| The Cabinet Exercise Identify the correct Cabinet department (use each department only once). Identify the Cabinet secretary/head and complete the following tasks. Tip - the appendix on page 696 of your text may be helpful. 1. The ambassador of Chile has sent notification that their president plans to visit the United States. You must prepare a brief itinerary listing 5 places the president should visit, and why. 2. An environmental group from Boston proposes that timber cutting on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest be banned, citing evidence that the habitat for a rare bird may be eliminated. Citizens in the area have petitioned the government not to ban logging because it would mean the elimination of thousands of jobs. What position do you plan to take? 3. Faced with budget reductions, the United States must decide which purchase is wiser, considering the potential threats we may face in the near future: a) 1 billion for a comprehensive, yet untested, missile defense system that would use lasers aboard 747s to shoot down incoming missiles or b) 2 billion for a fleet of rapid deployment helicopters designed to move large numbers of troops quickly. Explain your decision. 4. The Drug Enforcement Agency wants to know how to prioritize its cases. Should they a) pursue international drug smugglers attempting to bring large shipments of drugs into the country b) pursue major drug dealers and their distribution networks operating in major US cities c) pursue users that give dealers a market to sell to? Explain your decision. 5. The coast guard wants more money for training at its academy in New London, Connecticut. You must write a report describing the duties and functions of the Coast Guard, convincing Congress to authorize the money. 6. The governors of three Northeastern states request a report on how much the median cost of homes have increased since 1970. Summarize your findings. 7. A sudden outbreak of the Ebola virus erupts in New York city! So far, 4 cases have been confirmed. The public does not yet know about this, but a hysterical governor calls you for advice. What would your first 3 steps be? 8. A philanthropic group wants to dedicate its yearly award, The Edison, to the inventor whose invention provided a better way to catch a mouse. Describe the patent. 9. Schoolteachers throughout the United States have been developing cases of "White Lung" from breathing chalk dust. Medical experts recommend that all chalk be certified as "dust-free" and meet rigid quality specifications. Identify 3 other classroom hazards you wish to eliminate, making teaching a safe occupation. 10. Design the new one dollar bill. 11. Recent E. Coli outbreaks in tainted, unpasteurized juices have caused a public outcry for tougher food inspection standards. In a media move, you must create 3 catchy slogans, to be used in commercials, assuring the public that their food is safe. One should address meat inspection, one poultry, and one for crops. 12. Events overseas have shut off the flow of oil coming to the US. You must decide which alternative energy source will replace our needs- 1) wind, which costs 500 million, doesn't pollute, but takes up large amounts of land 2) nuclear, which doesn't pollute (unless there is an accident) and costs 1 billion or 3) solar, which doesn't pollute but will cost 10 billion to replace our needed supply. 13. You need to decide to spend 100 million on 1) compensation to those exposed to Gulf War Syndrome or 2) job training for former soldiers. Explain and justify your decision. 14. You must give direction to our nation's students and teachers. What 3 subject areas should teachers be training students in to compete in the next generation? |