The 17th Amendment to the US Constitution

On March 4, 1789, the first group of United States senators reported for duty in the brand new U.S. Congress. For the next 124 years, while many new senators would come and go, not a single one of them would have been elected by the American people. From 1789 to 1913, when the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, all U.S. senators were chosen by the state legislatures. Key Takeaways: The 17th Amendment The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution provides for the election of senators by voters in the states they are to represent, rather than by the state legislatures and establishes the method for filling vacancies in the Senate.The 17th Amendment was proposed in 1912 and ratified on April 8, 1913. Senators were first elected by the people in Maryland in 1913, and nationwide in the general election of November 3,1914. The 17th Amendment provides that senators should be directly elected by voters in the states they are to represent, rather than by the state legislatures. It also provides a method for filling vacancies in the Senate. The amendment was proposed by the 62nd Congress in 1912 and adopted in 1913 after being ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the then 48 states. Senators were first elected by voters in special elections in Maryland in 1913 and Alabama in 1914, then nationwide in the general election of 1914. With the right of the people to choose some of the most powerful officials of the U.S. federal government seemingly such an integral part of American democracy, why did it take so for that right to be granted? Background The framers of the Constitution, convinced that senators should not be popularly elected, crafted Article I, section 3 of the Constitution to state, â€Å"The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.† The framers felt that allowing the state legislatures to choose senators would secure their loyalty to the federal government, thus increasing the Constitution’s chances of ratification. In addition, the framers felt that senators chosen by their state legislatures would be better able to concentrate on the legislative process without having to deal with public pressure. While the first measure to amend the Constitution to provide for the election of senators by popular vote was introduced in the House of Representatives in 1826, the idea failed to gain traction until the late 1850s when several state legislatures began to deadlock over the election of senators resulting in lengthy un-filled vacancies in the Senate. As Congress struggled to pass legislation dealing with momentous issues like slavery, states’ rights, and threats of state secession , the Senate vacancies became a critical issue. However, the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, along with the long post-war period of reconstruction, would further delay action on the popular election of senators. During reconstruction, the difficulties of passing legislation needed to reunite the still-ideologically divided nation were further complicated by Senate vacancies. A law passed by Congress in 1866 regulating how and when senators were chosen in each state helped, but deadlocks and delays in several state legislatures continued. In one extreme example, Delaware failed to send a senator to Congress for four years from 1899 to 1903. Constitutional amendments to elect senators by popular vote were introduced in House of Representatives during every session from 1893 to 1902. The Senate, however, fearing the change would diminish its political influence, rejected them all. Widespread public support for change came in 1892 when the newly-formed Populist Party made the direct election of senators a key part of its platform. With that, some states took the matter into their own hands. In 1907, Oregon became the first state to select its senators by direct election. Nebraska soon followed suit, and by 1911, more than 25 states were selecting their senators through direct popular elections. The States Force Congress to Act When the Senate continued to resist the growing public demand for the direct election of senators, several states invoked a rarely-used constitutional strategy. Under Article V of the Constitution, Congress is required to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of amending the Constitution whenever two-thirds of the states demand it to do so. As the number of states applying to invoke Article V neared the two-thirds mark, Congress decided to act. Debate and Ratification In 1911, one of the senators who had been popularly elected, Senator Joseph Bristow from Kansas, offered a resolution proposing the 17th Amendment. Despite significant opposition, the Senate narrowly approved Senator Bristow’s resolution, largely on the votes of senators who recently had been popularly elected. After long, often heated debate, the House finally passed the amendment and sent it to the states for ratification in the spring of 1912. On May 22, 1912, Massachusetts became the first state to ratify the 17th Amendment. Connecticuts approval on April 8, 1913, gave the 17th Amendment the required three-fourths majority. With 36 of 48 states having ratified the 17th Amendment, it was certified by Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan on May 31, 1913, as part of the Constitution. In total, 41 states eventually ratified the 17th Amendment. The state of Utah rejected the amendment, while the states of Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia took no action on it. Effect of the 17th Amendment: Section 1 Section 1 of the 17th Amendment restates and amends the first paragraph of Article I, section 3 of the Constitution to provide for the direct popular election of U.S. senators by replacing the phrase â€Å"chosen by the Legislature thereof† with â€Å"elected by the people thereof.