5th hour Federal Agencies and Rule Making by Vicki Fellows https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y Read the two articles attached in the WEEK 10 folder. When you are finished reading, attack or defend the following statement and, in your answer, include at least one direct quote from the article(s) to support your position: AS THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY HAS EXPANDED, AMERICA HAS BECOME "ONE NATION, UNGOVERNABLE." Quotes from the Forbes article should have (Crews, Jr.) for in-text citation. Quotes from the Congressional Research Service article should have (CRS) for in-text citation. en-us 2021-04-05 14:00:21 UTC 2021-04-09 13:15:11 UTC hello@padlet.com As the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has NOT become "one nation, ungovernable." 1279443 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1388814295
The ability of Congress to retain legislative power, despite issuing authority to numerous agencies, supports the idea that we are still very much a governable nation. For example, the rule-making process carried out in agencies is subject to congressional modification. Furthermore, if a rule does get enacted, "Congress can use the Congressional Review Act to overturn rules through enactment of joint resolution of disproval (CRS)." 
Granting authority to agencies frees up congressional duties. The supplementation of Government through the use of agencies aids Congress in focusing on bigger-picture issues. Additionally, these agencies provide a more complete understanding of many subjects that Congress simply doesn't possess. ]]> 2021-04-06 19:29:29 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1388814295 1317003 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389108314 I agree that “As the Federal Bureaucracy has expanded, America has become ‘One nation, ungovernable.’” The federal bureaucracy has become so large that “no one knows definitively how many agencies, components and commissions exist by whose decrees we must abide, that means we similarly do not know how many employees (let alone contractors) work for the government.” (Crews, Jr.) If it is impossible to keep track of all the agencies, then it must be even more difficult to keep track of all of the work that is being done by these agencies. Even more concerning is that “Congress often grants rulemaking authority to federal agencies to implement statutory programs.” (CRS) This means that the work that is being done by all these agencies, that our nation can’t keep track of, is becoming part of federal law. This makes the rulings and work done by these agencies very crucial to our nation and important to understand. Not only do these agencies have rulemaking authority, but they also have to enforce these rules, so the power held by these bureaucracies is profuse and it is important for congress and the American people to be able to easily see and understand what is occurring within these agencies. It is irresponsible of our government for having such an immense amount of agencies without a proper way to organize and review them. 




]]> 2021-04-06 21:08:30 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389108314 1849902 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389591090 I disagree with the statement that as the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become 'one nation, ungovernable'. The United States has steadily grown in population as time has passed. With the large increase in population, new issues emerge everyday. The government is expected to resolve these issues with methods that are not only effective, but also acceptably timely. A small federal bureaucracy simply cannot keep up with the needs of such a huge population. So, appropriately, the federal bureaucracy has grown. This growth is most certainly necessary since it would be illogical to limit the numbers of people that work for the government. To do so would be limiting the collective experience, knowledge, and brainpower of the US government. George Washington himself knew that he could not rely on his knowledge alone to effectively carry out his duties as a president. So, he elected advisors. Congress has done a similar thing, delegating rule-making authority to different agencies. This has become extremely prevalent in the US government as the federal register shows that, "there are over 430 departments, agencies, and sub-agencies in the federal government (Crews, Jr.). These 430 different departments, agencies, and more are made up of individual people with unique experiences, cultures and ideals. Having such an abundant amount of people benefits congress in many ways. Such diversified expertise is needed to solve the many issues that are existent today. While rule making authority is delegated to these groups, congress ultimately retains its governmental power. If needed, "Congress can pass statutes that expand or contract agency authority, repeal existing rules, or compel an agency to
issue certain rules" (CRS). Since congress keeps these powers, the statement that America has become ungovernable is completely incorrect. Despite the growth of the federal bureaucracy, the system of checks and balances, that have been so important in US history, are still in place. The growth of the federal bureaucracy has had a positive effect on the US government in ways that have allowed the nation to be more governable. As the bureaucracy expands, minority groups receive more opportunities to have more representation in the eyes of the public. The diversifying of the US government allows it to see a more accurate image of who the American people are. This increased accuracy in the image of different groups of people ultimately gives the US government a better chance to govern the general public in a way that will promote peace and Equality. So, the growth in the federal bureaucracy has not made America ungovernable. It has done the exact opposite, making it more suited to govern the diverse population that lives in the country]]> 2021-04-07 01:17:31 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389591090 13001417 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389804479 I disagree that as the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become “One Nation, Ungovernable”. Our country has grown significantly since its origin. Expanding the government is necessary in order to accommodate for the wide range of issue areas that congress is responsible for regulating. It is to our country's advantage to utilize federal agencies, which “have a significant amount of expertise and can “fill in” technical details of programs that Congress created in statute” (CRS). Allowing outside experts to focus on specifics in rules and policies means that more thought and time is available to be spent on them, which ultimately leads to better solutions than if we limit our government to just those elected. Congress is then able to focus on the big picture. This doesn’t take away from our country's democracy because “even after delegating rulemaking authority to agencies, Congress retains its general legislative power, which gives it the ability to conduct oversight, modify or repeal regulations, and amend agencies’ underlying statutory authority” (CRS).  Federal agencies are still under congressional oversight and judicially reviewed. They don't take power from the people, if anything, they offer more ears to listen to what the people want and more brains to think up solutions. Therefore, the expanding federal bureaucracy has made our nation more governable. 

