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Job Creation in the Manufacturing Revival

Description: This report examines the current status of the manufacturing sector in the U.S., which is a subject of ongoing interest in Congress. After rebounding from the 2007-09 recession, U.S. manufacturing output has grown little since the second half of 2014. Over the same period, employment in the U.S. manufacturing sector has been flat. These trends defy expectations that forces such as higher labor costs in the emerging economies of Asia, heightened concern about the risk of disruptions to long, com… more
Date: June 28, 2016
Creator: Levinson, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Slow Growth in the Current U.S. Economic Expansion

Description: This report summarizes the U.S. economic growth record and reviews a number of explanations forwarded by economists for why this expansion has featured slow growth. Some explanations focus on short-term factors that would not be expected to persist, while others focus on long-term changes to the economy. The report does not discuss labor market conditions, except in the context of how they contribute to the pace of GDP growth.
Date: June 24, 2016
Creator: Keightley, Mark P.; Labonte, Marc & Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Athletic Footwear for the Military: The Berry Amendment Controversy

Description: This report briefly examines issues regarding the Berry Amendment, which is a 1941 federal law (10 U.S.C. §2533a) requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to purchase only wholly American-made clothing, textiles, and other essential items for the military.
Date: June 10, 2016
Creator: Platzer, Michaela D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Buy American Act--Preferences for "Domestic" Supplies: In Brief

Description: This report discusses the Buy American Act of 1933, which is the earliest and arguably the best known of various statutes regarding federal procurement of domestic products. The act attempts to protect U.S. businesses and labor by restricting the acquisition and use of end products or construction materials that are not "domestic."
Date: April 26, 2016
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Protection of Trade Secrets: Overview of Current Law and Legislation

Description: This report provides an overview of existing federal, state, and international laws governing trade secret protection, describes the limitations of these legal regimes, and reviews pending legislation, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (S. 1890), that is intended to address such deficiencies.
Date: April 22, 2016
Creator: Yeh, Brian T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Internet Tax Freedom Act: In Brief

Description: This report discusses the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA; P.L. 105-277) enacted in 1998, which implemented a three-year moratorium preventing state and local governments from taxing Internet access, or imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
Date: April 13, 2016
Creator: Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Brazil in Crisis

Description: Brazil is in the midst of deepening economic and political crises that are closely intertwined and unlikely to be resolved quickly. This report briefly examines the political situation and discusses public opinion regarding the Rousseff Administration.
Date: April 6, 2016
Creator: Meyer, Peter J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA): Congressional Interest and Executive Enforcement, In Brief

Description: This report briefly discusses the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act of 1977 (FCPA), which was intended to prevent corporate bribery of foreign officials. Criticisms of the act's operation and scope began almost immediately after its passage and have continued. This report addresses these criticisms.
Date: March 15, 2016
Creator: Seitzinger, Michael V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Local Food Systems: Selected Farm Bill and Other Federal Programs

Description: This report examines the federal support of local food systems, such as sales of locally-produced foods which comprise a small but growing part of U.S. agricultural sales.
Date: February 5, 2016
Creator: Johnson, Renée & Cowan, Tadlock
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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What Does the Gig Economy Mean for Workers?

Description: This report provides an overview of the gig economy -- i.e., the collection of markets that match providers to consumers on a gig (or job) basis in support of on-demand commerce (e.g., Uber, TaskRabbit) -- and identifies legal and policy questions relevant to its workforce.
Date: February 5, 2016
Creator: Donovan, Sarah A.; Bradley, David H. & Shimabukuro, Jon O.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Methods of Estimating the Total Cost of Federal Regulations

Description: This report analyzes these two approaches for estimating the total cost of federal regulations. In discussing each approach, the report provides an overview of the advantages, a brief case study, and an analysis of the potential issues or inherent problems using the case study to illustrate the concepts.
Date: January 21, 2016
Creator: Carey, Maeve P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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GAO Bid Protests: An Overview of Time Frames and Procedures

Description: This report provides an overview of the time frames and procedures in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) bid protest, including (1) what issues can be protested with GAO; (2) who can file or be a party to a GAO protest; (3) the procedures for bringing and resolving GAO protests; (4) the time frames involved in GAO protests; (5) the automatic stay of contract award or performance triggered by a GAO protest, as well as the basis for agency overrides of automatic stays and judicial review of… more
Date: January 19, 2016
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Schwartz, Moshe
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Multilateral Development Banks: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and highlights major issues for Congress. The first section discusses how the MDBs operate, and the second section discusses the role of Congress in the MDBs.
Date: December 2, 2015
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Small Business: Access to Capital and Job Creation

Description: This report discusses the role of small business in job creation and retention, then provides an assessment of the supply and demand for small business loans and recently enacted laws designed to enhance small business access to capital. It also examines recent actions concerning the SBA's budget and concludes with a brief overview of legislative options available to address small business access to capital issues during the 114th Congress.
Date: November 25, 2015
Creator: Dilger, Robert J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Internet Tax Freedom Act: In Brief

Description: This report discusses the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA; P.L. 105-277), which enacted in 1998, implemented a three-year moratorium preventing state and local governments from taxing Internet access, or imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
Date: October 5, 2015
Creator: Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

Description: This report discusses congressional restrictions on federal debt. The statutory debt limit applies to almost all federal debt. The limit applies to federal debt held by the public (that is, debt held outside the federal government itself) and to federal debt held by the government's own accounts.
Date: October 1, 2015
Creator: Austin, D. A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Budget Enforcement Procedures: The Senate Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Rule

Description: This report explains the current features of the Senate Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rule,describes its legislative history, inlcuding key changes to the rule since it was established in 1993, and reviews Senate procedural actions under the rule.
Date: August 4, 2015
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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GAO Bid Protests: Trends and Analysis

Description: This report is one of two providing Congress with background on the GAO bid-protest process. It analyzes trends in bid protests filed with GAO, why companies protest, the impact bid protests have on acquisitions, the most common grounds for GAO to sustain a protest, and trends in bid protests filed against DOD.
Date: July 21, 2015
Creator: Schwartz, Moshe & Manuel, Kate M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Countries: Comparative Trade and Economic Analysis

Description: This report provides a comparative economic analysis of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries and their economic relations with the United States. TPP negotiating partners encompass great diversity in population, economic development, and trade and investment patterns with the United States.
Date: July 7, 2015
Creator: Williams, Brock R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The European Union’s Small Business Act: A Different Approach

Description: This report opens with a discussion of the European Commission's decision to use a size standard that is very different that the size standard used in the United States. It also discusses about European Economy.
Date: June 22, 2015
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Internet Tax Freedom Act: In Brief

Description: This report discusses the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA; P.L. 105-277), which enacted in 1998, implemented a three-year moratorium preventing state and local governments from taxing Internet access, or imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
Date: June 11, 2015
Creator: Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cybersecurity Issues for the Bulk Power System

Description: This report provides information about the Cybersecurity Issues for the Bulk Power System . The cybersecurity of the electricity grid has been a focus of recent efforts to protect the integrity of the electric power system.
Date: June 10, 2015
Creator: Campbell, Richard J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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