What to Know About Presidential Appointments

Presidential appointments come in two forms: those that require the approval of the Senate and those that do not. Aside from Cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court justices, whose nominations require the approval of the Senate, the President of the United States currently has the authority to appoint people to high-level positions within the federal government unilaterally. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), most of these positions appointed directly by the president come with salaries of from $99,628 to about $180,000 per year and include full federal employee benefits. How Many and Where? In its report to Congress, the GAO identified 321 presidentially appointed (PA) positions governmentwide that do not require Senate confirmation. PA positions fall into one of three categories: 67% of the positions serve on federal commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations; 29% of the positions are within the Executive Office of the President, and the remaining 4% are in other federal agencies or departments.Of those 321 PA positions, 163 were created on August 10, 2012, when President Obama signed the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act. The act converted 163 presidential nominations, all of which had previously required Senate hearings and approval, to positions appointed directly by the president. According to the GAO, most PA positions were created between 1970 and 2000. What the PAs Do PAs appointed to commissions, councils, committees, boards, or foundations and typically serve as advisors. However, they may be assigned some degree of responsibility for evaluating or even creating the organizations policy and direction.PAs in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) often directly support the president by providing advisory and administrative assistance. They might be expected to advise the president on a wide range of areas, including foreign relations, US and international economic policy, and homeland security. Also, PAs in the EOP assist in maintaining relationships between the White House and Congress, the executive branch agencies, and state and local governments.Responsibilities of PAs serving directly in federal agencies and departments are the most diverse. They may be assigned to assist presidential appointees in positions that require Senate approval. Others may serve as US representatives to United Nations organizations. Others may be assigned leade rship roles at highly visible non-agency organizations, such as the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health.br/>In most cases, there are no specific qualifications for PA positions, and since the appointments do not come under Senate scrutiny, they are subject to being used as political favors. However, PA positions on commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations often have legally required qualifications. How Much the PAs Make First of all, most PAs are not paid a salary. According to the GAO, 99% of all PAs—those serving as advisors to commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations—are either not compensated at all or are paid a daily rate of $634 or less only while serving.The remaining 1% of PAs—those in the EOP and those serving in federal agencies and departments—are paid salaries ranging from $99,628 to $180,000. However, there are notable exceptions. For example, the Director of the National Cancer Institute is a PA position within the Department of Health and Human Services that receives a salary of $350,000, according to the GAO.PA positions in the EOP and the federal departments and agencies are mostly full-time jobs and have no term limits. PAs appointed to commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations serve intermittently during terms typically lasting from 3 to 6 years. Other Types of Politically Appointed Positions Overall, there are four main categories of politically appointed positions: Presidential Appointments with Senate confirmation (PAS), Presidential Appointments without Senate confirmation (PSs), political appointees to the Senior Executive Service (SES), and Schedule C political appointees. Persons in SES and Schedule C positions are typically appointed by PAS and PA appointees, rather than the President. However, all appointments to SES and Schedule C posts must be reviewed and approved by the Executive Office of the President. As of 2012, the GAO reported a total of 3,799 politically appointed federal positions, including 321 PA positions, 1,217 PAS positions, 789 SES positions, and 1,392 Schedule C positions. Presidential Appointments with Senate confirmation (PAS) positions are the top of the federal personnel food chain, and include positions such as cabinet agency secretaries and top administrators and deputy administrators of the non-cabinet agencies. Holders of PAS positions have direct responsibility for implementing the presidents goals and policies. During  the fiscal year 2013, salaries for PAS positions ranged from $145,700 to $199,700, the current salary of cabinet secretaries. PAs, while significantly responsible for implementing White House goals and policies, often serve under PAS appointees. Senior Executive Service (SES) appointees serve in positions just below PAS appointees. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, they are the major link between these appointees and the rest of the Federal workforce. They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 Federal agencies. In the fiscal year 2013, salaries for Senior Executive Service appointees ranged from $119,554 to $179,700. Schedule C appointments are typically non-career assignments to positions ranging from regional directors of agencies to staff assistants and speech writers. Schedule C appointees are typically changed with each new incoming presidential administration, making them the category of presidential appointments most likely to be handed out as political favors. Salaries for Schedule C appointees range from $67,114 to $155,500. SES and Schedule C appointees typically serve in subordinate roles to PAS and PA appointees. At the Pleasure of the President By their very nature, presidential political appointments are not for people looking for a stable, long-term career. To be appointed in the first place, political appointees are expected to support the policies and goals of the presidents administration. As the GAO puts it, Individuals serving in political appointments generally serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and do not have the job protections afforded to those in career-type appointments.

