Scientific Concepts and Methodologies Assignment

Scientific Concepts and Methodologies - Assignment Example The lag phase is described with minimized or no uptake of water after the previous imbibition. The water that is imbibed in the first phase is crucial to the processes of physiology that takes place in the second phase. The third phase is the radical protrusion (Vysotï ¸  sï ¸ ¡kiĭ, Kornilova & Smirnov, 2009). The effect of up taking water is the cell enlargement which is characterized by the cell division. The small root enlargement helps in weakening the walls of cells and breaks through the coat of seed. It is evident, that water plays a crucial factor in the germination phases. Water is among the main environmental factors that affect the seed germination. In some cases, water is a single factor that will limit if or not a seed is going to germinate. In the case of marigolds, a given temperature needs to break the dormancy for the marigolds to start the first stage of taking up water. The seeds of marigolds take in water in three staged, each is characterized by the amount of water absorbed and the impact it will have on the amount that is absorbed and the impact it has on the seed itself. The hypothesis if water is given to the marigold seed, the seed will germinate and later grow compared to the seed having no water was supported. From the observation, only three of the seeds without water grew. In the controlled group 8 of the 10 seeds germinated and later grew. The average growth for the controlled group was 4.37 while the average growth for the experimental group was 0.38. Therefore, given water is needed for a seed to grow. The water is important in chemical reactions since it is photosynthesis raw material. Without water no growth can take place and he plants will lack the energy to carry out chemical reactions. 9 of the planted seeds did not grow at all. 2 from the control group and 7 from the experimental group. It is no surprise that some of the marigold seeds did not germinate from the experimental

Importance Of Positive Interactions Children And Young People Essay

Importance Of Positive Interactions Children And Young People Essay It may be hard to establish a positive relationship with a child at first, the early years practitioners need to really get to know the children in their care in order to respond to them adequately. They need to know their interests, what frightens them or worries them, what makes them happy and sad and what annoys them. They need to be aware at what triggers their moods and they need to work out how to get each individual child to respond to them, trust them and open up to them and this is not very easy. Getting to know a child can be very difficult because they may be shy and may not like being around strangers and they also might be experiencing separation anxiety from their parents and may also be very wary of the setting they are in early years practitioners need to be aware that toys and games are no substitute for a warm and trusting relationship with an adult, who is actually interested in the child. Sometimes in early years settings the setting appoints each child with a key person, the key person will be responsible for helping the child settle in to the setting. The key person will try and build a genuine bond with the child so that they feel happy, confident, welcomed and valued. Babies and young children need to get to know there key person in order for them to feel safe and cared for. Also the key person will need to build up a good relationship with the childs parents and work together in finding ways for the best ways for the child to settle in, the child will settle more easily if they know they have one person who they can trust and rely on. Adults are a childs best resource and role model and by giving a child your complete attention are better than any toy or gadget. Most children long to be accepted in their surroundings and feel the need to belong and that their beliefs and opinions are respected and valued. By positively interacting with a child you will get to know that child really well, you will begin to understand what they like and d islike and once you know this you can plan appropriate activities for them to develop. A positive interaction with the child should start as soon as they come in in the morning by making sure the way you greet them is an extremely positive one as this is the most upsetting time for the child when their parents leave them. As the children get involved in activities you should be able to focus on what the child is saying and try and become a part of the conversation this lets the child think they are in the lead and you are taking direction from them and not the opposite way around, but there also maybe times when the child does not want or need input from an adult and by knowing the child you should know when to step back and quietly observe instead. All this comes from experience and how well you know the child, as you grow practitioner you will instinctively know when to intervene or simply just stand back and let the child explore. With all children they are all completely differe nt and some children will open up to you very easily as some children thrive on adult attention .however some children will not be so keen to open up and it will be extremely hard to build a positive relationship. They may find it difficult for a number of reasons for example they may be shy ,they may be experiencing problems outside the setting, they maybe unwell or just tired whatever the reason if the child has been in the setting for some time you should instantly tell why the child is being quiet or withdrawn and t maybe a good idea to have a word with the childs parents but if the child is new to the setting and are finding it difficult to settle in , it maybe that they are not interacting or communicating with anyone in the setting . Its down to the early years practitioners to try and find a way to get to know them better this might be a lot easier if you talk to the parents and find out the childs interests, try and spend quality time with the child on a one to one basis so you can gradually build up their trust. a child shouldnt