]]> 2021-04-07 02:43:57 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389804479 1285022 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389974937 I disagree that America has become ungovernable as the Federal Bureaucracy has expanded. Running the government of a nation, especially a nation as large as America is today, is far too much for one person, or even one group, to shoulder. The responsibility must be split many ways for each element to receive the attention it needs to be successful. When tasks are delegated to agencies, a group of professionals who are educated and familiar with the issue at hand is able to make confident decisions. "This can be useful for Congress, which is responsible for establishing policy in a wide range of issue areas and does not necessarily have the same depth of expertise that agencies may have" (CRS). Having multiple groups that each have greater expertise on a single area helps Congress make informed decisions on how to govern the country. 
Also, a clear chain of delegation remains. "Congress maintains ultimate control over federal agencies’ actions" (CRS). Although there are numerous agencies, they are all under the control of Congress. This helps to keep America governable because there are not countless voices weighing in on every topic. This hierarchy is an effective way to run the government because agencies can assist in rule making, but do not have as much power as Congress. The expanding Federal Bureaucracy is necessary for each issue to have the level of understanding needed to create fair and productive rules in the American government. ]]> 2021-04-07 04:19:32 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1389974937 1615954 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1391293558 I agree with the statement, that America has become "ONE NATION UNGOVERNABLE." My understanding of this situation after reading the two articles has lead me to believe that the bureaucracy has more power than they should have. In the article "An Overview of Federal Regulations and the Rule making Process," it is stated that the federal agencies are able to go against the wishes of congress when they say, "Congress faces the possibility that agencies will issues rules in a manner that Congress views as inconsistent with congressional intent." It then does not reveal anyway for Congress to truly overturn those decisions. If America was still a governable country, Congress should definitely have the power to stop these federal agencies from creating inconsistent rules. With my limited understanding of the situation, this is the conclusion I have come to, as long as Congress cannot control all of their federal agencies, this will remain a nation, ungovernable.]]> 2021-04-07 13:15:34 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1391293558 1288854 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1391672843 I disagree with the idea that America has become "one nation, ungovernable" as federal bureaucracy has expanded. Although the "over 430 departments, agencies, and sub-agencies in the federal government" (Crews, Jr.) seem excessive at face value, a person must understand why there are that many in the first place. America is a young and growing nation, and we don't have the benefit of a vast historical index that tells us which types of departments and agencies are and aren't effective. America is a nation of over 330 million people- we need a certain level of government bureaucracy to make sure everyone gets their needs met. A small and loose federal government cannot adequately provide for all Americans. I'm not trying to say that it is perfect, but it is better than having no governance and no clear way to make rules and regulations. For as long as we can examine in history, successful countries had their leaders pick advisors to help them govern. George Washington picked a few men to help lead certain departments that were seen as important, and as the population and scope of the country have grown, so have the needs of the people. Although Crews claims that "it may be hard to tell exactly what is and is not a binding rule or regulation" (Crews, Jr.) the Congressional Research Service states that Congress "delegates rulemaking authority to agencies for a number of reasons", (CRS) which include but aren't limited to the "significant amount of expertise" (CRS) that committees and agencies hold that assists with Congressional policymaking. America is incredibly diverse, and because of that, there are many diverse issues that need to be properly handled. Just because an agency or a certain arm of the bureaucracy isn't useful to you, doesn't mean it isn't useful to someone else.]]