† Effect of the 17th Amendment: Section 2 Section 2 altered the way in which vacant Senate seats are to be filled. Under Article I, section 3, the seats of senators who left office before the end of their terms were to be replaced by the state legislatures. The 17th Amendment gives the state legislatures the right to allow the state’s governor to appoint a temporary replacement to serve until a special public election can be held. In practice, when a Senate seat becomes vacant near the national general election, the governors typically choose not to call a special election. Effect of the 17th Amendment: Section 3 Section 3 of the 17th Amendment simply clarified that the amendment did not apply to Senators chosen before it became a valid part of the Constitution. Text of the 17th Amendment Section 1.The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures. Section 2.When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of each State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct. Section 3.This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

Apollo 13 Movie Physics Essay - 1035 Words

Apollo 13 Essay Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly in space or work on the crew at NASA that helps the astronauts get home safely? These two jobs both use many of the laws of physics. In fact, almost everything they do involves physics. Apollo 13 is a movie that epitomizes what those jobs are like and how much physics is required. The three main laws of physics in the movie were Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, Newton’s First Law, and Newton’s Third Law. One main law in Apollo 13 was Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, defined as F=Gm1m2r2, where G=6.67Ãâ€"10-11. The first main scene in which this law was needed was when NASA decided that it would be best for the crew to take a free-return trajectory back to†¦show more content†¦Another prevalent physics law in Apollo 13 was Newton’s First Law, which states that a body will persist in its state of rest or of uniform motion unless it is acted upon by an external u nbalanced force. In most scenes of Apollo 13 that show the spacecraft in space this law was visually demonstrated. The Apollo 13 spacecraft was always in uniform motion unless it was acted on by another external unbalanced force. The most significant force in space that would act on the spacecraft was that of gravity. Gravity from other large masses, such as the Earth, Moon, and Sun, acted as the external unbalanced force which changed the spacecraft’s speed and direction. If all the gravity in space were to suddenly disappear and the net force on the spacecraft were to be zero then the Apollo 13 ship would simply adhere to its uniform motion tangent to its original path. Another group of scenes in which Newton’s First was displayed was when the astronauts moved around in their spacecraft while in space. It is quite easy to tell from watching how the astronauts moved around in 0g that they were exhibiting Newton’s First Law. If an astronaut in the movie applied a force in one direction to move in the other that astronaut would then move at a constant velocity (in relation to the ship) as soon as that force was removed. On the contrary, if no force were applied,Show MoreRelatedA Form Of Geometric Art Invented By The Famous Dutch Artist2670 Words   |  11 Pagesstart of the industrial era (Misa, pg. 251). The technologies produced by the military such as computer chips, nuclear power, artificial intelligence, Internet, etc. gave the world a kick-start in the field of modern technology (Misa, pg. 251). The Apollo Missions between the years 1969 and 1972 were possible only due to the military derived rockets; even the space shuttles missions were successful due to the satellites positioned by the military (Misa, pg. 251). Highly advanced technological companiesRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pages2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-471-75167-0 (pbk.) ISBN-10: 0-471-751 67-7 (pbk.) 1. Project management-Case studies. I. Title. Printed in the United States of America Contents Preface xi 1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES 1 Lakes Automotive 3 Fems Healthcare, Inc. Clark Faucet Company 2 5 7 11 IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT Kombs Engineering 13 Williams Machine Tool Company 15 Wynn Computer Equipment (WCE) 17 The

Financial Accounting & Reporting Halides Ltd