Descartes Philosophy - 2384 Words

Descartes Philosophy Rene Descartes is a philosopher that lived during the Enlightenment period and is famous for his philosophy of methodological doubt. His method of doubt was psychological in character, involved a kind of rational insight, and implied a justified belief analysis of knowledge, with justification construed in terms of being unshakable. (Newman) An important function of his method was to enable people to redirect their attention from the senses to clear and distinct ideas through intellect, reason, and doubt. Descartes understood knowledge as advancing truth. The Enlightenment was an intellectual period that brought about ideas of God, reason, nature, and man. It was a period of political and social upheaval that brought about revolutions and a period of learning to think for oneself, employing and relying on the individuals capabilities to determine how to think and act. (Bristow) Philosophy of that period caused tension with established religions. By using the intellect to think and act, it required opposing the role of established religion by redirecting thoughts and actions. It brought people to a higher human existence that was more fulfilled. Men became more rational and developed goals of obtaining more knowledge, freedom, and happiness. With turmoil in the empire, people became concerned for personal salvation, which also opposed the role of religion. Established religion of those days taught that people should follow along withoutShow MoreRelatedDescartes Vs. Descartes Philosophy1142 Words   |  5 Pages Rene Descartes’ begins to illustrate his skeptical argument as presented in Meditation l. Descartes basic strategy to approaching this method of doubt is to defeat skepticism. This argument begins by doubting the truth of everything, from evidence of the senses to the fundamental process of reasoning. Therefore, if there is any truth in the world that overcomes the skeptical challenge then it must be indubitably true. Thus, creating a perfect foundation for knowledge. The first Meditation is anRead MorePhilosophy Of Rene Descartes860 Words   |  4 PagesRene Descartes is an extremely influential philosopher from the 17th century and is widely considered the father of modern philosophy. One of Descartes’s most famous philosophies is his cogito ergo sum statement: I think, therefore, I am (Descartes, 2008). He believed that because he is a thing that thinks, then he must have some kind of consciousness or awareness of the world. Because he has consciousness, he reason s that he must exist, especially since he is aware that he is a thing that thinksRead MoreDescartes Meditations Of First Philosophy857 Words   |  4 PagesChristopher Joao Philosophy- 201 Mr. Jurkiewicz 4 March 2016 Descartes’ - Meditation #2 Rene Descartes was a French philosopher born in 1596. He is considered by many the father of modern philosophy and continues to have tremendous influence in the philosophical world to this day. The book, Meditations of First Philosophy, consist of six meditations and describes one meditation per day for six days. In meditation two, he claims that we have better knowledge of our own minds than of the physicalRead MoreDescartes Meditations On First Philosophy922 Words   |  4 PagesIn Rene Descartes’ excerpt, Meditations on First Philosophy, he proclaims, â€Å"It is beyond question that I shall reach the truth if I think hard enough about the things that I perfectly understand, keeping them separate from all the other matters in which my thoughts are more confused and obscure† ( §104). When Descartes made this statement in his fourth meditation, what was he conjecturing by the term â€Å"perfect?† According to the standard interpretation, perfect encompasse s all required or desirableRead MoreDescartes And Berkeley s Philosophy958 Words   |  4 Pagesand everything I see is an illusion? Philosopher Rene Descartes addressed the question in his meditations. He had distinct ideas concerning reality and illusion. Descartes believed in â€Å"Cartesian Dualism† - a relationship between the body and mind. In his meditations, he goes through the process of discarding all of his previously held beliefs and reevaluating them. However, some philosophers - such as George Berkeley disagreed with Descartes. Berkeley believed that there is only the mind. He believedRead MoreRene Descartes s Philosophy And The Science Of Philosophy1114 Words   |  5 PagesRene Descartes was a rationalist who is considered the father of modern philosophy, primarily because his ideas departed from current understanding in the early 17th century, which was more feeling based (Biography.com). He was born on March 31, 1956, in France and was a very educated man. His mother sent him to a boarding school which was considered college at an early age of 8. Additionally, by the age of 22 he had obtained his degree as a lawyer. 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Webvan Free Essays

