About the United States Congress - Overview

The Congress of the United States was created by Article I, section 1, of the Constitution, adopted by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787, providing that All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. The first Congress under the Constitution met on March 4, 1789, in the Federal Hall in New York City. The membership then consisted of 20 Senators and 59 Representatives. New York ratified the Constitution on July 26, 1788, but did not elect its Senators until July 15 and 16, 1789. North Carolina did not ratify the Constitution until November 21, 1789; Rhode Island ratified it on May 29, 1790. The Senate is composed of 100 Members, 2 from each State, who are elected to serve for a term of 6 years. Senators were originally chosen by the State legislatures. This procedure was changed by the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1913, which made the election of Senators a function of the people. There are three classes of Senators, and a new class is elected every 2 years. The House of Representatives comprises 435 Representatives. The number representing each State is determined by population, but every state is entitled to at least one Representative. Members are elected by the people for 2-year terms, all terms running for the same period. Both the Senators and the Representatives must be residents of the State from which they are chosen. In addition, a Senator must be at least 30 years of age and must have been a citizen of the United States for at least 9 years; a Representative must be at least 25 years of age and must have been a citizen for at least 7 years. [Â  How Much Do Members of Congress Really Make? ] A Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico (elected for a 4-year term) and Delegates from American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands complete the composition of the Congress of the United States. Delegates are elected for a term of 2 years. The Resident Commissioner and Delegates may take part in the floor discussions but have no vote in the full House or in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. They do, however, vote in the committees to which they are assigned. Officers of CongressThe Vice President of the United States is the Presiding Officer of the Senate; in his absence the duties are taken over by a President pro tempore, elected by that body, or someone designated by him. The Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House, is elected by the House; he may designate any Member of the House to act in his absence. The positions of Senate majority and minority leader have been in existence only since the early years of the 20th century. Leaders are elected at the beginning of each new Congress by a majority vote of the Senators in their political party. In cooperation with their party organizations, leaders are responsible for the design and achievement of a legislative program. This involves managing the flow of legislation, expediting noncontroversial measures, and keeping Members informed regarding proposed action on pending business. Each leader serves as an ex officio member of his partys policymaking and organizational bodies and is aided by an assistant floor leader (whip) and a party secretary. [Â  How to Write Effective Letters to Congress ] The House leadership is structured essentially the same as the Senate, with the Members in the political parties responsible for the election of their respective leader and whips. The Secretary of the Senate, elected by vote of the Senate, performs the duties of the Presiding Officer of the Senate in the absence of the Vice President and pending the election of a President pro tempore. The Secretary is the custodian of the seal of the Senate, draws requisitions on the Secretary of the Treasury for moneys appropriated for the compensation of Senators, officers, and employees, and for the contingent expenses of the Senate, and is empowered to administer oaths to any officer of the Senate and to any witness produced before it. The Secretarys executive duties include certification of extracts from the Journal of the Senate; the attestation of bills and joint, concurrent, and Senate resolutions; in impeachment trials, issuance, under the authority of the Presiding Officer, of all orders, mandates, writs, and precepts authorized by the Senate; and certification to the President of the United States of the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification of treaties and the names of persons confirmed or rejected upon the nomination of the President. The Sergeant at Arms of the Senate is elected by and serves as the Executive Officer of that body. He directs and supervises the various departments and facilities under his jurisdiction. He is also the Law Enforcement and Protocol Officer. As Law Enforcement Officer, he has statutory power to make arrests; to locate absentee Senators for a quorum; to enforce Senate rules and regulations as they pertain to the Senate Chamber, the Senate wing of the Capitol, and the Senate Office Buildings. He serves as a member of the Capitol Police Board and as its chairman each odd year; and, subject to the Presiding Officer, maintains order in the Senate Chamber. As Protocol Officer, he is responsible for many aspects of ceremonial functions, including the inauguration of the President of the United States; arranging funerals of Senators who die in office; escorting the President when he addresses a Joint Session of Congress or attends any function in the Senate; and