be forced into mixing with others till they are ready to do so they may just like to watch and adjust to their new setting .books can be extremely good by getting the child to interact, find out what their favourite story is and offer to read it to them this may encourage the child to talk about the story. It is very important that your child as a positive relationship with their practitioner as the child may spend 5-7 hours a day with them. Interacting positively with the child from an early age is the basis for a good relationship which benefits the children immensely by positively interacting with the child they get one on one time with the practitioner and produce a positive relationship between them. By having a positive relationship it helps develop the childs cognitive skills , social emotional and language skills ; children not only obtain language and social skills but they also develop sensitivity , the ability to t alk out their problems, encouragement and the ability to ask questions . teacher child interactions are most developmentally appropriate when the teacher responds quickly , directly and warmly to the children this provides a variety of opportunities to engage in 2 way conversations and identifies and elaborates on the feelings , interests and activities of the children teachers which react in a sensitive and positive way are more likely to develop positive and nurturing relationships which is a key to a childs security , increasing the likelihood that the child will explore their environment giving them more opportunity to learn . 3.2. Describe why it is necessary to listen to children and effective ways of doing this. Children need to talk excessively and constantly and whilst we hear what they are saying do we really listen to them? If you ask children about adults who they like to be with, time and time again they will tell you, someone who they can talk to. Listening is an integral part of working effectively with children of all ages. It needs to begin when children are babies; babies need to see responses to their early vocalisation. Adults working with babies may smile, pick up a baby and reply by expanding the vocalisation. Later as children become more fluent speakers, the need to learn the skills of listening. Contrary to popular belief, this is not learnt by keeping them still and quiet, listening is actually an active skill and children need to learn to respond appropriately. they can do this if adults are actively listening to them . Active listening is more than just hearing: it involves thinking about what the other person (in this case a child) is trying to convey. Active listening also means giving a child your full attention, this can be hard in busy settings, but need to be prioritised. In most settings opportunities for active listening are linked to layout and routines. Preparing the fruit for snack time and wiping tables are examples of tasks can be done with a child chatting alongside. The key is to make sure children feel relaxed and they know that you are not in a rush or likely to be distracted. By listening closely to children we can identify their needs and capabilities and interests and also helps them build on their confidence and self-esteem. we can use this knowledge to plan activities and decide how to extend these activities in order to promote the childs learning in all areas of learning and development , some children take a while before they really get round to talking . This is one reason why it is important to create situations where you are not rushed. A child may simply begin by just wanting to be with you and gradually begin to want t o talk. Some children also need visual props and cues to help them. This is particular important in younger children. As well as children whom the language of the setting is not their own language. A child who cannot tell you cannot tell you what they want is likely to grab what they need by behaving badly. To listen to what a childs saying you need to give the child your full attention and make sure you know that you have done so face them, look them in the eye, lean in towards them and respond to what they are saying, do not deny or reject what they are saying. It is also important to remember that when we talk about listening to children we do not simply mean taking into account what they are saying through there spoken word. There are many ways in which a child can communicate or even very young babies or children with a developmental delay or disability can communicate in a number of ways. These children must also be listened to and their feelings taken into account. Early year s practitioners need to learn how to identify the right moment when to intervene in a childs conversation without taking control or finishing sentences for them you can do this by trying to expand on what they are saying through asking appropriate questions or giving relevant opinions. If a child begins to feel like what they have to say is of no consequence and you are not likely to take into account their opinions they will cease to voice them, speaking and listening are fundamental to everything we do every day. A childs communication skills need to be targeted daily. Their ability to talk and express themselves need to be nurtured and the best way this can be done is for early years practitioners to listen intently to what they have to say. We may not always agree with them and it may not always be possible to let them have what they request. However it is possible for us to listen to them and respond to them in an adequate and effective manner. 