Subject-civics

Writing Activity 12: You are the chief editor of a major American News Magazine. Write an editorial explaining what might happen if the system of checks and balances were eliminated. You may use a graphic editor to produce a political cartoon to help illustrate your editorial for an extra credit.

Consider:

•  the power that each branch of the federal government has

• the limitations on the powers of each branch

Analyze and write about the results of a visual and an auditory lexical decision task. Analyze a large data set that includes students’ responses for both the visual and auditory modality. Lab is a write-up of these findings.

1. One large data file that includes all experimental trial responses for both the Visual and Auditory modality tasks. Note that the sample size for the visual experiment is 16 and for the auditory experiment is 15.

Presentedz with visual words and pseudo-words in one experiment and auditory words and pseudo-words in a second experiment. Respond whether you saw/heard a real word of English or not. In the visual task, remained fixated on a cross (i.e., ‘+’) presented in the centre of the screen, while the stimulus was visually presented either to the left or right of the fixation point. In the auditory experiment, you heard words and pseudo-words presented either to your left or right ear.

  Words Pseudo-words Number 60 60 Pronounceable N/A Yes Hemi-field/Ear Presentation 30 left/30 right 30 left/30 right String Length

Range: 5-7

Mean: 6.01 (SD = 0.71)

Range: 5-7

Mean: 5.85 (SD = 0.78)

Phoneme Length

Range: 5-7

Mean: 5.45 (SD = 0.59)

Range: 3-6

Mean: 4.58 (SD = 0.87)

Number of Morphemes 1 N/A

In each experiment, there were 60 words and 60 pseudo-words. It was the same 120 items presented in each experiment. Only their modality of presentation changed. Thirty words and 30 pseudo-words were presented to the left (side of the screen in the visual experiment, ear in the auditory experiment), while the other 30 words and other 30 pseudo-words are presented to the right. Side of presentation was balanced across participants using two lists. Each list contained the same set of words and pseudo-words; only presentation side was counter-balanced across lists.

Independent samples t-tests revealed no difference in orthographic length between the words and pseudo-words (t(117) = -1.59, p = 0.11); there is, however, a reliable phoneme length difference between the words and pseudo-words (t(104.28) = -6.37, p < 0.001). We also recorded whether the participant was a native speaker of English or not and whether they are right- or left-hand dominant. Feel free to use these factors in your analysis.

1. Given what you know about the organization of the visual and auditory pathways and lateralization of language processing, state, in very clear terms, what your predictions are. Provide specific predictions for your observation (dependent) variable(s), and select and name your predictor (independent) variable(s). 
2.  
3. Provide a detailed list of the processing steps in R that is performed to arrive at your results. For example, do you want to include incorrect trials trials in your analysis of both dependent variables? Do not provide the R code, but instead write out these steps in plain English.  
4. Provide a series of plots that provide an illustration of your results. You should minimally include a plot of the accuracy and reaction time results and this should be done for each modality. You may also included histograms of your reaction time distributions, but this is not necessary. Be sure your axes are appropriately labeled. 
5. Provide a table that presents your numerical findings in a clear manner. Remember to include both the sample-level averages and standard deviations per condition. 
6. Discuss your results in light of the predictions in Q1 and your findings in Q3 and Q4. Make specific reference to your predictions and the extent to which they are borne out. 
7. Get creative: Incorporate one other factor (e.g., native language, handedness). State your predictions and provide a breakdown of the data in terms of these factors. 
8. Design your own research question: Consider how you might use the same experimental design to understand another linguistic phenomenon and population (e.g. stop VOT, vowel length, lexical tone, Mandarin speakers, French speakers etc.). State your research question, and provide and motivate specific predictions for your dependent variable(s) as a function of your predictor variable(s). Note: Ideally, the new research question will still involve language lateralization. Consult the Gazzaniga readings online for ideas based on the particular specializations of each hemisphere. 