escorting heads of state when they visit the Senate. The elected officers of the House of Representatives include the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Chaplain. The Clerk is custodian of the seal of the House and administers the primary legislative activities of the House. These duties include: accepting the credentials of the Members-elect and calling the Members to order at the commencement of the first session of each Congress; keeping the Journal; taking all votes and certifying the passage of bills; and processing all legislation. Through various departments, the Clerk is also responsible for floor and committee reporting services; legislative information and reference services; the administration of House reports pursuant to House rules and certain legislation including the Ethics in Government Act and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995; the distribution of House documents; and administration of the House Page Program. The Clerk is also charged with supervision of the offices vacated by Members due to death, resignation, or expulsion. Clerk of the HouseThe Sergeant at Arms maintains the order of the House under the direction of the Speaker and is the keeper of the Mace. As a member of the U.S. Capitol Police Board, the Sergeant at Arms is the chief law enforcement officer for the House and serves as Board Chairman each even year. The ceremonial and protocol duties parallel those of the Senate Sergeant at Arms and include arranging the inauguration of the President of the United States, Joint Sessions of Congress, visits to the House of heads of state, and funerals of Members of Congress. The Sergeant at Arms enforces the rules relating to the privileges of the Hall of the House, including admission to the galleries, oversees garage and parking security of the House, and distributes all House staff identification cards. Congressional CommitteesThe work of preparing and considering legislation is done largely by committees of both Houses of Congress. There are 16 standing committees in the Senate and 19 in the House of Representatives. The standing committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives can be viewed from the links below. In addition, there are select committees in each House (one in the House of Representatives), and various congressional commissions and joint committees composed of Members of both Houses. Each House may also appoint special investigating committees. The membership of the standing committees of each House is chosen by a vote of the entire body; members of other committees are appointed under the provisions of the measure establishing them. Each bill and resolution is usually referred to the appropriate committee, which may report a bill out in its original form, favorably or unfavorably, recommend amendments, report original measures, or allow the proposed legisla tion to die in committee without action.

Analysis Of The Movie Chicago - 902 Words

The film, Chicago, revolves around the idea that American judicial system is merely one big show. It is not about seeking the truth and serving justice to the wronged; it is about appealing to the jury and presenting only the most favorable, beneficial facts. Roxie Hart is a wannabe jazz superstar, who does not mind sleeping her way to the top. Discontent with her lifestyle and boresome marriage, she enters into an illicit affair with Fred Casely. He promises her connections in the entertainment industry. However, as it turns out, her lover was lying and, plot twist, the man only wanted her for body. Infuriated by this, Roxie shoots him dead in a heat of passion. The rest of the film musical follows Roxie’s murder trial and provides an interesting view on the court system. The majority of the musical sequences consists of alternating between scenes of reality and the same scenario as spectacular stage performance. Several songs in the film depict the idea that legal system is faulty and self-serving. Roxie Hart hires Billy Flynn, an exceptional defense lawyer who is also representing jazz sensation, Velma Kelly. The song â€Å"We Both Reached for the Gun† is musical number illustrating Roxie’s feeling during her press conference. The song begins with Roxie perched on Flynn’s lap as a marionette doll. Every time Roxie is asked a question, Flynn answers for her as her puppeteer. He describes her as a wealthy, innocent woman who got dragged into the world of â€Å"jazz and liquor.†Show MoreRelatedEssay about Depth Analysis of a Movie Ââ€" Chicago3394 Words   |  14 PagesAnalyzing The Entire Film Ââ€" Chicago (2002) Understanding movies comes from describing and analyzing the cinematic, theatrical, and literary elements that combine to create meaning. These steps create a basic understanding of the artistic and technical elements found in moviemaking. 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Sustainability Accounting and Accountability for Environment