3.3 summarise the importance of spontaneous play and how this can be achieved in early years settings. Given the opportunity children play spontaneously which means they provide their own motivation to play and act without intervention of an adult .the time and type of play is totally decided by the child and activities can be stopped and taken up at will. Playing to the child is just spontaneous and may not have any goal or conclusion. Spontaneous play can be extremely effective and practitioners should make use of unexpected opportunities, for example it may suddenly start raining or snowing, this is the perfect opportunity for the children to build snowmen or just go out into the rain and explore the puddles in their wellys, or even look for rainbows. Spontaneous play can happen anytime or anywhere in all environments, jumping in leaves whilst walking to the park or just by picking up a teddy bear and starting a tea party are just a few examples of spontaneous play. It is essential that all early years workers understand and value spontaneous play in order to become sensitive faci litators. While most children embark on spontaneous play willingly, adults need to make the right provisions. It is important to remember that every child is an individual with their own needs and during development these needs change. facilitating spontaneous play requires careful planning , anticipating the next stage and adapting resources to fulfil the need of the child.in providing play , space ,resources , time and friends need to be considered. Appropriate space should be set aside for play. It should be big enough for free ranging activities for a child in relation to the childs developmental changes, play space should be safe and should have opportunities for exploration and investigation by the child. Provide stimulating resources that are appropriate for the specific child, resources should be easily obtainable and representable of a multi-cultural society and they all should be checked for safety. Spontaneous play depends on the child being given the opportunity to engag e in activities without interruption. They should be given enough time to do the specific play activity. At all stages of development children need playmates it is important for them to interact with children. Enthusiasm and encouragement from adults should be available when the children need it. Just by watching young children it is easy to see that play is often stimulating and rewarding , and they get a great deal of emotional satisfaction from playing . Although the differences are not always clear cut or easily understood, it is possible to identify distinct functions that play has for a child. Mary d Sheridan a researcher in child development for over 40 years termed these functions apprenticeship, research, occupational therapy and recreation Apprenticeship. As children get older they gradually develop competence in performing everyday tasks, such as dressing and feeding them or answering the telephone, play can provide the shills of acquiring such skills. Research. Children find out about the world around them through a process of observing, exploring, speculating and making discoveries. For example the child will learn about the properties of water which some things float and sink. Playing provides ample opportunities for this kind of learning. Occupational therapy. Play can have a soothing or distracting effect. It can be a simple escape from boredom, a means of diverting attention or coming to terms with things that are unpleasant such as pain. Recreation. This is the function of play that readily springs to mind. Children entertain themselves through play; they are simply just enjoying themselves and having fun. Studies carried out by researchers including Mary d Sheridan ,show that the functions that play fulfils for each child from moment to moment and day to day are part of the wider contribution that play makes to each childs overall development . In other words play helps children in their development. Bilbliography Beith, Kate and penny tassoni and Kath Bulmer childrens care learning and development oxford, Heinemann, 2005 Bruce, Tina and Carolynn meggitt childcare and education Oxon, book point ltd.

World War II :: World War II History

World War II The Treaty of Versailles faltered to heal the bitter mess that formed between countries in World War I. It left Germany in a terrible position and gave them a desire for dictatorship. Germany had been ordered to disarm its military and put strict rules on when and how the Germans could rearm. In 1931, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. He later rejected the treaty and establish military conscription. Mussolini also became dictator of Italy, while this was occurring. He decided to invade Ethiopia in 1935. Since Ethiopia had lesser power than that of Italy's, they became under complete Italian control. The news of Germany's rearmament soon reached France. Hitler then became interested in joining the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in order to protect its security. He then pushed his plan for lebensraum and annexed Austria by force in 1938. Following this, Hitler threatened Czechoslovakia, ordering persecution of the German minorities there. Hitler and Mussolini agreed to the Germans occupation of Sudentenland in September 1938. Then in March 1939, peace broke down when Hitler conquered the rest of Czechoslovakia. He soon afterward started to make orders to Poland, but they resisted at every turn. Notwithstanding the conflict with Britain and France, Hitler decided to invade Poland. In return, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Hitler made an announcement to start a pact with the Soviet Union. As the Germans occupied Poland, the Soviets invaded the eastern part of the country with plans to take Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania in 1940. They also took Finland in 1941 and disgrace the Russian military. Japan was also changing things in the Pacific. They had plans to conquer China and expand the Japanese Empire into southeast Asia. As this was happening, the Germans took on an approach of blitzkrieg, or lightening war. Since the Germans had no old weapons to deal with, they could easily outfit their troops with the best of weapons. Hitler then attempted to gain air control over the British Royal Air Force and prepare for an invasion, but the British successfully defeated the German air forces. Overturned with his downfall to take Britain, Hitler turned to the Soviet front, but was defeated as well in 1942. In 1941, the Japanese thought it was the right time to expand into Greater East Asia. The attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines brought the United States into the war and turned the war for the Allies.

