12,582 Matching Results

Results open in a new window/tab.

Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives (open access)

Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives

This report, to be updated as events dictate, describes the current select committees on intelligence; characteristics and a model for a possible joint committee; recent actions by Congress; and obstacles affecting legislative oversight in the field.
Date: March 26, 2012
Creator: Halchin, L. Elaine & Kaiser, Frederick M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape (open access)

The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

The report discusses the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-Related Congressional Actions in the 112th Congress. The policymakers, including some in Congress, have long called for varying degrees and types of reform to the FCC. Most proposals fall into two categories: (1) procedural changes made within the FCC or through congressional action that would affect the agency's operations or (2) substantive policy changes requiring congressional action that would affect how the agency regulates different services and industry sectors.
Date: January 12, 2012
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

The planned size of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been matters of concern for the congressional defense committees for the past several years. The Navy's proposed FY2012 budget requested funding for the procurement of 10 new battle force ships. Issues for Congress include the appropriate future size and structure of the Navy in light of changes in strategic and budget circumstances, the sufficiency of the Navy's FY2012 30-year shipbuilding plan for achieving and maintaining the Navy's 313-ship goal, and the affordability of the FY2012 30-year shipbuilding plan.
Date: January 6, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Peacekeeping/Stabilization and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on the Civilian Response/Reserve Corps and other Civilian Stabilization and Reconstruction Capabilities (open access)

Peacekeeping/Stabilization and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on the Civilian Response/Reserve Corps and other Civilian Stabilization and Reconstruction Capabilities

This report provides background on the establishment of S/CRS, its functions, and its operations, as well as on the CRC. The report tracks S/CRS budget requests and congressional actions. It discusses four issues raised during the S/CRS years that may still be relevant for the CSO Bureau: S/CRS's effectiveness, the appropriate size for the CRC, flexible funding for stabilization operations, and funding for a reserve component.
Date: January 12, 2012
Creator: Serafino, Nina M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests (open access)

Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

U.S. policy toward the Central Asian states has aimed at facilitating their cooperation with U.S. and NATO stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and their efforts to combat terrorism, proliferation, and trafficking in arms, drugs, and persons. Other U.S. objectives have included promoting free markets, democratization, human rights, energy development, and the forging of East-West and Central Asia-South Asia trade links. Such policies aim to help the states become what various U.S. administrations have considered to be responsible members of the international community rather than to degenerate into xenophobic, extremist, and anti-Western regimes that contribute to wider regional conflict and instability
Date: January 3, 2012
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy (open access)

Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy

This report discusses the current political and economic situation in Ukraine. It also discusses Ukraine's foreign policy, especially in respect to NATO, European Union, and Russia. The Ukraine's energy issues are also briefly deliberated in this report.
Date: January 4, 2012
Creator: Woehrel, Steven
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy (open access)

Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy

There is ongoing interest in the pace of U.S. technological advancement due to its influence on U.S. economic growth, productivity, and international competitiveness. Because technology can contribute to economic growth and productivity increases, congressional attention has focused on how to augment private-sector technological development. This report covers legislative activity in the past and present on this topic. It also looks at the future of Congressional action towards mandated specific technology development. As the Congress develops its appropriation priorities, the manner by which the government encourages technological progress in the private sector again may be explored and/or redefined.
Date: March 13, 2012
Creator: Schacht, Wendy H.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities (open access)

The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities

The federal government has long played a key role in the country's information technology (IT) research and development (R&D) activities. The government's support of IT R&D began because it had an important interest in creating computers and software that would be capable of addressing the problems and issues the government needed to solve and study.
Date: January 13, 2012
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities (open access)

The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities

In the early 1990s, Congress recognized that several federal agencies had ongoing high performance computing programs, but no central coordinating body existed to ensure long-term coordination and planning. To provide such a framework, Congress passed the High-Performance Computing and Communications Program Act of 1991 to enhance the effectiveness of the various programs. In conjunction with the passage of the act, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released Grand Challenges: High-Performance Computing and Communications. Current concerns are the role of the federal government in supporting IT R&D and the level of funding to allot to it. This report also looks at federal budgets for the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program.
Date: March 27, 2012
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oil Spills in U.S. Coastal Waters: Background and Governance (open access)

Oil Spills in U.S. Coastal Waters: Background and Governance

This report provides background information regarding oil spills in U.S. coastal waters and identifies the legal authorities governing oil spill prevention, response, and cleanup. Based on data between 1973 and 2009, the annual number and volume of oil spills have shown declines- in some cases, dramatic declines.
Date: January 11, 2012
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress (open access)

Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular "plug-and-fight" mission packages. The Navy's proposed FY2013 budget requests funding for the procurement of four LCSs. Current issues for Congress concerning the LCS program include the program's mission modules, the combat survivability of the LCS, hull cracking and engine problems on LCS-1, and corrosion on LCS-2.
Date: April 6, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Trade Remedy Laws and Nonmarket Economies: A Legal Overview (open access)

