Search Results

open access

Iceland's Financial Crisis

Description: On November 19, 2008, Iceland and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finalized an agreement on a $6 billion economic stabilization program supported by a $2.1 billion loan from the IMF. Iceland's banking system had collapsed as a culmination of a series of decisions the banks made that left them highly exposed to disruptions in financial markets. The collapse of the banks also raises questions for U.S. leaders and others about supervising banks that operate across national borders, especiallā€¦ more
Date: November 20, 2008
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The LIHEAP Formula: Legislative History and Current Law

Description: This Congressional Research Service Report for Congress contains the history, enactment, and fund determination for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Date: November 19, 2008
Creator: Peral, Libby
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

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, expenditureā€¦ more
Date: November 18, 2008
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Financing Recovery from Large-Scale Natural Disasters

Description: Two important issues before Congress are (1) securing the nation's capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover/rebuild from natural catastrophe events, and (2) determining whether and how the federal government should intervene in catastrophe insurance markets. This report focuses on this issue at length, taking into consideration the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2004 and 2005; a sequence of tornadoes, wildfire, earthquakes, Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, and the 2008 Midwestern floods; and the fiā€¦ more
Date: November 18, 2008
Creator: King, Rawle O.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy

Description: This report examines the global ramifications of the financial crisis, which exposed fundamental weaknesses in financial systems worldwide, and despite coordinated easing of monetary policy by governments and trillions of dollars in intervention by governments and the International Monetary Fund, the crisis continues.
Date: November 18, 2008
Creator: Nanto, Dick K.; Weiss, Martin A.; Jackson, James K.; Dolven, Ben; Morrison, Wayne M.; Cooper, William H. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States

Description: Over the past several years, China has enjoyed one of the world's fastest growing economies and has been a major contributor to world economic growth. However, the current global financial crisis threatens to slow China's economy. China is a major economic power and holds huge amounts of foreign exchange reserves, and thus it could play a major role in responding to the current crisis. For example, in an effort to help stabilize the U.S. economy, China might boost its holdings of U.S. Treasury ā€¦ more
Date: November 17, 2008
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Developments in Oil Shale

Description: No Description Available.
Date: November 17, 2008
Creator: Andrews, Anthony
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States

Description: Over the past several years, China has enjoyed one of the world's fastest growing economies and has been a major contributor to world economic growth. However, the current global financial crisis threatens to slow China's economy. China is a major economic power and holds huge amounts of foreign exchange reserves, and thus it could play a major role in responding to the current crisis. For example, in an effort to help stabilize the U.S. economy, China might boost its holdings of U.S. Treasury ā€¦ more
Date: November 13, 2008
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices

Description: Petroleum prices rose sharply in the first half of 2008, at one time reaching more than $140 per barrel of crude oil. Since July, however, petroleum prices and import volumes have fallen at a historically rapid pace; in November, prices of crude oil fell below $55 per barrel. The fall in the cost of energy imports combined with the drop in import volumes as a result of the slowdown in economic activity has reversed the trend of rising energy imports costs and will sharply reduce the overall cosā€¦ more
Date: November 13, 2008
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy

Description: This report examines the global impact of the financial crisis and resulting challenges, moving forward. The crisis exposed fundamental weaknesses in financial systems worldwide, and despite coordinated easing of monetary policy by governments and trillions of dollars in intervention by governments and the International Monetary Fund, the crisis continues.
Date: November 10, 2008
Creator: Nanto, Dick K.; Weiss, Martin A.; Jackson, James K.; Dolven, Ben; Morrison, Wayne M.; Cooper, William H. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Pakistan's Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy

Description: Pakistan - a key U.S. ally in global efforts to combat Islamist militancy - is in urgent need of an estimated $4 billion in capital to avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. The elected government of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani is seeking short-term financial assistance from a number of sources, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China, and an informal group of nations (including the United States) known as the "Friends of Pakistan." The currā€¦ more
Date: November 7, 2008
Creator: Martin, Michael F. & Kronstadt, K. Alan
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Russia's Economic Performance and Policies and Their Implications for the United States