Comparing For Profit and Non for Profit Colleges Essay

Colleges and university have slowly become one of the stepping stones into the working world today. People go to colleges for higher education with the intention of earning degrees in which they can use in their respective fields. Some example degrees that people pursue are Medical, Law, Business, Accounting, and Science Degrees. Through the years the idea of college was that it was optional and it was a door for better life and job. However in the modern times, it become a necessity. It all started when the colleges once single- gender institutions target specific students in their respective demographics. Today, the college market has now been divided into two major categories: Not-for-Profit Colleges and For-Profit colleges. Not-For-Profit Colleges are institutions that are interested in serving the student’s needs by providing necessary education to the student. The Not-For-Profit organization are tax exempt and have a board of trustees that makes decisions. For-Profit Colleges are run like a business in which their goal is to generate income for their owners and shareholders. There are no board of trustees at For-Profit College and the owner and shareholders control the decision on which is best for the institution. Although the objective for both Not-for-Profit Colleges and For-Profit College is to provide their students an education in which they can use for their future, both institution have great differences in which their organizations are run. Although the primary objective For-Profit colleges is to provide an education, they are merely a business in which their goal is to earn a profit. Like any business, the For-Profit Colleges can be setup as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or even a subsidiary of a larger company. The For-Profit College can also be setup as a corporation that have stocks traded on the stock markets. They will try to bring earnings and a return on investment for all their shareholders and investors. They can have great flexibility because at the end of the day, the goal for the For-Profit College is to make money and only that. The instructors that are hired at For-Profit Colleges usually have a very different approach to their teaching compared to Non-For-Profit Colleges. Usually they are merely there to carry out the lesson plans in which was designed by the institution. Majority of the lesson plan given to each student is standard which means the instructors do not have the liberty to create their own curriculum or lesson plans. This is also due to the purpose of the education given is to assist the student in getting specific jobs with specific job functions. The courses at the For-Profit college is to help the students get better jobs in the market while the courses at Not-For-Profit College intend to allow the student learn and grow within their respective fields. Students that enter For-Profit colleges already have a plan in terms of type of jobs they would like to pursue and they enroll in the necessary courses while some students at Not-For-Profit College have no idea which career that they would like to pursue. Not-For-Profit college help you learn and gain the knowledge in the field that you’re interested in while For-Profit colleges prepare you for the specific job that you want to do. The admission process for For-Profit schools are not as selective as the one in Not-For-Profit College. There isn’t much prior evaluation of the student since their main goal is to make a profit. They tend to be more flexible in terms of their requirements and appeal to students of all ages and races. Modern day classes can be taken online and at more convenient times such as nights and weekends to accommodate students that work full time. Online has also been the new trend because of the lower overhead costs for the For-Profit institution. For-Profit institutions tend to not have a campus like the Not-For-Profit colleges do. For-Profit colleges classes is usually at their own building or leased space. There isn’t any services such as on-campus food or housing that is available to the students at For-Profit institutions. The college provides students with the education that they need for their desire jobs rather than a college experience that a Not-For-Profit college can provide. For Profit institutions conduct their accounting the same as any regular business would do. Their main goal is to make a profit just like all businesses would do. For-Profit institutions must comply with the Federal Accounting Standard Board. The tuitions are recorded as revenue while the expenses include leases, staff, and maintenance expenses. For-Profit colleges budget system must include tools to forecast budgets, manage variance and generate financial reports. The budget forecast is designed to estimate revenue and expenses to its income center, administrative cost structure, and its academic schedule. The income center budget includes enrollments, revenue, and expenses by academic period. Administrative expenses include administrative costs per student and personnel pay ranges. The budget should also include financial report to show if the institution is profitable. Statements such as cash flow statements, net income, and balance sheet should all be included. The budget must also be flexible enough in case that their projections aren’t accurate. They should be easily accessible so that managers can routinely check if their performance is above, below, or even on target. To