulley system where â€Å"slanderers†, â€Å"makebayts†, â€Å"chyderers†, brawlers, and women of light carriage were restrained and they repeatedly plunged into a convenient body of water (jthomasniu.org/PDF/prisonhistory111.pdf) Probation and parole are integral to criminal and juvenile justice in the states. Provides a wide variety of services that are critical to the effective and efficient operation of almost every aspect of the justice system, ranging from law enforcement to sentencing to the release of offenders from confinement into the community. These community corrections agencies conduct investigations to support judicial and parole decision making operate residential and secure custodial facilities and parole free labor to local organizations through community service programs, probation and parole are best known for their role in the supervision of offenders in the community. Probation and parole agencies are part of a large, complex and interdependent array of governmental, nonprofit, and private agencies and organizations that comprise the criminal and juvenile justice systems. No aspect of the work of probation and parole can be considered in isolation, as they are affected by and have an impa ct on many other agencies. With that being said there are strategic trends they will and can use in the future. Collaboration and partnership for example the drug court and other specially â€Å"treatment courts.† Results Driven Management requires a substantial investment of agency time and resources. The agency mission, goals and measures must be articulated and agreed upon. The Re- Emergence of Rehabilitation both was founded on the principle that offenders could change and that the correctional system, and probation and parole officers in particular, had a central role in helping the officer change. With technology when it comes to sex offenders the software is available that can monitor the offender’s computer use and report to the probation or parole officer what Internet sites the offender have visited. Correctional organization and administration functions that reflect fiscal demands The organization and administration functions of jails, prisons, probation, parole, juvenile and community corrections that reflect the operational and fiscal demands are in the many programs, services, and staffs that make these forms of correction run on a daily basis (Burrell, 2003). With jails and prisons facing an increasing overpopulation problem, with less staff, and budget cuts m ore and more probation, parole, and community corrections are becoming a solution (manhattan-institute.org, 2000). Parole and  probation function through their operation programs such as their case classification system (Burrell, 2003). This system allows the parole board to classify which cases should be considered for early release and which ones should not. Once a case is determined to be eligible for parole, then probation uses the case classification system to decide if the case is high risk or low risk (manhattan-institute.org, 2000). Community corrections becomes a part of the parole and probation services once the inmate is released into the community by â€Å"operating residential and secure custodial facilities and provide free labor to local organizations through community service programs, probation and parole are best known for their role in the supervision of offenders in the community† (Burrell, 2003, p. 1). The administration in jails, prisons, parole, probation, and community corrections have many different issues to deal with daily. Corrections face overcrowding, downsi zing of staff, budget cuts, and training issues. To combat these difficult issues administrators use the many departments within the system. It starts with the central office that overseas all of corrections within the state (Peak, 2010). The central office is run by a secretary; under the secretary is the prison director. The prison director is responsible for â€Å"setting policy for all wardens to follow in terms of how the institutions should be managed and inmates treated as well as overseeing â€Å"public or media affairs coordinators, legislative liaisons, legal advisers, and internal affairs representatives† (Peak, 2010, p. 246). The public or media affairs coordinators are responsible for getting information to the public. Legislative liaisons are responsible for helping to bring new laws and needs for new laws to the attention of the state. Legal advisers make sure that no laws have been broken and take care of any impending lawsuits. Internal affairs representatives ensure that ethical behavior is maintained within the correctional system (Peak, 2010). Every jail, prison, parole, probation, and community corrections are under the watch of the central office of the state which is how these department s of corrections operate and function. Security and Technology functions with correctional environments Security is very important with the correctional department. It prevents inmates from escaping jails or prisons, and it also prevents  contraband from entering the facility. When contraband enters the facility, a crime can be committed against other inmates. A Baltimore inmate allegedly acquired a cell phone, ordered an arrangement on another inmate, and would pay the murderer $2500 (Bulman, 2009). To prevent such incidents from happening, jails and prisons are bringing new security measures into the establishments. One such technology is using body scanners, often found in the United States airports. These scanners can scan through clothes and detect any contraband trying to be smuggled into the jail or prison. â€Å"The system was tested and evaluated at Graterford, a maximum-security facility that houses about 3,100 inmates outside Philadelphia† (Bulman, 2009, para 2) and officials working within the prison believed the trial using the body scanners were successful in fin ding contraband. Prisons and jails also use hand-held devices called WANDD. This hand-held device scans inmates, or visitors, and detects non-metallic items, such as plastic or wood items. A prototype was tested in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail, and it was able to detect objects such as plastic knives, cell phones, guns, and even credit cards through various types of fabric (Bulman, 2009). Correctional staff is also using some of the latest technology available to track inmate’s movements within a prison or jail called radio frequency identification technology. A little chip is attached to some objects, most often a wristband, and correctional staff can track the movements of each inmates. It also alerts prison staff when a large amount of inmates are gathered within any area within the jail or prison. â€Å"Movement information can be stored in computers and could prove useful in investigations to determine who was present in a certain part of a building at a particular time† (Bulman, 2009, para. 18). Management and control Managing a jail or a prison is not an easy task. Anyone working within these environments must be able to manage a large number of inmates while controlling them at any given time. Correctional guards are the ones who will be in direct contact with inmates. If they become too friendly with inmates or are not paying attention, a situation can occur suddenly. Staying alert and maintaining control is imperative because inmates can read correctional guards easily. Inmates can learn the habits of their guards if the guards maintain the same routine daily. Ethical rights are one of the key factors to  managing a prison or a jail. Even though these inmates have committed a crime, they still human rights. Understanding that aspect of managing a prison may be hard for some people in charge. All individuals visiting, working, or the inmates themselves should be respected to a degree. Having this type of approach to prison or jail management is does not represent a liberal outlook on the system or a ‘soft view.’ Many people who m have worked in different prisons throughout the world, believe this approach works in prison and jail management because they view the inmates as humans (Coyle, 2009). Educational and Treatment Programs Most individuals incarcerated in Jails, prisons, and community correction centers have little or no education. These individuals often commit crimes to support themselves or their families. These individuals are arrested and sentences to incarceration for their crimes. After release, they continue lacking the education and skills to find legal employment and return to lives of crime to support themselves and family. This is a vicious cycle that has led to extreme overpopulation in correctional facilities. Juveniles commit crimes for several different reasons. Some juveniles commit crimes to support their families, some because of peer pressure, and some just to relieve boredom. Whether these adults and juveniles commit crimes because of lack of education and opportunity or from juvenile ignorance and boredom the solution remains the same, education. â€Å"Studies conducted over the last two decades almost unanimously indicate that higher education in prison programs reduces recidivism and translates into reductions in crime, savings, and long-term contributions to the safety and well-being of the communities to which formerly incarcerated people return.† (â€Å"Why Prison Education?† n.d.) (para. 1). The Institute for Higher Education Policy conducted a study in 2011. This study showed that seven in ten people incarcerated will commit further crime upon release and half of these individuals will be incarcerated again within three years (â€Å"Why Prison Education?† n.d.). The results of many studies show the solution to be a seemingly simple one, education equals increased employment, and increased employment equals reduced recidivism. Each facility, prison, jail, community corrections, and juvenile detention offers a different type of education to inmates. Prisons typically house individuals for longer  p eriods of time than other correctional facilities. Because of the lengthy stay prisons are able to offer inmates many more services. In most prisons classes are offered to teach inmates basic skills of language, reading, and math. These skills are developed upon to help the individual obtain a General Education Diploma (GED). Some prisons, such as those in California, offer incentive programs to inmates seeking education. These individuals can earn up to six weeks per year reduction in their sentence for completing educational classes. They also offer sentence reduction for learning vocational skills, such as firefighting and increase the reduction time earned if the skills are used within the facility (â€Å"Cdcr Implements Public Safety Reforms to Parole Supervision, Expanded Incentive Credits For Inmates†, 2010). Some prisons are attempting to begin pilot programs involving distance learning. They can help the inmates to obtain financial assistance to complete online college courses and earn degrees before release. Jails an d community corrections typically do not house inmates for extended periods of time. Jails are often only able to help inmates to begin the learning process or assist in learning the basic skills of language, reading, math, and GED preparation. Many jails can help inmates in beginning the programs and guiding them toward other facilities and organizations who can further assist them upon release. Community corrections often have more flexibility and can offer a more varied selection of learning opportunities to individuals. Because fewer restrictions are involved they can sometimes offer vocational training or strict and structured on-the-job training. Probation and parole individuals usually have advancing their education as part of their probation or parole contract. Most are required to attend GED classes and strongly urged to obtain a GED. Many states require probation officers to receive training concerning how to best assist their clients in furthering their education, job training, and job placement. Probation officers will often assist clients in locating emp loyment that often involves on-the-job training. Aside from education, almost all facilities offer drug or substance abuse programs. Many also offer counseling for anger management and other counseling issues or direct individuals to organizations who are able to assist with these issues. While adults in the criminal justice system are often punished as well as rehabilitated, the justice system  typically places focus on rehabilitation where juveniles are concerned. Juveniles commit crimes for a variety of reasons and most studies show education to be the solution to recidivism prevention. Juveniles are required to continue their education while in detention. Juveniles are also typically provided with addiction counseling, social skills training, and mental health counseling. The older juveniles are encouraged and often assisted with obtaining higher education. They are also provided with job training and job search skills. References Bulman, P. (2009). Using Technology to Make Prison and Jails Safer. Retrieved from http://www.nij.gov/journals/262/Pages/corrections-technology.aspx CDCR Implements Public Safety Reforms to Parole Supervision, Expanded Incentive Credits for Inmates. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/News/Press_Release_Archive/2010_Press_Releases/Jan_21.html Correctional Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/correctional-education.html Coyle, A. (2009). A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management. Retrieved from http://www.prisonstudies.org/sites/prisonstudies.org/files/resources/downloads/ handbook_2nd_ed_eng_8.pdf U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement. (1994). Literacy Behind Prison Walls. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs94/94102.pdf Why Prison Education?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://prisonstudiesproject.org/why-prison-education-programs/