CASE STUDY
DIVESTITURE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE (DIC) PROJECT
The Divestiture Process
a. Listing of SOEs to be divested
The Government of Ghana provides the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) with a list of enterprises slated for divestiture. DIC opens a file for each such company. All documentation and correspondence prepared or received in
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connection with the enterprise is placed on this file.
Enterprises listed for divestiture are categorized by the Ministry of Finance (principally on the basis of employee numbers) into small, medium, and large. In most cases, the divestiture of large and medium enterprises is outsourced to consultants. Small enterprises are either outsourced, or divested by DIC.
b. Advertisements
Bid documents are prepared for the particular State Owned Enterprise (SOE), and the SOE is advertised for sale. Adverts should appear in at least 2 leading Ghanaian newspapers each week for 3 consecutive weeks. Adverts may also appear in foreign publications.
c. Bidding
i. Obtaining bid documents
Investors interested in a particular SOE contact the secretariat, and after filling in an application form, paying a non-refundable bid fee (¢1,000 for local investors, and $400 for foreign investors), and signing a confidentiality undertaking, they are provided with the relevant bid documents.
The bid document is made up of
• bid procedures;
• a draft sale and purchase agreement;
• a memorandum containing the profile of the SOE;
• an independent valuation report (¢ 1,000 for local investors, and $300 for foreigners);
• fixed assets valuation report (where sale of assets is the mode of divestiture);
• share valuation report (where sale of shares is the mode of divestiture).
ii. Form of bids
Investors bids should comprise of a qualification statement made up of
1. Details about the bidder, including (as relevant):
a. the bidder's full name, address and contact details;
b. details of the bidder's directors and shareholders;
c. details of the bidder's existing business;
d. financial periods; and
2. The bidder's business plan for the enterprise, including, by way of example:
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a. plans for the development of the enterprise (with regard to both its rehabilitation and, as relevant, down-sizing of expansion) and the timing of the implementation of those plan;
b. intentions with regard to employment, proposed staff training programmes and proposals for staff participation in the enterprise;
c. marketing approach and initiatives proposed for the enterprise, including export prospects and anticipated opportunities to expand beyond traditional or existing markets;
d. impact on the local community (particularly where the enterprise has traditionally provided social services and/or infrastructure);
e. impact on competition and the regulatory environment; and
f. environment impact;
3. Confirmation that the offer for the assets or, as the case may be, shares of the
enterprise is not subject to any conditions;
a. any important points of principles arising from the draft sale and purchase agreement; and
b. confirmation that the bidder will comply with the bid procedures.
c. The bid procedures must state the requisite contents of the business plan as specifically and clearly as is possible in the circumstances. The details mentioned in 3 above will not be applicable to all enterprises.
4. A price bid.
a. the price offered for the assets or, as the case may be, shares of the enterprise (clearly indicating the proposed currency of payment);
b. if the offer is not on the basis of cash in full on completion, the precise timing of any deferred payments;
c. in the event of deferred payments, details of the security proposed to be given;
d. a detailed explanation of how the bidder intends to finance the acquisition. In the case of an offer made from existing resources, the bidder will be expected to provide written confirmation from its bank or financial adviser that the necessary funds will be available.
In the case of an offer not made from existing resources, the bidder will be expected to provide written confirmation from its arrangers or providers of finance that arrangements have been made, or will be made, to provide the necessary finance; and
5. Confirmation that the bidder has not done, and will not do, at any time any of
the following:
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a. communicated to a person other than DIC the amount or approximate amount of the price offered (other than in confidence to the bidder's advisers);
b. entered into any arrangement with any other person that he shall refrain from bidding or as to the amount of any price to be offered;
c. offered or agreed to pay or give, or paid or given, any valuable consideration directly or indirectly to any person for doing or having done, or causing or having caused to be done, any act or omission in relation to the price offered by the bidder or any other bid
.
iii. Evaluation of Bids
This is a two stage process:
• evaluation of qualification statements; and
• comparison of price bids.
DIC opens price bids from only bidders whose qualification statements DIC accepts. In the event of equal price bids, preference is given to Ghanaians.
iv. Rejection of bids :
Bids will be rejected on the following grounds:
• received after closing date and time;
• appropriate fee not paid;
• received from person who canvassed DIC member; and
• received from SOE or a body allied to an SOE.
Exceptions under which bids may be accepted include where the assets concerned comprise non-industrial land and buildings, with no on-going business, and the bidding SOE requires additional office accommodation.
d. Negotiations
DIC will write to the winning bidder, and each other bidder, to inform them of the results of the bid.
Negotiations will then start with the winning bidder. Should he fail to satisfy DIC demands, the next highest conforming bidder will be invited to negotiate.
e. Approvals
After DIC Secretariat has agreed the terms of the sale with the winning bidder, the divestiture will be considered by the DIC members.
DIC members, if they are satisfied with the sale, will submit a letter of
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recommendation to the President's Office for approval.
If either DIC or the President's Office raises concerns concerning the bid, a letter is sent to the bidder and further negotiations may take place.
If the President's Office grants the approval, DIC will send a letter to the bidder inviting him to sign the sale and purchase documentation. The Executive Secretary of DIC will sign on behalf of DIC and the government.
f. Payments
i. Mode of Finance
This could either be with
• investors own resource. or
• loan from a financial institution (DIC may take security over the asset until full payment is received).
In the case of instalments, for some loans, interest is paid on the diminishing balance.
ii. Terms of Payment
Payment could either be
• outright, or
• by instalments.
iii. Payment timing
• payment of less than 50% of the price offered; or
• deferred payment due 3 years after completion.
DIC prefers outright payment, but will consider deferred payment. Deferred considerations should be secured by a guarantee from a bank or other person of sufficient financial standing. If such guarantee is not available, DIC may consider taking security over the assets or, shares of the enterprise until full payment is received.
iv. Interest
Interest on deferred payments is as follows:
• Ghanaians: relevant Ghanaian Treasury Bill Rate
• Non Ghanaians: relevant London Interbank Offer Rate plus 2%.
v. Divestiture Proceeds
This will be paid to the appropriate DIC bank account.
The Proposed System
The Board of Directors of DIC has received funding from Government of Ghana
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to commission the development of a robust and user-friendly web-based system that DIC will use for its operations.
REQUIRED:

1. Discuss the system development methodology that you would adopt for this project and justify your choice.
2. Construct data flow diagrams (including a context level diagram, a level 0 diagram, and several child diagrams) that show important, representative parts of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) System.
3. Identify five data files that will be used in the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) System; and construct a comprehensive Data Dictionary for each of the five data files you have identified.
4. Construct use-case diagrams, sequence diagrams, and class diagrams for the proposed Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) System.
5. Construct object diagrams, activity diagrams and communication diagrams for the proposed Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) System.
6. Design five reports that should be generated from the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) System.
7. Discuss the testing strategies/techniques that you would use on this project; and provide a table of test criteria and corresponding test data for the testing.