determine if the institution is on track with its budget and strategic plans, they would measure their six categories in their budget to get a better picture of the institution’s performance. They are new students, enrollment, cost performance, revenue, net income, and cash flow. This way they would also be able to measure the efficiency of their institution also. The goal for Not-For-Profit Colleges is to provide students with higher education and help them advance in a particular field. Not-For-Profit Colleges are traditional college such as community colleges, state universities, and liberal arts colleges. These institutions gain funding to provide their services from the government subsidy, tuition fees, and donations. All the income that are received is strictly used for institution purposes. Some examples are professors, staff, maintenance, utilities, or even computers that the school needs and student needs. All the money is given back to the institution in some way. The professors hired at a Not-For-Profit College design their own courses and create their own course curriculum and lesson plan. They can provide the education in their courses with their own individual styles and lesson plans. The professors are under the guidance of the Board of Trustees, which is composed of different representatives that make decisions for the college. Not-For-Profit colleges are mainly to provide education for the student who are enrolled in their institution. The classes are usually on a campus in which the student spends a majority of their time at. The board of Trustees focuses on improving their campus for the student. The Board of Trustees is constantly making decisions from an academic, campus, and efficiency perspective in order to provide the best possible service for their students. Not-For-Profit Colleges select their students through a vigorous and selective process. Students usually express interest in attending the college and then the college decides if the student would be a good fit for the college. After being accepted, the student would be able to earn a scholarship to help with the room and board that the college charges. Not-For-Profit Colleges are selective of the students since they strive to serve students who would fit the reputation of the institution. This selective process allow college to focus on the needs of the students that are a good match for the college. From an accounting perspective Not-For-Profit colleges follow the rules of Governmental Accounting Standards Board who is responsible for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles used by the United States. The Governmental Accounting Standards Board issues statements that deal with the accounting principles and financial reporting rules of government and other Not-For-Profit organizations. Like all Not-For-Profit organization, these college contribute without expecting commensurate returns. Their main purpose is to provide education to the students that enroll in their school. Most of their income for these colleges come from the tuitions and fees they receive from their student. Other income comes from donation and government subsidies. When a Not-For-Profit College receives tuition payments and fees in full from students the college is supposed to record it at a gross amount, as any revenue would be recorded. If a student meets certain criterion that allows them to attend a publicly funded not-for-profit institution, tuition may be waived in the form of a tuition waiver. Tuition Waivers are reported as a contra-revenue account reducing the revenue account. If the college has any debts, they are recorded just as businesses record them as the debts are recorded with institutional support expenses. Students may pay for college with scholarships which are essentially amounts contributed for the education of a selected individual. Scholarships are given for a range of reasons including high academic standing, membership in certain societies, or awards. However there are two main sources of scholarships which are an outside donor or the scholarship is awarded by the college itself. If the scholarship is from an outside donor the not-for-profit college simply collects the amount receivable from the donor. If the scholarship is awarded by the college itself the accountant reduces the college’s accounts receivable. This reduction in the accounts receivable is recorded as an expense to education and general student aid. Certain expenses of a not-for-profit college are unrestricted net assets classified as instruction expense, research expense, public service expense, academic support, student services, institutional support, operation and maintenance of plant and student aid. Not-For-Profit Colleges cannot operate on tuition fees alone as all the money is immediately put into the school. Fortunately as a Not-For-Profit organization these colleges may receive governmental subsidies as support revenue. There are two types of government subsidies classified as unrestricted and restricted. Unrestricted subsidies are intended for the college to use in general operations. The Board of Trustees also has the power to decide whether a subsidy is unrestricted. Restricted subsidies can be split into either temporarily or permanently. These subsidies often are given for a certain purpose such as an expansion or special project. The restrictions on these subsidies refer to the amount that can be spent and when it can be spent. Sometimes the government may also provide students with grants, which