Question : (1)When finalising the financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2014 two significant errorswere made and there is debate as to whether we should simply adjust the financial statements inthe current year or change last years financial statements as well. The IT system of the companywas installed 3 years ago at a cost of approximately $3.5 million and was estimated to last 10years. However the latest technology advancements indicate that this was a very optimisticestimate and that the maximum life span of this equipment will probably be not more than 6 yearsin total with little or no residual value. It was also discovered in August 2014 that a machine worth$2.2 million purchased in January 2014 was erroneously written off to repairs and maintenanceinstead of being capitalised.Deberella the marketing director thinks we should just adjust this years figures to account for theseproblems but Peter indicated that it was slightly more complicated than that. Could you please giveus som e advice on this? (2)A number of employees who work on our strategic management team have been with us for anumber of years - at least 12 of them have been with us since the company commencedoperations in 2006. In accordance with the Employee Bargaining Agreement (EBA) all employeesare entitled to long service leave of 13 weeks if they remain in service for 10 years. They are alsoentitled to pro rata long service leave after 6 years of service.Our usual practice is to show the long service leave expense in the income statement when theemployee actually takes leave and is paid. Of course we maintain a memorandum record of thenumber of days each employee is entitled to. Peter has indicated to us that he thinks we shouldconsider treating this expense in a different manner, which seems complicated. The directors arewondering why we should complicate a very simple way of calculating long service leave why notstick with recognising the expense when we pay for it? What do you think we should do and why? (3)Peter, the new financial controller, has also informed the board that the company will need to presenta statement of cash flows with the financial statements in addition to those statements already beingpresented, which really attracted a lot of attention. Some of the directors thought it was a waste oftime to present this statement as it was merely a summarised cash book. Others were of the opinionthat it could be useful but didnt quite know how they would use it. The structure of the statement ofcash flows also came into question with one of the directors suggesting that we merely needed to geta printout of the cash account and attach it. Another said that we couldnt just do that as we neededto show operating, instigating and financing cash flows in the statement. Could you please clarifythis matter for us? Answer : (1) As per the codification topic number 250-10-45-12, any entity can only and only change the accounting principles that has been followed only when the other method that is proposed to be followed is preferable. But the method of accounting that was being followed for the types of the transactions shall in no case be allowed to be terminated. In order to illustrate this, the method of accounting that was being followed for taxes or for the credit of taxes shall not be changed at the time of discontinuance. Nut a change in the estimated period of the asset that is of benefit for the asset, only if the same has been justified by the facts, shall be recognised as the change in the estimate of accounting.(EY, 2015) As per IAS 8, Correction of prior period accounting error, the prior period errors of account are the omissions from the misstatements that took place in the prior financial statements that have resulted of them being unfit for use or the misuse of the reliable information that was available could have reasonable be expected to be obtained, at the time of the preparation of those financial statements. The following are some of the examples of the accounting error: 1. Application of the accounting policies in the wrong way. This could include not recognizing the sale of the goods even when the same were transferred to the customer 2.Fraud.This would include the failure to notice the information that was available at the time of the preparation of the financial statements like not writing off the debtors even when the same was declared insolvent 3. Mathematical errors, like addition etc. 4. Omitting the recording of the transaction in the financial statements These errors must be separate from the changes that were made in the prior period estimates that were based upon the information that is best reflected in the conditions and the circumstances that existed as on the reporting date. The errors in the financial statements losses the confidence of its users in them. Therefore, the errors must be discovered and corrected in the timely manner so as to ensure that the users are capable of relying on the information that is contained on the financial statements. The correction of the errors relating to the prior accounting periods must be corrected retrospectively in the financial statements. The retrospective application refers to the correction of the fact of correcting the comparative figures from the very beginning when the item started being recorded in the financial statements. The main reason behind the same is the fact that the current year figures have to be compared with the figures pertaining to the previous years.