> 2021-04-07 14:30:11 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1391672843 1402372 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1397122171 I agree with the statement that as the bureaucracy has expanded, America has become "one nation, ungovernable". Today, the bureaucracy in America has grown to such a vast size that maintaining control over it is nearly impossible. In order for our country to work, we are divided into smaller groups that control certain sectors, but what happens when these smaller groups are disorganized and blend with each other? Clyde Wayde Crews Jr. states "Even when we isolate a given agency, it may be hard to tell exactly what is and is not a binding rule or regulation." (Crews Jr.). He calls this confusion the "swamp", as everything blends together and nothing is quite clear in the bureaucracy. For example, we don't even know how many agencies there are on a federal level, meaning we don't know how many people work for the government, they all just jumble together in the "swamp" of our federal government.]]> 2021-04-08 18:04:02 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1397122171 Mario Valento https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1397960983 I disagree with the statement that America has become "one nation, ungovernable." The world is only going to grow more complex as time passes, and the government must be capable of responding to complex and multifaceted issues in a timely manner. A Congress of popularly-elected officials will be incapable of doing that. Agencies within the bureaucracy have "a significant amount of expertise and can 'fill in' technical details of programs that Congress created in statute." (CRS) This is the exact reason why the President has a cabinet: they (President/Congress) cannot be expected to be experts on every issue that they must confront. Congress also retains "its general legislative power" and the ability "to conduct oversight, modify or repeal regulations, and amend agencies' underlying statutory authority," so it is not as if the bureaucracy is unhinged and unrestrained. (CRS) The bureaucracy is a necessary implement in the arsenal of the modern government.]]> 2021-04-08 23:11:55 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1397960983 2064603 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398293457 I disagree with the sentiment that as the federal bureaucracy expands, America becomes "ungovernable" and more fragmented. America is a large nation with many people facing a plethora of issues and in reality - with increasing birth rates and higher immigration numbers -  the amount of people and problems keeps rising. It would frankly be absurd to leave just a few federal agencies to deal with all these different problems. Having many little scale agencies helps the USA deal with the more nuanced matters in an efficient way so that everything runs smoothly thus making our nation easier to govern. “Perhaps most importantly, agencies have a significant amount of expertise and can “fill in” technical details of programs that Congress created in statute. This can be useful for Congress, which is responsible for establishing policy in a wide range of issue areas and does not necessarily have the same depth of expertise that agencies may have” (CRS). Without these seemingly excessive federal agencies, Congress would most likely not be able to address the smaller problems because they would have too much on their already full plates. Addressing the small matters is essential to keeping a nation happy and easy to govern, and having an expanding federal bureaucracy is a key step in making that happen.

]]> 2021-04-09 01:44:14 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398293457 1347961 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398471153 I disagree with the notion that because the bureaucracy has expanded, America is ”one nation, ungovernable.” Congress functions as the top authority when it comes to creating laws, but inevitably the number of people in Congress will not have expertise on every issue over which they must legislate. Thus, smaller agencies that are comprised of experts on certain issues are the natural solution. These small yet undoubtedly numerous agencies, “can enable Congress to focus on ‘big picture’ issues” (CRS) rather than spend precious time and energy going over the nuances of each issue. Furthermore, it is important to the future of America as a country that each piece of legislation is detailed and tailored to fit the needs of each individual situation. Smaller agencies, “can ‘fill in’ technical details of programs,” (CRS), allowing Congress the flexibility to cover a wide variety of issues while the laws put into effect are still detailed. It is for these reasons that I would argue that not with, but without, agencies, America becomes “one nation, ungovernable.”

]]> 2021-04-09 03:00:07 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398471153 1627972 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398533795 I disagree that America has become ungovernable as the Federal Bureaucracy has expanded.