The STEEP analysis concluded that the company is in an age of increasing technological advances, which must be maintained and Implemented to sustain operation. Grocery services will always be required even In a down or slow economy and currently there are few political or environmental situations that would affect the company. In the following section, Waveband’s Internal strengths and weaknesses will be discussed as well as the company’s external opportunities and threats. We will write a custom essay sample on Webvan or any similar topic only for you Order Now Strength Waveband has many strength within their operational practices as well as their marketing practices. One of Waveband’s strength is their ability to provide good customer service to their consumers. Waveband does not charge membership fees and waives delivery charges for orders over $50. Their ability to fill orders accurately and deliver them on time is another strength. For both of these areas, Waveband has an upper ninetieth percentile ranking. With their state-of-the-art technology, they are able to uphold good delivery policies with ample distribution centers, while maintaining a wide selection of products and services. The company’s store site contains good content, has usability ease, and provides policies that ensure consumers’ privacy and secure credit-card Information processing. Weakness One of the company’s weaknesses Is that Waveband Is trying to be all things to people. Francis Gaskin of Gaskin PIP Desktop stated that Waveband â€Å"Bit off a big mouthful†. Waveband is taking a chance trying to provide service as well as convenience and to do this for the same price as grocery stores. To be able to do this Waveband has implemented a complex business system, which currently has only been proven at owe capacities, nowhere business system, which currently has only been proven at low capacities, nowhere close to the order volume levels for which it was designed. Waveband is currently operating at only 40% of their operating capacity and are having difficulties In managing rapid growth in personnel and operations. Another core weakness Is Waveband’s lack of a sufficient customer base, order volume, net sales or Incoming cash flows. Waveband has experienced high capital expenditures associated with building and operating their distribution centers systems and technologies. Even though they are realizing a 70% return customer rate, they need to create an even larger initial customer draw to the store site, this is proving difficult since there is a lack of widespread acceptance of the Internet as a means of purchasing groceries and other consumer products. Also, the company does not cater to those individuals who have procrastinating natures and wait until their shopping is a necessity. Waveband’s technology and delivery requirements cannot operate efficiently enough to offer same day delivery. A final reason for their weak customer base is that Waveband does not offer bulk products at discount prices as buying options, which has recently increased In popularity. Opportunities One of the opportunities that Waveband needs to focus their attention on Is their 70% repeat customers order level. To maintain peak operation, a company must not only work to bring In new customers, but It must malting the customer based that already has. Maintaining its repeat customer base will be a more cost efficient next to last on a survey of the least liked household tasks. If Waveband can obtain these customers for the first order and delivery, they have a strong likelihood that the customers will try another order. Experts predict that American Internet access will triple by 2003 and the online grocery industry is expected to rise to upwards of one billion dollars. The potential consumer base is growing and if Waveband can attract these consumers, they will receive high levels of revenue. Conversion from being an e-grocer to an e-tailed is a substantial opportunity. The profit margins in groceries are low so expanding their product lines and their variety will help Waveband cover the lower margins, increase their consumer base, and expand their customers’ opportunities and loyalties. Threats Lack of continued support from investors will mean that Waveband will not be able to keep the company running long enough to expand its customer base to the size that would be large enough to make a profit. If the brick-and-mortar chains, such as Kroger, developed and promoted a home delivery grocers service, competition would increase and it would be more difficult to attract customers. An existing brick-and- mortar store would already have established practices and brand recognition, which would be difficult to match at this early stage of Wavebands existence. Http://www. Slithered. Net/Electroweak/download-it-4077554# How to cite Webvan, Papers

Managing Diversity Essay Example For Students

Managing Diversity Essay IntroductionThirty years ago discrimination was a part of normal business activity. Work place diversity meant hire outside of your family not outside of your race. As a result, the federal government felt impelled to create employment laws. These new laws were implemented to eliminate discrimination and provide the means for advancement. As a consequence of this implementation, these laws have created possible barriers to maximizing the potential of every employee (Chan, 2000). Recently, the concept of diversity has completely changed from before. It is predicted that by the year 2005, women, minorities, and the disabled will dominate the workforce (Managing Diversity, 1999). Organizations that are viewed as biased against these groups will not attract the competent workforce. Today, it is vital that organizations prove its impartiality in order to be successful in a constantly changing business environment. The previous process of handling diversity entailed expecting people to assimilate to the new cultures. They were forced to adapt to fit the