Description: This report discusses the Russian economy, which has grown impressively since 1999 and, by some measures, has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The improvement in the Russian economy is arguably a factor in the boldness with which the Putin leadership has reasserted Russia's status as a world power.
Date: November 5, 2008
Creator: Cooper, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Description: This report discusses two potential roles the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis: (1) immediate crisis control through balance of payments lending to emerging market and less-developed countries and (2) increased surveillance of the global economy through better coordination with the international financial regulatory agencies.
Date: October 30, 2008
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Wool and Mohair Price Support

Description: This report provides an overview of the wool and mohair price support.
Date: October 30, 2008
Creator: Canada, Carol
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Federal Reserve Interest Rate Changes: 2001-2008

Description: The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided at its scheduled meeting held on October 29 to lower the target rate for federal funds to 1% from 1Ā½% set at its unscheduled meeting of October 8, 2008. In making its decision to reduce the target, the FOMC stressed the following factors: (1) the pace of economic growth appears to have slowed markedly owing importantly to a softening of consumer spending; (2) business equipment spending and industrial production have weakened; (3) economic slowdoā€¦ more
Date: October 29, 2008
Creator: Labonte, Marc & Makinen, Gail E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Mental Health Parity Act: A Legislative History

Description: This report provides a detailed history of mental health parity legislation, including a discussion of bills introduced in each Congress, and accompanying legislative action, including hearings, markups, and floor votes. This legislation is in response to concerns about the coverage of mental health benefits in group health plans, which is often much more restricted than the coverage of physical illness. Updated October 29, 2008.
Date: October 29, 2008
Creator: Sundararaman, Ramya
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Description: This report discusses two potential roles the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis: (1) immediate crisis control through balance of payments lending to emerging market and less-developed countries and (2) increased surveillance of the global economy through better coordination with the international financial regulatory agencies.
Date: October 27, 2008
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Reporting Issues Under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Description: This report describes current issues and recent changes to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) of 1975. The report also provides a brief explanation of how recent reporting revisions may affect the reporting of loans covered by the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994 and the Federal Housing Administration.
Date: October 24, 2008
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Annuities and the Securities and Exchange Commission Proposed Rule 151A

Description: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently released a proposed rule that would effectively reclassify equity indexed annuities as a security product in addition to being an insurance product. This report presents the different types of annuities, explains the taxation of annuities, and disentangles the federal and state roles in the regulation of annuities. It outlines the proposed SEC rule and its current status.
Date: October 22, 2008
Creator: Webel, Baird
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Social Security: Calculation and History of Taxing Benefits

Description: This report discusses the Social Security system that provides monthly benefits to qualified retirees, disabled workers, and their spouses and dependents.
Date: October 21, 2008
Creator: Mulvey, Janemarie & Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Ebbs and Flows of Federal Debt

Description: This report will define the measures of debt, discuss the mechanisms of how debt levels change, and use historical examples to illustrate the factors causing debt movements over the last seven decades. In addition, some policies which may affect the future budgetary outlook and the debt will be discussed.
Date: October 20, 2008
Creator: Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation: Background and Legislative Issues

Description: The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)1 was established in 1969 and began operations in 1971 to promote and assist U.S. business investment in developing nations. OPIC is a U.S. government agency that provides project financing, investment insurance, and other services for U.S. businesses in 154 developing nations and emerging economies. OPIC is currently authorized through March 9, 2009 under the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pā€¦ more
Date: October 20, 2008
Creator: Langton, Danielle
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S. International Trade: Trends and Forecasts

Description: This report provides an overview of the current status, trends, and forecasts for U.S. international trade. The purpose of this report is to provide current data and brief explanations for the various types of trade flows, particularly U.S. exports, along with a short discussion of particular trends and points of contention related to trade policy.
Date: October 16, 2008
Creator: Nanto, Dick K.; Ilias, Shayerah & Donnelly, J. Michael
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Back to Top of Screen