Chinese Tire Imports: Section 421 Safeguards and the World Trade Organization (WTO) (open access)

Chinese Tire Imports: Section 421 Safeguards and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

This report covers the Chinese-filed World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint against the U.S. over Section 421 of the Trade Acts of 1941, which has been renewed several times since. Section 421 authorizes the President to impose safeguards—that is, temporary measures such as import surcharges or quotas—on Chinese goods if domestic market disruption is found.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Grimmett, Jeanne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cloture Attempts on Nominations (open access)

Cloture Attempts on Nominations

This report discusses topics regarding cloture as a means to limit debate and overcome a possible filibuster.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Beth, Richard S. & Palmer, Betsy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Benefits and Services for People with Low Income: Programs, Policy, and Spending, FY2008-FY2009 (open access)

Federal Benefits and Services for People with Low Income: Programs, Policy, and Spending, FY2008-FY2009

None
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Spar, Karen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Indonesia: Domestic Politics, Strategic Dynamics, and U.S. Interests (open access)

Indonesia: Domestic Politics, Strategic Dynamics, and U.S. Interests

This report explores the current political conditions of Indonesia, as well as its relationship with surrounding nations and its relationship with the United States, including a focus on U.S. policy regarding Indonesia. The report also focuses on how the election of President Barack Obama increased Indonesian expectations of an improved relationship with the U.S., as President Obama spent part of his childhood in Indonesia.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Vaughn, Bruce
System: The UNT Digital Library
Israel's Offshore Natural Gas Discoveries Enhance Its Economic and Energy Outlook (open access)

Israel's Offshore Natural Gas Discoveries Enhance Its Economic and Energy Outlook

This report discusses Israel's historical dependence on energy imports, and the recent offshore natural gas discoveries that could possibly make Israel a prominent exporter of natural gas. This report also discusses how development of the recently discovered natural gas fields could affect Israel's economy and energy security, and how Israel may or may not consult with the U.S. or other natural gas producting countries while weighing its options.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Ratner, Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
Limiting Central Government Budget Deficits: International Experiences (open access)

Limiting Central Government Budget Deficits: International Experiences

This report focuses on how major developed and emerging-market country governments, particularly the G-20 and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, limit their fiscal deficits.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Jackson, James K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, As Enacted (open access)

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, As Enacted

This report identifies and examines selected changes that the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 makes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other GI Bills, including expanded eligibility.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Dortch, Cassandria
System: The UNT Digital Library
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP): Implementation and Status (open access)

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP): Implementation and Status

The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was created by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA) enacted on October 3, 2008 to address the ongoing financial crisis. This report provides a brief outline of the programs created under TARP, recent changes made by Congress, and a summary of the current status and estimated costs of the program. It also provides an Appendix that contains detailed discussions of the individual TARP programs.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Webel, Baird
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Mexican Security Cooperation: the MĂ©rida Initiative and Beyond (open access)

U.S.-Mexican Security Cooperation: the MĂ©rida Initiative and Beyond

This report looks at the funding and Congressional oversight for this the joint U.S.-Mexico effort to curb drug trafficking and violence via the Initiative.
Date: January 31, 2011
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare & Finklea, Kristin M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Changing Demographic Profile of the United States (open access)

The Changing Demographic Profile of the United States

This report discusses the demographic profile of the United States and highlights demographic changes that have occurred since 1950 to illustrate how trends may affect the demographics of the U.S. through 2050.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Shrestha, Laura B. & Heisler, Elayne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code: “Municipal Bankruptcy” (open access)

Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code: “Municipal Bankruptcy”

This report is categorized into four categories: (I) Who can file under chapter 9?, (II) What are the Benefits of Chapter 9 for the Municipal Debtor?, (III) Notable Chapter 9 Cases and (IV) Recent Developments.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Pettit, Carol A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress (open access)

Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress

This report discusses the current political conditions of Cuba, as well as its relationship with the United States. In particular, the report focuses on U.S. policy regarding Cuba, including various economic sanctions, human rights issues, and foreign aid appropriations.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress (open access)

Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress

This report discusses the current political conditions of Cuba as well as its relationship with the United States. In particular, the report focuses on U.S. policy regarding Cuba including various economic sanctions, human rights issues, and foreign aid appropriations.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress (open access)

The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress

This report discusses the background of the G-20 (an international forum for discussing and coordinating economic policies) and some of the issues that it has addressed. It includes historic background on the work of the G-20, information about how the group operates, overviews of G-20 summits, major issues that the group is likely to address and the likely effectiveness of the G-20 in the near future. The members of the G-20 include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Corporate Tax Rate Comparisons and Policy Implications (open access)

International Corporate Tax Rate Comparisons and Policy Implications

This report focuses on the global issues relating to tax rate differentials between the United States and other countries. It provides tax rate comparisons; discusses policy implications, including the effect of a corporate rate cut on revenue, output, and national welfare; and discusses the outlook for and consequences of a revenue neutral corporate tax reform.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Japanese Nuclear Incident: Technical Aspects (open access)

The Japanese Nuclear Incident: Technical Aspects

The Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 caused extensive damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). This damage has released some radioactive materials, and there are widespread fears about the health effects of current and possible future releases. These fears, and public concern about radiation in general, have attracted the world’s attention. This report presents scientific and technical aspects of these issues in order to provide a basis for understanding the risks associated with this event.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Medalia, Jonathan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Japan’s 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami: Economic Effects and Implications for the United States (open access)

Japan’s 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami: Economic Effects and Implications for the United States

None
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Justice: Courts-Martial, An Overview (open access)

Military Justice: Courts-Martial, An Overview

This report gives a detailed overview of the military court-martial system, including a discussion of the three types of court-martials: summary, special, and general. It includes a chart showing procedural safeguards in federal and military courts.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Mason, R. Chuck
System: The UNT Digital Library
Protecting Classified Information and the Rights of Criminal Defendants: The Classified Information Procedures Act (open access)

Protecting Classified Information and the Rights of Criminal Defendants: The Classified Information Procedures Act

This report gives an overview of the Classified Information Procedures Act, enacted by the 96th Congress, which provides uniform procedures for prosecutions involving classified information. It provides a background of the act and discusses its various sections.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Liu, Edward C. & Garvey, Todd
System: The UNT Digital Library
Public Health Service (PHS) Agencies: Overview and Funding, FY2010-FY2012 (open access)

Public Health Service (PHS) Agencies: Overview and Funding, FY2010-FY2012

This report discusses the eleven agencies that consist of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including their purposes and funding.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Redhead, C. Stephen & Smith, Pamela W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress (open access)

Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress

This report covers concerns that Congress has expressed over U.S. acquisition of rare earth elements, particularly those used in various components of defense weapon systems. Specific concerns are the acquisition of these elements, especially from foreign sources such as China; how dependence of foreign sources affects national security; and methods for decreasing the relationship between reliance on foreign sources and national security.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Bailey Grasso, Valerie
System: The UNT Digital Library
State and Local Government Debt: An Analysis (open access)

State and Local Government Debt: An Analysis

This report examines state and local government debt. It provides an overview of state and local government finances and how these governments incorporate borrowing into their budget, reports data on state and local government debt and how that debt has changed over time, and discusses different economic perspectives on the use of debt by governments and if governments are intrinsically biased toward borrowing more than is considered economically optimal. Issues related to state and local government finances, such as government pensions and health benefits, are also addressed.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Maguire, Steven
System: The UNT Digital Library
State and Local Pension Plans and Fiscal Distress: A Legal Overview (open access)

State and Local Pension Plans and Fiscal Distress: A Legal Overview

None
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: Significance, Prospects, and Policy Options (open access)

U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: Significance, Prospects, and Policy Options

This report discusses issues regarding U.S.-Japan economic relations, since the economic condition of each nation can affect the world economy and a U.S.-Japan bilateral economic relationship could influence economic conditions in other countries. U.S. and Japanese leaders have several options on how to manage their relationship, including stronger reliance on the World Trade Organization; special bilateral negotiating frameworks and agreements; or a free trade agreement.
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: Cooper, William H.
System: The UNT Digital Library