are similar to scholarships in the sense that they are provided to help students reach their financial needs for school. Government grants can both be state or federal and come from government programs such as Pell or the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant. Similar to scholarships the college may either distribute the cash to the proper students or receive the amount that is to be distributed. If the college decides to receive the grant then it is recorded as a liability in the â€Å"Grant Funds Held for Students† account. Not-For-Profit colleges usually also have an endowment fund which is used to help finance the operating expenses of the organization. Aside from the general endowment the institution may also have restricted endowments intended for specific purposes such as professorships, scholarships or fellowships. For cash received from permanent endowments it is recorded as a contribution and the income is restricted to student aid. Any income received due to an endowment is temporarily restricted and the cash is meant to be spent on student aid. The other services that a Not-For-Profit College provides are the Auxiliary Services. The Auxiliary Services are the services and amenities of the campus. Examples of such services are residence halls, food services and the college athletic teams. These services are classified under unrestricted revenues and expenses. The total of the accounts from the auxiliary services are reported on the Statement of Activities for the College and subsidiary records are also kept. The Statement of Activities for the Not-For-Profit College will usually list the Revenues combined with Total Net Assets Released from Restrictions for Operations to get the Total Revenues and Reclassifications. The next section is usually the Expenses section followed by any Net Change in Unrestricted Assets, Temporarily Restricted Assets and finally Permanently Restricted Net Assets. The Statement of Activities is then followed by a summary on the Change in Assets for the past year. Even though the main purpose of both For-Profit and Not-For-Profit is the same, the way that they function aren’t necessary the same. The accounting standards and rules that they follow both are very different. Also the rules that both colleges follow are extremely different. Both colleges have their strength and weaknesses in their way that they serve their students. The student should chose the type of college they want depending on what their needs are. If the student is looking to advance their education they should be looking for a traditional Not-For-Profit College. If they are trying to land a job that has technical skills which are required, then the For-Profit College is a better option.

Infrastructure

Is infrastructure a key factor to the growth and stability of the economy? or is it a non-factor and needs not to be maintained and improved to better serve and help improve the economy. Infrastructure in general is the system of transport and communication in a state, region or country. A famous Canadian geographer was once quoted saying, â€Å"†¦ any region which has a well-developed transportation and communication network also enjoys a high degree of economic prosperity†¦ This statement has sparked much controversy between geographers, Politicians, as well as conomists. Question is, is there a link between a well-developed infrastructure and economy prosperity (economy growth)? Without a doubt, there is a direct link. Infrastructure facilitates the basic functions of a society that are necessary to transport resources and people, produce and trade goods, provide essential services and ultimately reduce poverty.The direct link can be understood better by looking at the effects of infrastructure. The drawbacks of poor infrastructure lead to high transport cost especially in landlocked areas, thus the economy gets affected. Employment is low where there is poor infrastructure. Lack of adequate infrastructure perpetuates poverty, because it denies possibilities. Affordability, it is relatively expensive to maintain and build.Due to this factors and the analyses from the department of treasury know is an ideal time to increase our investment because, infrastructure investments have long-term economic benefits and create Jobs in the short run, there is currently a high level of underutilized resources that can be used to improve and expand our infrastructure. The cost of transportation is lowered for American households, there is a strong demand by the public and businesses for dditional transport infrastructure capacity.Long-term economic benefits from infrastructure create Jobs in the short run and this is a crucial and important aspect of growth and economic stability in a country. As much as the infrastructure is important and maintaining it being so expensive, if the economy is not good it is hard to have a developed and well maintained infrastructure system. Research has shown that well-designed infrastructure investments can raise economic growth, productivity, and land values, while also providing significant spillovers to areas such as energy efficiency, public health and manufacturing.Thus to say both infrastructure and economy go hand in hand. They affect each other both negatively and positively. On June 29, 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 â€Å"The national system of interstate and defense highways† according to Eisenhower the purpose of this was to eliminate unsafe roads, inefficient routes, traffic Jams and