America is constantly increasing in population with new problems everyday. To put all of this responsibility on a one group isn't practical. Furthermore, if we get more people involved to divide the responsibilities, it would be more efficient, because a small federal bureaucracy alone cannot simply fulfill the demands of the growing population. "Congress, which is responsible for establishing policy in a wide range of issues areas and does not necessarily have the same depth of expertise that agencies have. (CRS) Creating specialized departments will be more effective because they have careers and expertise in them. It is more logical to have a doctor to make health decisions than a lawyer. Moreover having a larger amount people from different backgrounds can benefit congress, "there are 430 departments, agencies, and sub-agencies in the federal government(Crews Jr.) The numerous departments and agencies, would mean there will be more people. Having a larger population could get us a better representation of the U.S as a whole when making decisions.]]> 2021-04-09 03:30:09 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398533795 Alice Maristuen https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398611796 I disagree with the statement that as the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become "one nation, ungovernable." Today's society is endlessly expanding with immigrants and the birth rate rising. It is unrealistic to lay all the responsibility of law-making to one agency/group, so this causes the government to have to expand and create new agencies to help in certain aspects and in certain areas. I think that these agencies and the laws they make do the opposite of making America "ungovernable" but actually create a more controlled country.  One fear may be that these agencies will make unconstitutional rules or regulations, however "Congress
maintains ultimate control over federal agencies’ actions" (CRS). This means that before a federal agency can enact a law or regulation, it has to be overseen by congress. This will insure that no agency can pass an unconstitutional law or regulation.]]> 2021-04-09 04:18:55 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398611796 Lily Phannavong https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398677933 I disagree with the statement that America has become “one nation, ungovernable.” The established government by itself cannot keep up with the many rising issues for the country. It would be difficult for Congress alone to keep up with all the issues that need to be taken care of in an efficient manner. With agencies, Congress can focus on bigger topics for the country. While agencies can focus on topics that they are knowledgeable in to make proper solutions. It helps to divide up the workload to help run the country. “This can be useful for Congress, which is responsible for establishing policy in a wide range of issue areas and does not necessarily have the same depth of expertise that agencies may have” (CRS). This allows for groups that are experts on certain topics to utilize their experience and expertise to make better solutions for these issues. 
While agencies are allowed to create solutions to issues, Congress still has power over them. Agencies cannot create all the solutions they want. Congress has power over the agency if they do not agree with their solution. “If Congress does not want an agency to undertake a certain rulemaking proceeding, it may prohibit the agency from using any appropriated funds to develop or finalize the rule” (CRS). This helps to keep the solutions the agencies make under check. Overall, keeping the country governed despite being a large number of agencies. 
]]> 2021-04-09 05:00:20 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398677933 1452603 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398715356 I do not believe that as the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become “one nation, ungovernable”. While the idea of agencies can make it seem so, in contrast, regulated agencies provide congress with efficient assistance that makes America more governable. 
Agencies allow Congress to cover problems that would otherwise be overlooked when dealing with issues pertaining to the country as a whole. These agencies also provide significant insight as they are typically experts and experienced in these areas. Although they may be experts and be first hand at addressing these issues, before they can be finalized they must go through Congress. This means that Congress still maintains its authority over agencies. “Congress retains its general legislative power, which gives it the ability to conduct oversight, modify or repeal regulations, and amend agencies’ underlying statutory authority.” (CRS). So although agencies are the main ones addressing these issues and providing insight, Congress is the one to enforce the decisions reached. This further pushes the idea that agencies working with Congress help to make America more governable rather than not. One reason some may disagree is, “Congress faces the possibility that agencies will issue rules in a manner that Congress views as inconsistent with congressional intent” (CRS). While it is a possibility, Congress needs these agencies and therefore makes sure to watch over and regulate these agencies. An example would be how, “to control the process by which agencies create these rules, Congress has enacted procedural statutes, such as the APA, that dictate what procedures an agency must follow to establish a final, legally binding rule.” (CRS). This further shows the importance of these agencies to Congress. While there is a potential for issued rules that Congress disagrees with, rather than discontinuing authority to agencies Congress regulates them. Congress understands the importance of agencies handling matters they can not address. Agencies provide a sufficient amount of assistance to congress while not abusing their authority. Congress and agencies together allow for a more governable America. 

