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Russia’s March 2008 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications

Description: This report discusses the campaign and results of Russia's March 2, 2008, presidential election and implications for Russia and U.S. interests. Popular outgoing President Vladimir Putin endorsed his First Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitriy Medvedev, who easily won an election viewed by some observers as not free and fair.
Date: March 13, 2008
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2008-2009 Presidential Transition: National Security Considerations and Options

Description: This report is concerned with the first presidential transition in a post-9/11 world. The report describes the domestic and foreign policy security challenges that will be left over for the new administration, and the security anxiety of foreign influence on the U.S. election.
Date: April 21, 2008
Creator: Rollins, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Constitutionality of Requiring Photo Identification for Voting: An Analysis of Crawford v. Marion County Election Board

Description: In a splintered decision issued in April 2008, the Supreme Court upheld an Indiana statute requiring identification for voting, determining that lower courts had correctly decided that the evidence in the record was insufficient to support a facial attack on the constitutionality of the law. Written by Justice Stevens, the lead opinion in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board finds that the law imposes only "a limited burden on voters' rights," which is justified by state interests.
Date: May 19, 2008
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Description: This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and provides the dates of the last and next election for head of government. It also provides the national independence date for each country.
Date: June 2, 2008
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P. & Gomez-Granger, Julissa
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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527 Groups and Campaign Activity: Analysis Under Campaign Finance and Tax Laws

Description: This report focuses on the controversy surrounding 527 groups in terms of their increased campaign-related activity and their regulation by the federal government. The report describes the origins of the contention and how groups that may not be necessarily "political committees" under FECA (Federal Election Campaign Act) guidelines are still eligible for beneficial tax deductions. This report also examines the extent to which FECA regulates such organizations.
Date: June 12, 2008
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige & Lunder, Erika
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Voting Rights Act of 1965, As Amended: Its History and Current Issues

Description: Several bills have been introduced in the 110th Congress concerning the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) that would rename the short title of the act, and address its bilingual provisions and issues of deceptive practices and voter intimidation during elections. This report discusses this issue at length and also addresses allegations of voting irregularities and of violations of the VRA during the presidential election of 2000.
Date: June 12, 2008
Creator: Laney, Garrine P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Kenya: Current Conditions and the Challenges Ahead

Description: This report discusses the current political conditions of Kenya, which has long been an important ally of the United States. The report focuses particularly on the December 2007 elections, which many international observers have declared as rigged and deeply flawed. The report also discusses violence that erupted once election results were announced, as well as U.S. efforts to urge Kenya toward election reforms.
Date: June 23, 2008
Creator: Dagne, Ted
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Campaign Finance Law and the Constitutionality of the "Millionaire's Amendment": An Analysis of Davis v. Federal Election Commission

Description: In a 5-to-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), also known as the McCain-Feingold law, establishing increased contribution limits for congressional candidates whose opponents significantly self-finance their campaigns. This provision is frequently referred to as the "Millionaire's Amendment." The Court found that the burden imposed on expenditures of personal funds is not justified by the compelling governmental interest of l… more
Date: July 17, 2008
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Funding of Presidential Nominating Conventions: Overview and Policy Options

Description: This report provides an overview and analysis of two recurring questions surrounding the federal government's role in financing presidential nominating conventions. First, how much public funding supports presidential nominating conventions? Second, what options exist for changing that amount if Congress chooses to do so? Both issues have generated controversy in the past and continue to be the subject of debate.
Date: August 22, 2008
Creator: Garrett, R. Sam & Reese, Shawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Description: This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and provides the dates of the last and next election for head of government. It also provides the national independence date for each country.
Date: August 26, 2008
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P. & Gomez-Granger, Julissa
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Kenya: Current Conditions and the Challenges Ahead

Description: This report discusses the current political conditions of Kenya, which has long been an important ally of the United States. The report focuses particularly on the December 2007 elections, which many international observers have declared as rigged and deeply flawed. The report also discusses violence that erupted once election results were announced, as well as U.S. efforts to urge Kenya toward election reforms.
Date: September 17, 2008
Creator: Dagne, Ted
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Background and Issues

Description: Members of the military and U.S. citizens who live abroad are eligible to register and vote absentee in federal elections under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986. The law was enacted to improve absentee registration and voting for this group of voters and to consolidate existing laws. This report summarizes the UOCAVA and details modifications and improvements to the UOCAVA since its inception, as well as related pieces of legislation.
Date: October 6, 2008
Creator: Coleman, Kevin J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Constitutionality of Campaign Finance Regulation: Buckley v. Valeo and Its Supreme Court Progeny

Description: This report first discusses the key holdings enunciated by the Supreme Court in Buckley, including those upholding reasonable contribution limits, striking down expenditure limits, upholding disclosure reporting requirements, and upholding the system of voluntary presidential election expenditure limitations linked with public financing. It then examines the Court's extension of Buckley in several subsequent cases, evaluating them in various regulatory contexts: contribution limits, expenditure… more
Date: November 18, 2008
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The President-Elect: Succession and Disability Issues During the Transition Period

Description: Procedures governing replacement of a President or Vice President-elect during the transition period depend on when the events that might lead to a temporary or permanent replacement occur. This report describes the general election process by which American voters directly choose members of the electoral college and indirectly choose the President and Vice President. This report also describes the so-called "lame duck" period between the election and the incoming President's inauguration, spec… more
Date: November 26, 2008
Creator: Neale, Thomas H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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