mold of companys dominant culture. The new process treats diversity as an asset. Actually, good diversity management does not require employees to assimilate. It encourages them to develop their strengths and present innovative ideas (Managing Diversity, 1999). What is managing diversity?Workforce diversity management has become one of the pressing issues that managers must address (Managing Diversity, 1999). In my opinion, the most general definition of managing diversity is: Diversity management is a long-term process. It means extensively analyzing a companys current culture and changing those parts that limit cultural diversity. Also, it means recruiting new employees for the skills they can bring to the company rather than their cultural homogeneity. Lastly, it means working with a management team to help them understand that cultural diversity is a business issue, and their own careers will benefit from enabling their employees to reach their full potential (Managing Diversity, 1999). According to Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., author of Beyond Race and Gender (1997), the problem of diversity is not limited to questions of race, gender, ethnicity, disabilities and sexual orientation. Differences that replenish energy and undermine productivity and performance in an organization extend to issues like personality styles (Gordon, 2000). Diversity management contains three (3) components:1. Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action programs direct attention to laws that guide recruitment and promotion. 2. Valuing differences centers on interpersonal qualities that shape managements relationships with their employees. 3. Managing diversity focuses on the diverse quality of employees work-life needs such as childcare, family leave, and flexible holiday schedules. It requires setting policies and procedures that empowers managers to meet employees needs (Galagan, 1999; Jenner, 1994; Wilkinson, 1999). Organizations intending to survive will need to implement all of the components listed above. Managing diversity will eventually make Affirmative Action and valuing differences unnecessary (Thomas Jr., 2000). Why manage diversity?Diversity needs to be managed as a result of the demographic changes in the workforce. Surveys have revealed that demographic changes will reshape the workforce and the marketplace. They include:? An increase in the number of minorities and immigrants in the labor pool? An increase in the number of women in the workforce? A shift in values with more workers putting loyalty to career above of loyalty to the company and seeking more balance between work and home life? Illiteracy is on the rise, and simultaneously many jobs require a more skilled work force? An aging population overall If a business is to succeed, these individual and cultural threads must be woven into corporate fabric (Overman, 1997). The disadvantage of not having a diversity strategy can b e high turnover costs, dissatisfied workers who sabotage quality, or costly settlements in discrimination cases. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND VIDEO COMPILATION Essay3. Butler, Kate (1999, November). Toward a bias-free workplace. Training Development, 47(11) 47-50. 4. Cejka, Susan (1999, March-April), Healthcare Executive, 8(2), 20-23. 5. Chen, Chris (2000, January). The diversity paradox. Personnel Journal, 71(1) 32-35. 6. Galagan, Patricia A. (1999, April), Navigating the differences. Training Development, 47(4), 28-30. 7. Gordon, Jack (2000, January), Rethinking Diversity, Training, 29(1) 23-30. 8. Hall, Douglas T. Parker, Victoria A. (1999, Summer), The role of workplace flexibility in managing diversity. Organizational Dynamics, (1) 5-19. 9. Hill Jr., Alvin C. Scott, James (2000, August), Ten strategies for managers in a multicultura1 workforce. HR Focus, 69(8). 10. Kelly, D.5 Jackson, B.W., LaFasto, F., Schultz, H.G. (2000, Spring-Summer). Diversity, Human Resource Management, 31(2), 21-34. 11. Kosqlow, James J., Napier, Nancy K., Schweiger, David M. (1999, Winter). Managing organizational diversity: Observations from cross-border acquisitions. Human Resource Management, 32(4), 505-524. 12. Jenner, Lisa (19949 January). Diversity Management: What does it mean? HR Focus, page 11. 13. Managing Diversity (1999, July). Black Enterprise, 23(12), 79-86. 14. Nelton, Sharon (2000, September). Winning with diversity. Nations Business, 80(9), 18-24. 15. Overman, Stephanie (1997, April). Managing the diverse workforce. HR Magazine, 36(4), 32-36. 16. Rice Jr., Booker (2000, May-June). Putting diversity to work: Playing on a level field. LIMRAs MarketFacts, 11(3), 38-39. 17. Schwartz, Robert H. Sullivan, Dale B. (1999, Spring). Managing diversity in hospitals. Health Care Management Review, (2), 51-56. 18. Scott III, Samuel C. (1999, November-December). Vive La Differerce. Financial Executive pp. 44-48. 19. Thomas Jr., R. Roosevelt R. (2000, Winter). The concept of managing diversity. Bureaucrat, 20(4), 19-22. 20. Tung, Rosalie L. (1999, Winter). Managing cross-national and International Diversity. Human Resource Management, 32(4) 46-53. 21. Wagner, Mary (1997, September). Managing diversity Modern Healthcare, 21(39), 24-29. 22. Wilkinson, Brad (1999, October) Managing diversity: Buzz word or business strategy? HR Atlanta, 8. 23 Williams, Mary V. (1997, January). Managing Workplace Diversity. The wave of the 90s. Communication World, 7(1) 16-19. Words/ Pages : 1,880 / 24