]]> 2021-04-09 05:21:50 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1398715356 15159210 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399249954 I disagree with the statement as the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become "one nation, ungovernable." The population in America is constantly increasing and has many different issues each day. America has created a variety of agencies to cover problems of all sorts. New agencies are created when new issues arise, so there is many. "There are 430 departments, agencies, and sub-agencies in the federal government. (Crews, Jr.). I believe having many agencies make America governable. This is because there are many subdivisions which have congress that are experts in the topic. "Perhaps most importantly, agencies have a significant amount of expertise and can "fill in" technical details of programs that Congress created in statute."(CRS). This allows them to work quicker and more efficiently. This also allows the government as a whole deal with both larger and smaller issues. If they did not have many different agencies the government would only have time to deal with the larger issues and it would take forever to get through every case. Congress also keeps the agencies under checks and balances. If they do not agree with a situation they can override them. This is good because they can not get all the power and do whatever they want. Overall, America is governable as the federal bureaucracy has expand because they have experts in each agencies with deals with the issues efficiently and the government maintains balanced throughout.]]> 2021-04-09 09:43:15 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399249954 1305165 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399343935 I disagree with the statement that “as the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become one nation, ungovernable.” America is ever changing, and it would be impossible for Congress to cover the countries growing problems and tailor to the needs of EVERY individual without delegating power to the specialists of certain problems. America is not ungovernable - continuous efforts are being made to bring justice and coverage to stories that need it, and its working. Even within the last 10-20 years considerable new laws and freedoms have come into play that increase the quality of life for people all over the country. If America was ungovernable, it would be obvious. When it comes to proposing a rule to a delegation, “The agency must then allow ‘interested persons an opportunity’ to comment on the proposed rule. Typically, an agency will provide at least 30 days for public comment. The agency is required to review the public comments and respond to ‘significant’ comments received, and it may make changes to the proposal based on on those comments.” (CRS) The fact that agencies are willing to listen to the people who would be affected by the decisions being made shows their willingness and desire to correctly run the country and make things right. They could very well disregard the word of the people and make uneducated decisions on their own, but instead these agencies recognize the different communities and realize that the they are more informed and bring more valuable opinions to the table. Essentially, just because multiple agencies exist and the government may appear fractured, it all comes together when people are allowed to speak for what they believe in and make the country a better place. The input of the people is what makes America governable, because the government knows what to look out for.]]> 2021-04-09 10:32:06 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399343935 Rachel Novak https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399592690 I disagree with the statement, "as the federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become 'one nation, u governable'". America  is expanding and always reinventing and changing itself. Very few things have remained constant about America over the years. To match our dynamic nation, we need a federal bureaucracy to be just as flexible to work with the changes and problems that arise in our nation. The only way for them to be able to govern America the way it needs to be in order to thrive, is through a variety of departments and agencies, which are critical in being able to work on everything that America brings to the table. According to Chuck Grassley, "The Federal Register indicates there are over 430 departments, agencies, and sub-agencies in the federal government." This truly just goes to show how many different sectors the federal government is broken down into. By dividing up these groups, people can spend time and work on the issues that they are educated or have experience in, rather than ones that really do not pertain to them in any way. Without all of these groups, the federal government would be way to overwhelmed with the diverse and numerous issues they would have on their hands. The federal bureaucracy eliminates that problem, and helps maintain balance and order in the federal government.]]> 2021-04-09 12:27:06 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399592690 2042771 https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399601186 The statement "As the Federal bureaucracy has expanded, America has become 'One Nation, Ungovernable" speaks loudly of a perfect America. I disagree with that ideology and statement. With not only the growing issues and expanding population due to a higher birth rate and the addition of immigration, America and it's indefinite amount of issues will grow and simply expand. It is also not completely easy and unrealistic for just Congress itself to take care of the entire growing population, but the addition of smaller Agencies help keep a balance of rules being created/input on rules being created to help keep the balance of how the population would prefer their government "The agency must then allow ‘interested persons an opportunity’ to comment on the proposed rule" ( CRS). And leave no worry to Congress about listening to the voices of the Citizens while they can perhaps focus on the Bills that will affect the bigger topics hereon. This can be shown with "Agencies have a significant amount of expertise and can 'fill in' technical details of programs" (CRS). Next, Agencies wouldn't hoard all of the issues and create unrealistic rules. They would be checked by congress and through that there won't be a imbalance in the minority and the majority. I feel if the US can divide and conquer the smaller issues and the bigger issues, we can create a better world and brighter future for the next generation with a better understanding.]]> 2021-04-09 12:29:59 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399601186 Heaven Kristos https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399745559 I disagree with the statement, that America has become "one nation ungovernable". As the Federal Bureaucracy expanded the population continues to enlarge, and it constantly facing issues the more difficult it will be to remain it efficient. There must be an incredible amount of agencies for all of the variety of problems that attention is required. "There are over 430 different departments agencies, and sub-agencies in the federal government (Crew, Jr). I believe that if more diverse and skilled people could work out the issues that are faced. It would even be more beneficial for congress. Therefore it would lead the policies to have more time to thoroughly be workout on and bring out successful results. So then Congress could be able to focus on the bigger picture with it's legislative power to examine and change regulations. Not only will it just focus on the big matter that needs fixing but also the small thing that need to be handled too. Therefore congress doesn't loose there power it just lays out answers and solutions for what the people need. Congress allowing expertise to assist them will only allow America to be governable. There are numerous complication that need  to be touched in certain matter and it would be best to properly operate them.]]> 2021-04-09 13:09:31 UTC https://padlet.com/vfellows/lod3j23hz2smqh5y/wish/1399745559