New England Overview: A Guide to Large-Scale Energy Infrastructure Issues in 2015

The report outlines how regional electricity and natural gas infrastructure decisions are made. It examines the current proposals to expand electricity transmission lines and natural gas pipelines into New England, as solutions to electricity and gas price and reliability issues, and briefly discusses the major implications of both

The theory and practice of school choice

Education

What Next for School Vouchers?

Voucher, Schule, Schulfinanzierung, Schulpolitik, Bildungsverhalten, Vereinigte Staaten, School, School finance, School policy, Education behaviour, United states

USING MECHANICAL TRADING SYSTEMS TO EVALUATE THE WEAK FORM EFFICIENCY OF FUTURES MARKETS

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

WHAT IS "THE BASIS," HOW IS IT MEASURED, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Basis behavior is generally considered to be the major determinant of hedging success or failure. In the course of our work as contract designers for Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., we have come to the conclusion that there are many misconceptions and incorrect statements made about "the basis" among practitioners and academics alike. Our work suggests that basis values, how they are measured, what they represent and how they are interpreted may differ widely from one commodity contract to another due to differences in the specifications of the underlying futures market, as well as differences in the structure of the underlying cash market.Marketing,

Principal Perceptions of the Relevancy of the K-12 Minnesota Principal Competencies

This dissertation examines the relevancy of the K-12 Minnesota Principal Competencies as perceived by practicing Minnesota principals. Two research strategies were used in this mixed-methods study. First, a quantitative survey was administered to Minnesota principals. The survey asked respondents to consider the relevance of each of the 16 Minnesota principal competencies. Based on the results of the survey, principal focus groups were held to gather additional input, including recommended changes to principal preparation programs within the state. While affirming the competencies currently in place, this dissertation provides policymakers with practitioner perspective and recommendations for improving principal preparation within the state of Minnesota

Old Norse Nicknames: Origins and Terminology

Nicknames, which occur in all cultures and time periods, play a unique role in highlighting identity. The pool of first names has always been relatively limited, thus most people were identified by their nicknames, especially before surnames became commonplace. The quantity of nicknames in Old Norse literature is large, and recurring nicknames provide a tool for understanding narrative transmission, cultural history, and etymology. Medieval explanations for giving nicknames are suspect, but they provide a glimpse into the possible reasons for so many of them coming down to us. An overview on nickname terminology is provided, as well as literary examples showing the fluidity of medieval terminology in nickname narrative explanations. The overall approach is therefore to explore the ways in which nicknames are described in the literature and how this information aids in understanding medieval Norse society and culture through its naming customs

Devolution\u27s Price

The current political pressures on the welfare state, induced both by fiscal pressures and a Republican majority in Congress, have prompted some of its defenders to look for solutions at state and local levels. They point out that the American federal system is open, complex, and pluralist. Problems that cannot be addressed at one level are often resolved at another. Interests that cannot gain representation in Washington get heard in Albany, Springfield, and Sacramento. They remind us that state and local governments filled in many programmatic gaps opened up by the Reagan Administration. Such optimism, however, is misguided. Current proposals for devolution differ markedly from those of the 1980s. While the Reagan devolution was mainly limited to the developmental or productivity policy arena, the Gingrich devolution promises to shape redistributive policy. This distinction is important because the impact of devolution varies greatly depending on the policy arena in which it occurs

Empowering Employees to Design a Department Structure to Achieve Corporate Goals

Organizational structural change can be used by today’s companies as a method for improving performance. While reorganization may be beneficial, the new structural design needs to be effective and implementation may be difficult due to employee resistance to change. To overcome these issues, employee empowerment initiatives can be utilized, allowing those whose jobs are affected be directly involved in creating the solution. Allowing employees to define their own organizational structure and roles can result in an effective plan for change that can be successfully implemented. Company X is an original equipment manufacturer of equipment for the food industry. The Engineering Department at Company X has grown over the years with little planning involving organizational structure. Company X management has challenged the department to improve its processes, leading to frustration among department members deriving from their inability to make improvements due to the current structure and job responsibilities. The purpose of this field project is to attempt to create an organizational restructuring plan for the Company X Engineering Department using a bottom-up, employee empowered approach. This plan will include details for using current resource levels as well as a plan for adding personnel. This field project paper presents a literature review of key themes involved in the restructuring efforts and the current department structure is examined. The process of the plan creation is detailed, including identifying department issues, soliciting management for goals, and creation of a current organizational structure and growth plan. Plan results are shared as well as conclusions from conducting the field project