Question: Discuss about theSustainability Accounting and Accountability for Environment. Answer: Introduction The Deepwater Horizon spill is a very controversial topic and although in the beginning the general public put full responsibility on BP for what they perceived to be negligence and disregard for the environment on the companys part that caused the manmade disaster, the blame quickly shifted on the Americans government because its response was not deemed strict and impactful enough given the serious nature of the situation. The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill out more than twenty categories of important and profitable ecosystem services in the Gulf of Mexico as well as around it, some of it generating at least US$12-47 billion per year as it is the case for ecosystem services for the Mississippi River Delta. The Deepwater Horizon spill almost caused the extinction of the Louisiana commercial fishery which would have been a hard hit to the economy of the state as it generates US$2.5 billion per year (Houdet, Germaneau, 2011). To understand the full magnitude of the situation as well as the appropriate responses the involved parties need to have had it is important to look at the public interest theory as well as the role of regulators meaning politicians. Interest theory and role of regulators. According to the interest theory, regulations are policies that are determined by market forces, supply and demand but in this case, it is between the government who is the supply component and other interests groups who make the demand component (Uno and Bartelmus, 2013). The interest theory states that regulations are not developed by politicians but by industries, and the main purpose of these regulations is to create advantages for every player operating in those industries. So it is understandable why the general public felt that the government was being too lenient when setting sanctions for BP as the Oil and gas industry is one that designed the regulations that govern the market including lenient penalties for oil leakage because the well-being of its members matters the most. Also, industries operate these regulations without any interference from external mechanisms. Further, regulators permit players in an industry to participate in the decision-making regarding economic m atters that affect them, and although these representative groups are small in size to minimize running costs they will always act for the benefit of the members of the industry first, and the society comes second (Russel and Dey, 2017). So consumers that were affected by the Deepwater Horizon spill like the twenty categories of ecosystem services will not be the focal point when sanctions are being set because of the phenomena of cross-subsidization meaning that the regulations in the Oil and gas industry were developed to benefits companies the industry such as BP more than related industries in which the Louisiana commercial fishery operates in. The role of regulators is to impose the regulations that the industry has designed for itself to accomplish the economic goals of a country. So it would not have been possible for the American government to give anything else other than a pretax charge of US$40.9 billion as a penalty for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill because doing otherwise would have violated industry regulations and interfere with the accomplishment of some of the countrys economic goals. Another role that regulators have always had is to find ways to use the least amount of energy, time and money when dealing with different issues and to allow industries in develop regulations that will govern them is the best way to accomplish that role (Gray and Owen, 2014). Motivations of politicians as regulators and my personal opinion On paper, what motivates politicians to regulate an industry is the best interest of the society or the general public, but in reality politicians, they enforce regulations for their own benefit, and as a result, they are not predictable (Bebbington and ODwyer, 2014). For example, the regulations in the oil and gas industry are lenient because most of them have invested in companies like BP and it would not be in their best interest for the company to fall even if a lot of people depend on the ecosystem services. As regulators, politicians have perfected the art of not taking into consideration certain groups in the decision-making process to ensure that proper and fair decisions are not made regarding regulatory measures to enforce. Most of the time, the best interest of the society is not taken into consideration because all politicians are focusing on is ensuring that the members of a particular industry are happy and content in exchange for political support for example funding c ampaigns. Another thing is that when government establish regulatory agencies, they are usually controlled by people who have personal interest in certain industries so when it comes to enforcing regulations they will never act against them, and as a result they allocate resources per the needs of industry instead of the society(Gray and Owen, 2014). Because their personal interest drives them when regulating industries, I agree with the article that regulation for oil and gas activities needs to be increased and more reliable environmental accounting and reporting is one of the best ways to achieve that. Companies are responsible for most environmental problems we are facing today because of their goals for profit maximization, rapid technological developments and well as reckless consumption of natural resources. Oil and gas are one of the industries who greatly impact the environment due to the overproduction and emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) causing air and water pollution as in the cause of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Environmental accounting will be greatly beneficial for both internal and external stakeholders as it will help evaluate the environmental impact errors will have on organizational operations involving water, air, and soil as well as the health and safety of employees and the society in general. More reliable environmental