The Unusual Experience

The Unusual Experience It was the same bus I got onto every morning, but today, I fell asleep in the bus. When I woke up, I sensed something was unusual. The bus took me to a strange place that I had not seen before. Before I managed to ask the bus driver, it vanished. Wandering around aimlessly looking for anybody, the place seemed weird. Some crows were flying above me. There was an old building on the waste land. When I reached the building, a girl tapped me from behind. Liz was wearing a school uniform.She looked very beautiful as she gestured me towards the building. When I got into the building, there were many people. They were wearing the same uniform as Liz. I realised that it was a school. The students were going to their classes. Being a new student, Liz brought me to see the principal. I followed her without saying any word. In the spacious principal’s office, I was welcomed by En. Juhair. He told Liz to bring me to Class A. It was overcrowded. We took our seats at the back row. Everybody stood up and said â€Å"Sam!Welcome to Monster School! † I was so shocked to hear that. I could hardly believe my ears and eyes. All of a sudden, the students and teachers looked like monsters. Looking closer at Ms. Munirah, I noticed she wore a tail. I had an unpleasant feeling in my stomach. I turned to face pretty Liz and felt relieved that she was still the same, she was just smiling. The very thought of this bizzare place made me feel like running away. Nevertheless, I kept the thought to myself. When the school bell rang, I planned my escape route.I couldn’t leave LIz behind and decided to invite her along. She happily agreed to my infamous plan because she knew that the monsters would kill me for being a human. We rushed out of school quickly. I showed her the bus station where I got down in this morning. Apparently we had been spotted by the monsters. They were trying to catch us. As we were beginning to feel helpless, fortunately the b us came into the station. Both Liz and I boarded the bus. It was going at a maddening speed. Feeling exhausted, I dozed to sleep .When I got up, I was surprised to see a vacant seat next to me. â€Å"Did you see the girl next to me? † â€Å"Which girl? You were alone. † The bus driver looked at me with cynical eyes and shook his head unbelievingly. It was 2. 30 pm when the bus stopped in front of my house. I still could not understand what had happened to me until now. Maybe to some people this seems like a joke; to others, it is just a fantasy. However, to me, this has been a very shockingly unexplainable experience in my life.

