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Federal Grants-In-Aid: An Historical Perspective on Contemporary Issues
This report provides an historical synopsis of the evolving nature of federal grant-in-aid programs, focusing on the role Congress has played in defining the scope and nature of those programs. It begins with an overview of contemporary federal grant-in-aid programs and then examines their evolution over time, focusing on the internal and external factors that have influenced congressional decisions concerning federal grant-in-aid programs. It concludes with an assessment of the scope and nature of the contemporary federal grants-in-aid system and raises several issues for congressional consideration, including possible ways to augment congressional capacity to provide effective oversight of this system.
Date:
June 15, 2009
Creator:
Dilger, Robert Jay
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Inherently Governmental Functions and Department of Defense Operations: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
An "inherently governmental function" is one that, as a matter of law and policy, must be performed by federal government employees and cannot be contracted out because it is "intimately related to the public interest." This report explores various sides of the debate as to what exactly constitutes an "inherently governmental function," as there is currently no one uniform definition. Congress is concerned that inconsistent definitions may lead to improperly contracted jobs.
Date:
June 15, 2009
Creator:
Luckey, John R.; Grasso, Valerie Bailey & Manuel, Kate M.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
National Flood Insurance Program: Background, Challenges, and Financial Status
This report provides an analysis of the NFIP and its financial status, summarizes the major challenges facing the program, including issues affecting its long-term financial solvency, presents some alternative approaches for managing and financing the flood losses and describes pending legislation on this issue.
Date:
June 22, 2009
Creator:
King, Rawle O.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Labor Market during the Great Depression and the Current Recession
This report analyzes the labor market experiences of workers during the 1930s, which encompassed the almost five years of the Great Depression. Because it was a period very distant and different from today, considerable time is devoted to examining the employment and unemployment measures available at that time. The report ends by comparing the labor market conditions of the 1930s with those encountered by workers thus far during the recession that began in December 2007.
Date:
June 19, 2009
Creator:
Levine, Linda
System:
The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority
This report describes U.S. security assistance in Palestine and how such assistance might lead to progress on (1) the Israeli-Palestinian political track, (2) Palestinian civil society, governance, and economic development, and (3) efforts to end geographical and factional divisions between Palestinians in the West Bank and in Gaza. Policymakers disagree on this issue in various ways, all of which are outlined in this report.
Date:
June 24, 2009
Creator:
Zanotti, Jim
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Critical Barriers and Congressional Policy
Federal policymakers are debating a range of potential initiatives for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from U.S. energy sources. An overarching policy issue which arises from carbon control proposals is how the CO2 reduction targets could be achieved. One method that has garnered significant attention is increasing the electricity efficiency in buildings. Analysts have identified a number of critical socioeconomic and policy barriers which have historically limited the impact of federal and state building efficiency programs. This report describes those barriers, the degree to which federal law has addressed them, and their implications for meeting future U.S. carbon reduction targets.
Date:
June 24, 2009
Creator:
Parfomak, Paul W.; Sissine, Fred & Fischer, Eric A.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federally-Funded Innovation Inducement Prizes
This report discusses the status of current federally-funded innovation inducement prizes, addresses the different types of prizes, analyzes when prizes may be appropriate and effective, and summarizes assessments that have been made of their effectiveness. The report also provides the lessons that may be learned from completed competitions, and policy options for those Members of Congress interested in taking action regarding federally-funded innovation inducement prizes. The report concludes with an overview of 111th congressional activities regarding prizes.
Date:
June 29, 2009
Creator:
Stine, Deborah D.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Canada's Financial System: An Overview
This report discusses the relative stability of Canada's financial system in comparison to the financial systems of other nations around the globe that are suffering from the current financial crisis. This report presents an overview of Canada's financial system and its supervisory framework and draws some distinctions between that system and the current U.S. framework.
Date:
June 26, 2009
Creator:
Jackson, James K.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)
Carbon capture and sequestration (or storage) - known as CCS - has attracted interest as a measure for mitigating global climate change because large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from fossil fuel use in the United States are potentially available to be captured and stored underground or prevented from reaching the atmosphere. Congressional interest has grown in CCS as part of legislative strategies to address climate change. The large and rapid influx of funding for industrial-scale CCS projects may accelerate development and deployment of CO2 capture technologies.
Date:
June 19, 2009
Creator:
Folger, Peter
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Defense Logistical Support Contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan: Issues for Congress
This report examines logistical support contracts for troop support services in Iraq and Afghanistan (for Afghanistan, beginning with LOGCAP IV) administered through the U.S. Army's Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP).
Date:
June 24, 2009
Creator:
Grasso, Valerie Bailey
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Climate Change: The Role of the U.S. Agriculture Sector and Congressional Action
The debate in Congress over whether and how to address possible future climate change is intensifying. Often, the role of the U.S. agriculture sector is invoked in this debate. Agriculture is a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which many scientists agree are contributing to observed climate change. Congress is considering a range of climate change policy options, including GHG emission reduction programs that would either mandate or authorize a cap-and-trade program to reduce GHG emissions. This report discusses this issue in detail, i.e., how the agricultural industry affects GHG emissions and efforts currently underway to combat these negative effects, but it does not address the potential effects of global climate change on U.S. agricultural production.