(IAS, 2015)And when is an error the same has to be corrected as the prior period item. In the given case, the expected period for the IT system was changed and therefore, the same will go on to change the amount of the depreciation that is being charged and will change the depreciation that was charged in the previous years. And therefore, the same will change retrospectively and will relate to the previous years and will be reported as the prior period item (2) As per the AASB 30, accounting for the employee benefits and entitlements, all the liabilities that arise on account of the following: 1. Wages and salaries, annual leave and the sick leaves irrespective of whether they will be settled within the time span of 12 months of the reporting or not 2. Other such employee entitlement that are expected to be settled within the period of 12 months will be measured at their nominal values and amounts. All the employees entitlements shall be measured at the present value of the estimated future cash flows. The amounts have to be paid to the employees for the services that have been rendered by them to the employer.(AASB, 2015) An income statement is the statement that shows the amounts that have been earned during the year and the amounts that have been spent during the same period. All the expenses that have been spent during the year will also include the expenses that have been paid to the employees in respect of their long service leaves. The items that are included in the income statement are the items that are related with the regular course of business activities of the company. And therefore, the long term service leaves that are en-cashed during the year by the employees will go on to be included in the income statement. And this is the appropriate treatment for the same. There is no reason for the creation of the provision for the same since the same is being paid on the regular basis. (3) A cash flow statement is the statement that shows the cash that has been received by the organization and has been suspended by the organization within a year. The statement of cash flows is required to be prepared by the generally accepted accounting principles and are required to be included in the financial statements. The cash flow statement is required to be included in each and every year in which the income or the operating statement is included. It is due to this reason that the annual reports includes the statement of cash flows for each year. The main aim of a cash flow statement is to report as to whether the organization is able to generate the cash and when it is, how it is using it. When the organization knows where the cash is coming from, then it can assess the future requirements of cash of the organization as well. When the organizations represent their cash flow statements, then the companies combine the cash and cash equivalents since it considers the same as the short term investments that are used as the primary source of cash.(Wiley, 2015) The main reason for the preparation of the cash flow statement are as follows: 1. The cash flow statement must always compare the actual cash flows with the predicted cash flows. This will help the organization in figuring out whether the things have worked out as were planned or not and when they have not, then the reasons behind the discrepancies. This will also help in planning the future course of action for the organization. 2. When an investor looks at the forecast of the cash flows, it tells him whether the money that is being earned and being received by the organization will be able to meet the expenses of the organization or not. If the amount of the cash flows are enough, then the business must arrange in order to obtain the amount of the money. This could be done either inside or outside the organization. The easiest way of meeting the short term cash crunches is borrowing the money from the bank. But there are some other methods too that could be used to fund the organization. (Bized, 2015) Therefore, it is very important to prepare a cash flow statement. References: Accounting-simplified.com, (2015). IAS 8 Correction of Prior Period Accounting Errors. [Online] Available at: https://accounting-simplified.com/standard/ias-8/correction-of-accounting-errors.html [Accessed 17 Jan. 2015]. Bized.co.uk, (2015). Biz/ed - Cash Flow Learning Trail | Biz/ed. [online] Available at: https://www.bized.co.uk/learn/business/accounting/cashflow/trail/cashflow.htm?page=4 [Accessed 17 Jan. 2015]. www.aasb.gov.au, (2015). AASB 30. [Online] Available at: https://www.aasb.gov.au/admin/file/content102/c3/AAS30_3-94.pdf [Accessed 17 Jan. 2015]. www.ey.com, (2015). Accounting changes and error corrections. [Online] Available at: https://www.ey.com [Accessed 17 Jan. 2015]. www.wiley.com, (2015). Cash flow statements. [Online] Available at: https://www.wiley.com/college/bcs/0471238236/king/ch13.pdf [Accessed 17 Jan. 2015].