all of the other things that got in the way of â€Å"speedy, safe transcontinental travel. † for all these reasons the 1956 law declared that the constru ction of an elaborate expressway system was essential to the national interest and growth of the economy.Todays Interstate System is what our suburban lifestyle and caused the vast proliferation of businesses from HoJos to Holiday Inns. And if you order something online, most likely it's a truck barreling along an interstate that gets the product to your door. there are a lot of undiscovered materials that we could use not only that we have all the man power and technology we need to build whatever we need to improve our infrastructure Among those who gain employment as a result of additional infrastructure investment, the average unemployment rate has averaged approximately 13 percent over the past 12 months.This is more than one and one- half times the current national unemployment rate. Within the construction sector, which accounts for the majority of direct employment resulting from infrastructure investment, the unemployment rate has averaged 15. 6 percent over the past 12 mon ths. Construction costs and other costs associated with building projects are especially low in the current environment. As a result, the President has taken decisive action to accelerate project permitting and environmental review.In the President's August 31, 2011, memorandum, he directed the heads of all executive epartments and agencies to: (1) identify and work to expedite permitting and environmental reviews for high-priority infrastructure projects with significant potential for Job creation; and (2) implement new measures designed to improve accountability, transparency, and efficiency through the use of modern information technology.Relevant agencies should monitor the progress of priority projects; coordinate and resolve issues arising during permitting and environmental review; and develop best practices for expediting these decisions that may be instituted on a ider scale, consistent with applicable law. In addition, in this year's State of the Union address, the Preside nt announced his intention to â€Å"sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. † Investing in transportation infrastructure creates middleclass Jobs.Analysis suggests that 61 percent of the Jobs directly created by investing in infrastructure would be in the construction sector, 12 percent would be in the manufacturing sector, and 7 percent would be in the retail and wholesale trade sectors, for a total of 80 percent in hese three sectors. Nearly 90 percent of the Jobs in these three sectors most affected by infrastructure spending are middleclass Jobs, defined as those paying between the 25th and 75th percentile of the national distribution of wages.The President's proposal emphasizes transportation choices, including mass transit and high-speed rail, to deliver the greatest long-term benefits to those who need it most: middle-class families. The average American family spends more than $7,600 a year on transportation, which is more than they spend on food and twice what they spend n out-of-pocket health care costs. For 90 percent of Americans, transportation costs absorb one out of every seven dollars of income. This burden is due in large and this calls for better infrastructure and investing more in it to make progress.Multi-modal transportation investments are critical to making sure that American families can travel without wasting time and money stuck in traffic. A more efficient transportation money. Traffic congestion on our roads results in 1. 9 billion gallons of gas wasted per year, and costs drivers over $100 billion in wasted fuel and lost time. More efficient ir traffic control systems would save 3 billion gallons of Jet fuel a year, translating into lower costs for consumers.Finally, new research indicates that Americans who were able to live in housing were able to save $200 per month in lower costs over the past decade. Americans want more transportation investment. After years of underinvestment in our transportation system, Americans' satisfaction with our public transit system s middling when compared to public satisfaction with highways and public transit systems around the world. the Global competitiveness report for 2012-13, published arlier this month by the world economic forum showed that U.S infrastructure was ranked 7th in 2008, but has dropped to 14 in the world this year. The U. S. score dropped from 6. 10 in 2008 to 5. 7 this year (7 is the top score, and 1 is the worst score). One of the main reasons for the deterioration of U. S. infrastructure in the last five years, a deterioration which is reflected in the drop in ranking, is the economic downturn which began in 2008. Funding for roads, bridges, highways, and other critical infrastructure is largely dependent on state revenues, and as states ook less money in, they were forced to spend less on infrastructure maintenance and improvements.Passing the MAP-21 bill was an accomplishment for a d o-little Congress, but serious issues about how to pay for transportation in the future have yet to be resolved. The recent highway bill, MAP-21 replaces SAFETEA-LU, the last long-term federal transportation bill, which expired in 2009 for example, it did not increase spending on transportation, even though lawmakers were aware of the need to do so. The 2009 stimulus package did help shore up some infrastructure, but was not nearly sufficient to meet the countrys needs.