U.S. Trade Remedy Laws and Nonmarket Economies: A Legal Overview

Two major U.S. trade remedies are antidumping (AD) law, which combats the sale of imported products at less than their fair market value, and countervailing duty (CVD) law, which aims to offset foreign government subsidization of imported goods. This report discusses these two law's impact on U.S. foreign relations.
Date: March 9, 2012
Creator: Grimmett, Jeanne J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the modernization of the Coast Guard's polar icebreaker fleet, which performs a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions.
Date: February 24, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Wildfire Damages to Homes and Resources: Understanding Causes and Reducing Losses (open access)

Wildfire Damages to Homes and Resources: Understanding Causes and Reducing Losses

Wildfires are getting more severe, with more acres and houses burned and more people at risk. This results from excess biomass in the forests, due to past logging and grazing and a century of fire suppression, combined with an expanding wild land-urban interface-more people and houses in and near the forests-and climate change, exacerbating drought and insect and disease problems. This report looks at the causes of wildfires, and the pros and cons of their treatment.
Date: March 12, 2012
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Trade: Rules of Origin (open access)

International Trade: Rules of Origin

This report deals with Rules of origin (ROO) in three parts. First, we describe in more detail the reasons that country of origin rules are important and briefly describe U.S. laws and methods that provide direction in making these determinations. Second, we discuss briefly some of the more controversial issues involving rules of origin, including the apparently subjective nature of some CBP origin determinations, and the effects of the global manufacturing process on ROO. Third, we conclude with some alternatives and options that Congress could consider that might assist in simplifying the process.
Date: January 5, 2012
Creator: Jones, Vivian C. & Martin, Michael F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's Financial Problems (open access)

Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's Financial Problems

This report discusses the continuing conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at a time of uncertainty in the housing, mortgage, and financial markets has raised doubts about the future of these enterprises, which are chartered by Congress as government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and whose debts are widely believed to be implicitly guaranteed by the federal government.
Date: April 2, 2012
Creator: Weiss, N. Eric
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Privacy Protection for Customer Financial Information (open access)

Privacy Protection for Customer Financial Information

This report discusses federal laws governing consumer financial information held by financial companies, Gramm-Leach-Bliley's privacy provisions, and public and industry reaction.
Date: January 12, 2012
Creator: Murphy, M. Maureen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran Sanctions (open access)

Iran Sanctions

This report focuses on the United States' relationship with Iran and how the Obama Administration is handling prior administration's economic sanctions against Iran. The Obama Administration's policy approach toward Iran has contrasted with the Bush Administration's by attempting to couple the imposition of sanctions to an active and direct U.S. effort to negotiate with Iran on the nuclear issue. That approach was not initially altered because of the Iranian dispute over its June 12, 2009, elections.
Date: January 6, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran Sanctions (open access)

Iran Sanctions

The objective of sanctions-to compel Iran to verifiably demonstrate that its nuclear program is for purely peaceful uses-has not been achieved to date. The international coalition that is imposing progressively strict economic sanctions on Iran is broadening and deepening, with increasingly significant effect on Iran's economy. U.S. officials believe that these sanctions might yet cause Iran to return to the nuclear bargaining table with greater seriousness and intent toward peaceful resolution. The report discusses the effect of these sanctions as well as the pros and cons of increasing sanction.
Date: March 28, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Western Sahara (open access)

Western Sahara

This report discusses how Morocco and the independence-seeking Popular Front for the Liberation of Saqiat al Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario) have been vying for control of the Western Sahara, a former Spanish territory, since the 1970s. The report discusses recent settlement attempts, as well as how the Western Sahara issue has affected Algerian-Moroccan bilaterial relations, Moroccan relations with the African Union, and regional cooperation on economic and security issues. The report also discusses the United States' involvement in and stance on the issue.
Date: April 5, 2012
Creator: Arieff, Alexis
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress

Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations, and the Administration has given U.S. SOF greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. This report covers SOF budgets for FY2013 and what the budgeted money could be used for.
Date: March 23, 2012
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Latin America: Terrorism Issues (open access)

Latin America: Terrorism Issues

U.S. attention to terrorism in Latin America intensified in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation. Over the past several years, policymakers have been concerned about Iran's increasing activities in Latin America, particularly its relations with Venezuela, although there has been disagreement over the extent and significance of Iran's relations with the region. In the 112th Congress, several initiatives have been introduced related to terrorism issues in the Western Hemisphere regarding Mexico, Venezuela, and the activities of Iran and Hezbollah, and several oversight hearings have been held.
Date: March 2, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Peace Corps: Current Issues (open access)

The Peace Corps: Current Issues

In 2012, the 112th Congress is considering the President's annual funding request for the Peace Corps, efforts to reauthorize the Peace Corps, and related issues. Current issues include the extent to which there is available funding for Peace Corps expansion, whether the Peace Corps has the institutional capacity to expand, and whether volunteers are able to function in a safe and secure environment.
Date: April 4, 2012
Creator: Tarnoff, Curt
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. National Science Foundation: Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction (open access)

U.S. National Science Foundation: Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction

The Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account of the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports the acquisition and construction of major research facilities and equipment that are to extend the boundaries of science, engineering, and technology. The Administration's FY2013 budget request for the NSF is $7,373.1 million, a 4.8% increase over the FY2012 estimated level of $7,033.1 million. Included in the request total is $196.2 million for MREFC, slightly below the FY2012 estimate of $197.1 million.
Date: April 4, 2012
Creator: Matthews, Christine M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library