Nike - Ethical Issues free essay sample

Nike tried many different measures of correcting its image as well many public relations measures to help salvage the image the public had of them after images of Nike employees working in sweatshops were released. In this essay, we will look at Nike’s international business operations and analyze the ethical issues and dilemmas they are faced with as a result of manufacturing their goods on foreign soil. Areas of Concern Some areas of concern for Nike include poor working conditions, low wages, child labor, as well as health concerns in the factories. These are all areas of concern where ethics is involved. Ethics is the generic term for the science of our morals. The executives at Nike have been accused of many ethical dilemmas. For example, poor working conditions in factories that produce Nike products has been one big issue plaguing the company for years. Nike outsources their labor to countries that are in need of economic growth. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Ethical Issues or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They are able to obtain the labor at a cheap, and some may say, unfair rate. This causes workers to be exposed to working conditions that would be far below what we would accept here in the US or any developed country in the world. These workers are faced with long grueling hours, some as long as sixty five hours per week, this according to the NY Times. Employees at this particular factory were located in Vietnam. (Greenhouse, NY Times) Working all those hours and only bringing home $10 USD a week. The employees endure this type of treatment because they are desperate for the little money they earn. This brings me into my next point of concern, low wages. Nike contracts all their manufacturing to developing or third world countries. Even though the countries wages are lower than our own here in the US, Nike fails to provide wages to workers at a rate in which they can sustain themselves and their families. Because of this, cheap labor is exploited and many workers are treated poorly. Some workers earning these low wages were children as young as early and preteens. Deplorable working conditions have lasting effects on employees. Many employees experienced skin and breathing problems in those factories. Just because you are operating in a country that is not up to the standards of the United States, does not make it ethically okay to subject your employees to conditions that are unacceptable. Current Analysis One can speculate as to why Nike would be involved in such a Hodge podge of ethical dilemmas. Could it be because they are not operating in the US and feel as though they should not abide by the ethical standards and OSHA requirements set forth in our country? Is it that the upper management has something to gain personally from outsourcing its labor to under developed countries? Should our government step in and be able to regulate how the factories and workers are treated on foreign soil? I do believe Nike was socially responsible for its actions. When the allegations came to light in the public eye, there was a lot of backlash regarding them. Nike joined a task force called fair job labor association to review the allegations made against them. This was to help ensure that Nike was abiding by the ethics code in the shoe and clothing industry. Since the allegations came out in 2008, Nike has helped improve the conditions in its manufacturing plants by improving the ventilation systems, reducing the use of many toxic chemicals, as well as improving safety features for those who work in the plants. By joining a task force that helps promote fair labor practices, Nike is taking responsibility for its actions and showing the global market that is does take an interest in those working in the factory. This helps to alleviate any hesitation consumers may have with purchasing products made by Nike. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 can help Nike monitor the compliance of the factories in foreign companies because it can help Nike monitor the wages paid to its employees more closely to ensure they are being paid fairly. As well it can help the company identify any significant changes in internal controls and related factors. Government Regulations The International Labor Organization (ILO) sets the standards for working conditions around the globe. ILO’s main target is governments however; many of the standards recognized today affect the behavior of corporations. The UN Global Compact sought to create a partnership between the UN and many transnational companies to promote ten essential principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. (Anderson, International Regulation of Transnational Corporations, p. 5) These principles include the right to equal opportunity, right to security, right to workers, as well as the respect for independence and human rights. For Nike, I think these organizations helped shape the path in which the company will continue to strive to follow. Since the allegations of ethical issues arose with Nike, they have gone through great lengths to make sure that the company has more transparency to its stakeholders, the government as well as the general public. This allows Nike to clearly define their policies as well as be able to hold employees responsible should any ethical issues arise with the principles established for Nike. The UN Global Compact has helped Nike be able to implement acceptable standards in their factories. This helps decrease the child labor that is used in these countries as well as improve the standards of the manufacturing plants. It helps Nike be able to analyze the amount of accidents within a certain time frame and adjust schedules and shifts to make sure that the accident numbers are at the bare minimum. Conclusion Nike has faced much criticism over its decisions regarding the manufacturing plants in developing countries. Experts will continue to question how Nike runs its manufacturing plants even though when we do look at Nike today, they are operating at standards that are acceptable. The Nike brand is known worldwide in practically every country in the world. It is a brand that has sustained its success. There will always be questions regarding the practices Nike is involved in. However, once you begin to analyze the company, you see the Nike is determined to continue to be successful. It has implemented its own independent audits of the foreign manufacturing plants as well as engages in events that support human rights. It will be a tough fight for Nike as it will constantly be faced with ethical dilemmas because of the way the world economy is today. Nike continues to receive harsh criticism for producing its product overseas and not on US soil, much to the dismay of critics who are hardcore supporters of products made in the US. Nike has collaborated with their suppliers, their employees, other buyers and non-governmental agencies to help design policies that are effective for each of the different cultural norms they encounter. This has helped Nike determine what good working conditions are as well as develop an effective product flow. Nike will continue to be one of the best known brands in the world.