accounting will facilitate compliance with internal, local and national environmental standards which will allow companies to develop much more effective techniques in preventing environmental errors (Gandhi, Dalvadi, 2017). More reliable environmental reporting will be greatly helpful in ensuring that companies are careful in their operations in order them to discharge any responsibilities to the society and future generations as inefficient use of natural resources and pollution of the environment will interfere with their quality of life. More reliable environmental reporting will also strengthen a companys responsibility to its stakeholders because by disclosi ng full environmental information will make it less likely for companies to commit any act that does not have societys best interest at heart. Increased environmental accounting and reporting would have increased the legitimacy of BP because, after the Deepwater Horizon oil Spill, internal and external stakeholders needed be reassured that the company has learned from its mistakes and that it will do everything possible to ensure that an incident that like never occurred again but BP failed to do that. Conclusion The Deepwater Horizon spill or the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill was a serious and extreme environmental crisis that should receive equally serious and extreme responses from both regulators and BP, but they failed to that in an attempt to hide the real nature of the situation to both internal and external stakeholders. Regulators should ensure that interest of the society is the main focus, but they choose to put their personal interests first which creates a reckless atmosphere in the oil and gas industry when it comes to the use of natural resources. There is the need to have more reliable environmental accounting and reporting as it benefits both organizations and the society in general with its future generations. References Bebbington, J., Unerman, J. and O'Dwyer, B. eds., 2014.Sustainability accounting and accountability. Routledge. Gandhi, T., Dalvadi, Y. (2017). An analytical study on social environmental accounting and reporting. International Journal of Research in Management Social Science, 5(2). Gray, R., Adams, C. and Owen, D., 2014.Accountability, social responsibility and sustainability: Accounting for society and the environment. Pearson Higher Ed. Houdet, J., Germaneau, C. (2011). The finaicial impacts of BOs response to the Deepwater Horison Oil Spill: Comparing damage evaluation approaches highlighting the need for more reliable environmental accounting and reporting. Synergiz. Russell, S., Milne, M.J. and Dey, C., 2017. Accounts of Nature and the Nature of Accounts: Critical reflections on environmental accounting and propositions for ecologically informed accounting.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, (just-accepted), pp.00-00. Uno, K. and Bartelmus, P. eds., 2013.Environmental accounting in theory and practice(Vol. 11). Springer Science Business Media.

Types of technical report Essay Example

Types of technical report Paper A progress report gives Information on the history of particular project over a Limited period of time. Since It Is the nature of a progress report to be partially completed Is submitted midway through the project completion or as the need rises. According to Mills and Walter (1980), a progress report is composed of transitional introduction and a prophetic conclusion. Transitional Introduction Transitional Introduction Refers to the detailed discussion regarding the completed ark given the present time frame. Prophetic conclusion Prophetic conclusion refers to the projected completion of a project and the circumstances surrounding Its completion. The Preliminary Report A preliminary report Indicates the validity of a particular project. It takes Into account the basic requirements when putting up a project or the considerations the proponent needs to know. The Periodic Report A periodic report is written for the sole purpose of providing updates for the client who commissioned it. The report includes details pertinent to the project status. It primarily uses statistical data that reflect the dealings made for the subject. Two classifications of Periodic report: Routine report Refers to a report written by an assigned employee or employees to his/her superiors. Let includes the status of the company, the employees, the materials and the like. Annual report It is a periodic report of the organization as a whole, taking note of transactions made by the company general/official regarding the organizations performance. Final report A final report is submitted after the completion of a project. It shows how the reports was carried out. We will write a custom essay sample on Types of technical report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Types of technical report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Types of technical report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It Is detailed and contains relevant Illustrations. It serves as a permanent record of a project. Examination report decision-making strategies and out comes. The premise of any examination report is that it is well researched and well-written. Three general classifications of examination: 1 . Reader- may deal with readers whose in of work involves technical/scientific know how. 2. Contents- may involve groups dealing with persons, processes structure or materials. 3. Purpose- the report reflects the type of information target readers would want to know.