nature vs nurture essays

nature vs nurture essays The relative contributions of nature and nurture are an apparent part of human development which makes us ask the question, are heredity and environment opposing forces?(Sternberg 100) The question of nature vs. nurture can be examined and can be attempted to be comprehended in many ways. Our stand on which theory is the correct one is obviously a matter of opinion and makes us wonder if only one of them is truly correct. Nurture seems to be the explanation that holds the most tangible evidence to support it as existing in our everyday life. In psychological attempts to conduct experiments of genetic influences on personality and behavior in the environment psychologists have come to the conclusion that the best way is by using identical twins. There are strong similarities identical twins show in intelligence, personality, and many other characteristics, regardless of being raised in separate homes. They leave us with the conclusion that maybe there is some truth to the theory of nature. These findings from the studies done on the twins are what I find to be coincidences. I believe from my past experiences with my development as a person compared to my older sisters, we are a perfect example of nurture. The theory that poses enough evidence through studies and in my personal experience seems to be true. My sister and I, though not twins, have a four year difference between us and are completely different people who are were raised in the same environment. We hold true to the theory of nurture for how we were raised effected the kind of people we are today. Nurture argues that who we become depends solely on the environment in which we developed in and also posses the idea that we are not born with any inherited traits that make us who we are today. Nurture is proved simply through the personality differences between my sister and I. I contain an extremely social personality; a people perso ...

The Difference Between Complacent and Complaisant

The Difference Between Complacent and Complaisant The Difference Between Complacent and Complaisant The Difference Between Complacent and Complaisant By Sharon Its easy to mix up these two words, but theres a world of difference in their meanings. Complacent means self: He felt complacent about his excellent examination results. Complaisant, on the other hand, means eager to please or obliging. An example of its use is: He had thought she might oppose him, but found that she was surprisingly complaisant. Here are some quotations from newspapers: announced Thursday along with other Council committee assignments for the next four years, as focused on prodding a â€Å"complacent bureaucracy† to better provide city services and dig â€Å"deep into the operational failures of city (www.nytimes.com) Coming from San Francisco, I had feared that I would find L.A. too complacent about healthcare issues that were important to me. After 20 years working in the San Francisco Health Department (www.latimes.com) In fact, the fast way to $100 a share is the kind of deep cost-cutting that this relatively complaisant company has never been known for. This includes, as an order of magnitude, what knowledgeable insiders report is a call to slice $100 million out of CNNs annual budget of nearly $750 million. USA Today Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)Running Amok or Running Amuck?When to use "an"

Criminal Case Proceedings; Russia vs United States Essay

Criminal Case Proceedings; Russia vs United States - Essay Example Interestingly, it only deals with constitutionality cases, interpreting the constitution and determining the legal aspect of proceedings regarding presidential impeachment. The court is limited to matters of constitutional law, and its ruling is final (Smith, 2006). Ruling from the court cannot change in any other court. Its facts are based on the Russian constitution and the international law; hence allowing it to implement democratic processes that are recognized globally. Arbitrazh courts were regulated by the Federal Constitution Law of 1995. They are mandated with the settling of both the Russian and foreign disputes relating to the property and other economic assets. In addition, they handle disputes arising between companies and legislation of corporations. They are divided into two; the first tier handles first-time cases while the second tier considers appeals of the first case decisions. Judicial courts are under the umbrella of the Federal Constitution Law of 1996. They are mandated to settle a number of disputes including all criminal cases and family issues. Judicial courts are divided into categories like military courts and the Supreme Court, which overlooks the rulings of other lower courts. Supreme Court also clarifies laws on the proceedings of the court (Smith, 2006). United States judicial system is divided into federal level and state level courts. Above the two courts is the Supreme Court. Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction. In addition, the Supreme Court is mandated with final interpretation of the United States Constitution. Federal and state courts handle first-time cases (Stacy, 2013). At state level, there are District County courts and State courts of Appeals. The Supreme Court was formed in 1790. Judicially, it is the highest and final arbiter of law in the United States and protects the constitution. It has the powers to overturn presidential decisions if they contradict