Date:
June 19, 2009
Creator:
Johnson, Renée
System:
The UNT Digital Library
East Timor: Political Dynamics, Development, and International Involvement
The situation in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, which is also known as simply Timor-Leste or East Timor, is relatively calm compared with recent periods of political strife and insurrection. That said, some underlying tensions, such as with the security sector, remain to be resolved. Timor-Leste faces many serious challenges as it seeks to establish a stable democracy and develop its economy. A key challenge for East Timor will be to create enough political stability to focus on building state capacity and infrastructure with resources from the Timor Sea and prevent them from being squandered by corrupt practices.
Date:
June 17, 2009
Creator:
Margesson, Rhoda & Vaughn, Bruce
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Veterans and Homelessness
The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought renewed attention to the needs of veterans, including the needs of homeless veterans. As the number of veterans increases due to the current wars, there is concern that the number of homeless veterans could rise commensurately. The current economic downturn also has raised concerns that homelessness could increase among all groups, including veterans. Several issues regarding veterans and homelessness have become prominent, in part because of the current conflicts, which this report discusses in detail.
Date:
June 26, 2009
Creator:
Perl, Libby
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Honduran-U.S. Relations
This report discusses the current state of Honduras, which is one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest countries and has a high poverty rate, high infant mortality rate, and a widespread HIV/AIDS epidemic. This report also discusses the relationship between the U.S. and Honduras, focusing on the countries' important trade partnership, the U.S. military presence in Honduras, and U.S. foreign aid.
Date:
June 8, 2009
Creator:
Meyer, Peter J. & Sullivan, Mark P.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Long-Range Ballistic Missile Defense in Europe
Successive U.S. governments have urged the creation of an anti-missile system to protect against long-range ballistic missile threats from adversary states. The Bush Administration proposed deploying a ground-based mid-course defense (GMD) element of the larger Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) in Europe to defend against an Iranian missile threat. The proposed U.S. system has encountered resistance in some European countries and beyond. The GMD plan has also affected U.S.-Russia relations. Former President Putin and his successor, Vladimir Medvedev, have argued that the proposal would reignite the arms race and upset U.S.-Russian-European security relations. This report discusses these issues, as well as the pending related budget requests.
Date:
June 22, 2009
Creator:
Hildreth, Steven A. & Ek, Carl
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Mongolia and U.S. Policy: Political and Economic Relations
This report provides background information on Mongolia, including political and economic conditions, the status of U.S.-Mongolian political and economic relations, and key security and foreign policy issues.
Date:
June 18, 2009
Creator:
Dumbaugh, Kerry & Morrison, Wayne M.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Leave Benefits in the United States
This report begins by reviewing the federal statutes that pertain directly or indirectly to employer provision of leave benefits for any purpose, including a discussion of the California and New Jersey family leave insurance programs. The report than examines the incidence of different types of paid leave that U.S. employers voluntarily provide as part of an employee's total compensation (wages and benefits). The report closes with results from a federal government survey of the average direct cost to business of different types of leave.
Date:
June 5, 2009
Creator:
Levine, Linda
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress
The Navy is currently developing technologies and studying design options for a planned new cruiser called the CG(X). This report explores the reasoning behind the development of these cruisers, the budgetary actions taking place to enable their development, selected technical specifics of their design, and various other information relating to defense procurement costs.
Date:
June 4, 2009
Creator:
O'Rourke, Ronald
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress
This report discusses the current U.S.-Puerto Rico relationship, the history of said relationship, and the current political state of Puerto Rico, as well as relevant pieces of U.S. Congressional legislation concerning Puerto Rico.
Date:
June 19, 2009
Creator:
Bea, Keith & Garrett, R. Sam
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Supreme Court Nominations: Senate Floor Procedure and Practice, 1789-2009
This report discusses Senate procedure relating to Supreme Court nominations from 1789 to the present, but excluding the June 1, 2009 nomination of Sonia Sotomayor.
Date:
June 5, 2009
Creator:
Beth, Richard S. & Palmer, Betsy
System:
The UNT Digital Library
North Korean Counterfeiting of U.S. Currency
The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of what is known from open sources on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK or North Korea), alleged counterfeiting of U.S. currency, examine North Korean motives and methods, and discuss U.S. interests and policy options.
Date:
June 12, 2009
Creator:
Nanto, Dick K.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act (the "SAFER Act") was enacted by the 108th Congress as part of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act. This report describes the SAFER Act in brief and discusses possible budgetary modifications to the SAFER Act that are being considered due to the recent economic downturn.
Date:
June 23, 2009
Creator:
Kruger, Lennard G.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress
This report discusses the relationship between the United States and Japan, including Japanese efforts to support the U.S. in the wake of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks and the two countries' economic ties, especially with regards to the recent economic downturn. This report also discusses the general political atmosphere of Japan, including the recent and ongoing political turmoil in Tokyo.
Date:
June 3, 2009
Creator:
Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Cooper, William H. & Manyin, Mark E.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Brazil-U.S. Relations
This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the region and its relationship with the United States.
Date:
June 3, 2009
Creator:
Seelke, Clare Ribando & Meyer, Peter J.
System:
The UNT Digital Library