Congressional Research Service Reports - 30 Matching Results
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- A Guide to Describing the Income Distribution
- This report provides descriptive analysis of the U.S. income distribution to illustrate various concepts. First, it examines the complexities of income measurement and important definitional and data considerations to bear in mind when using and interpreting income statistics. Next, it describes two popular data sources used to study the U.S. income distribution, followed by sections on statistics commonly used to provide point-in-time analysis and to compare U.S. income across groups, time, and location. The report concludes with an explanation of the Gini index.
- Terrorism Risk Insurance: Issue Analysis and Overview of Current Program
- This report discusses the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA). TRIA created a temporary three-year Terrorism Insurance Program in which the government would share some of the losses with private insurers should a foreign terrorist attack occur.
- Legislative Branch: FY2011 Appropriations
- This report discusses budgetary issues of the legislative branch of the U.S. government during Fiscal Year 2011.
- China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States
- This report provides background on China's economic rise, describes its current economic structure, identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth, and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications for the United States.
- What Causes a Recession?
- This report discusses causes of recessions and provides data on the length of time economic expansions of the past have lasted.
- Has the Economy Reached Full Employment? If So, Will It Stay There?
- This report considers the question of whether the U.S. has reached full employment (defined as the lowest level of unemployment that is sustainable for the economy without over-inflating wages) and provides statistical charts of the unemployment rate and labor force participation rates along with analysis of the data.
- Federal Reserve: Unconventional Monetary Policy Options
- This report discusses the Federal Reserve (Fed) unconventional policies in an attempt to reduced the federal funds rate and revive the economy. The Fed has also changed its communication policies since rates reached the zero bound.
- Millennium Challenge Corporation
- This report discusses the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which provides economic assistance through a competitive selection process to developing nations that are pursuing political and economic reforms in three areas: ruling justly, investing in people, and fostering economic freedom. It also discusses several concerns related to MCC implementation, including the level of funding to support MCC programs.
- Changing the Federal Reserve's Mandate: An Economic Analysis
- This report discusses a number of implementation issues surrounding an economic inflation target. These include what rate of inflation to target, what inflation measure to use, whether to set a point target or range, and what penalties to impose if a target is missed.
- Financing the U.S. Trade Deficit
- This report provides an overview of the U.S. balance of payments, an explanation of the broader role of capital flows in the U.S. economy, an explanation of how the country finances its trade deficit or a trade surplus, and the implications for Congress and the country of the large inflows of capital from abroad.
- Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions
- This report provides an overview of the Federal Reserve and issues for Congress. The Federal Reserve (the Fed) defines monetary policy as the actions it undertakes to influence the availability and cost of money and credit. Because the expectations of market participants play an important role in determining prices and growth, monetary policy can also be defined to include the directives, policies, statements, and actions of the Fed that influence how the future is perceived. In addition, the Fed acts as a "lender of last resort" to the nation's financial system, meaning that it ensures continued smooth functioning of financial intermediation by providing financial markets with adequate liquidity.
- Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions
- This report provides an overview of monetary policy and recent developments. It discusses issues for Congress, including transparency and proposals to change the Fed's mandate, and ends with a brief overview of the Fed's regulatory responsibilities.
- Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions
- This report provides an overview of monetary policy and recent developments. It discusses issues for Congress, including transparency and proposals to change the Fed's mandate, and ends with a brief overview of the Fed's regulatory responsibilities.
- Government Interventions in Response to Financial Turmoil
- This report reviews new programs introduced and other actions taken by the Treasury, Federal Reserve, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in response to the recent financial crisis. It does not cover longstanding programs such as the Fed's discount window and FDIC receivership of failed banks.
- The Global Financial Crisis: Analysis and Policy Implications
- This report provides a historical account and analysis of the crisis through January 2010. While business contraction appears to have abated, unemployment is shown to be on the rise and many businesses and countries are still facing difficulties.
- Foreign Direct Investment: Current Issues
- This report presents an overview of current issues related to foreign direct investment in the economy and the development of U.S. policy toward inward and outward direct investment. This report also assesses the role of foreign direct investment in the economy and the costs and benefits of direct investment.
- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
- This report provides a background of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), financial crisis, and related issues for Congress.
- The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
- This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, an historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
- The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
- This report gives an historical overview of debt limits, discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
- Trade Preferences: Economic Issues and Policy Options
- This report discusses programs designed to foster growth in less developed countries, the major U.S. trade preference programs, their possible economic effects, stakeholder interests, and legislative options.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- This report provides background and analysis of U.S.-China commercial ties, including history, trends, issues, and outlook.
- U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: Significance, Prospects, and Policy Options
- Japan and the United States are the two largest economic powers. Together they account for over 30% of world domestic product, for a significant portion of international trade in goods and services, and for a major portion of international investment. This economic clout makes the United States and Japan potentially powerful actors in the world economy. Economic conditions in the United States and Japan have a significant impact on the rest of the world. Furthermore, the U.S.-Japan bilateral economic relationship can influence economic conditions in other countries. More generally, other issues regarding U.S.-Japan economic relations may emerge on the agenda of the 112th Congress. 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.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- This report discusses the U.S.-China economic relationship and China's rapid expansion as a global economic market, both with respect to the current global economic crisis. It also examines major U.S.-China trade issues and related legislation.
- Belarus: Background and U.S. Policy Concerns
- This report provides an overview of the history of U.S. - Belarus relations. Current issues include U.S. and international attempts to influence Aleksandr Lukashenko, the Belarusian President, toward making the Belarusian government more democratic and open.
- 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.
- Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations
- This report discusses the current political and economic conditions in the country of Panama. Furthermore, it describes the U.S.-Panama relationship at length, including trade relations.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy
- This report discusses the open economy and society of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), provides a general description of the UAE's government and political structure, and outlines the effects of the recent global economic downturn on the UAE in general and on the city of Dubai in particular. It also describes U.S. concern over the proliferation of advanced technology in relation to a recently-signed U.S.-UAE civilian nuclear agreement, due to the UAE economy and the UAE's lax export controls.