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Mexico's 2012 Elections

Description: This report provides an overview of the parties and candidates competing in the Mexican federal elections, with a focus on the presidential contest, followed by a discussion of key issues in the campaign that could have implications for U.S.-Mexican relations.
Date: May 23, 2012
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-China Diplomacy Over Chinese Legal Advocate Chen Guangcheng

Description: The case of blind Chinese legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, who escaped from illegal house arrest in China's Shandong Province on April 20, 2012, and made his way to Beijing, the United States Embassy, and, ultimately, the United States, has generated strong congressional interest. This report begins by examining implications of the Chen case for the place of human rights in U.S.-China relations. It then discusses why Beijing may have been willing to negotiate with the United States at all over t… more
Date: May 29, 2012
Creator: Lawrence, Susan V. & Lum, Thomas
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mexican Migration to the United States: Policy and Trends

Description: History and geography have given Mexico a unique status in the U.S. immigration system, and have made the Mexico-U.S. migration flow the largest in the world. Mexicans are the largest group of U.S. migrants across most types of immigration statuses—a fact that may have important implications for how Congress makes U.S. immigration policy. This report reviews the history of immigration policy and migration flows between the countries and the demographics of Mexicans within the United States. It … more
Date: June 7, 2012
Creator: Rosenblum, Marc R.; Kandel, William A.; Ribando Seelke, Clare & Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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War Powers Litigation Initiated by Members of Congress Since the Enactment of the War Powers Resolution

Description: This report summarizes the eight cases initiated by Members of Congress in which final rulings were reached, which concerned U.S. military activities in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Grenada; military action taken during the Persian Gulf conflict between Iraq and Iran; U.S. activities in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait (prior to the congressional authorization); U.S. participation in NATO's action in Kosovo and Yugoslavia; and U.S. military action in Libya.
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Garcia, Michael John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, focusing particularly on the influence of the Taliban and other militant groups and on the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. This report also discusses the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship, in both the short and long term, and U.S. efforts under the Obama Administration to provide military, reconstructive, and stabilization aid.
Date: February 6, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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EU-U.S. Economic Ties: Framework, Scope, and Magnitude

Description: This report provides background information and analysis of the U.S.-EU economic relationship for members of the 112th Congress as they contemplate the costs and benefits of closer U.S. economic ties with the EU. It examines the economic and political framework of the relationship and the scope and magnitude of the ties based on data from various sources. In addition, the report analyzes the implications these factors have for U.S. economic policy toward the EU.
Date: May 30, 2012
Creator: Cooper, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances

Description: Restrictions on travel to Cuba have been a key and often contentious component in U.S. efforts to isolate Cuba's communist government since the early 1960s. In January 2011, the Obama Administration announced policy changes further easing restrictions on travel and remittances. In the first session of the 112th Congress, there were several attempts aimed at rolling back the Obama Administration's actions easing restrictions on travel and remittances. Several initiatives were also introduced tha… more
Date: January 10, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report presents an overview of Qatar's history and recent economic and political developments. The report discusses U.S. relations with Qatar, U.S. military cooperation and foreign assistance, political reform and elections, as well as human rights and social issues.
Date: June 6, 2012
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

Description: The Obama Administration identifies Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests. The sense of imminent crisis with Iran which greeted the beginning of 2012 follows three years in which the Obama Administration first offered Iran's leaders consistent and sustained engagement in exchange for limits to its nuclear program but, since 2010, has emphasized pressuring Iran through economic sanctions. This report discusses the effects of economic sanctions against Iran; support to the I… more
Date: January 30, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress

Description: This CRS report, updated as warranted, discusses policy issues regarding military-to-military (mil-to-mil) contacts with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and provides a record of major contacts and crises since 1993. Issues for Congress include whether the Obama Administration has complied with legislation overseeing dealings with the PLA and pursued contacts with the PLA that advance a prioritized set of U.S. security interests, especially the operational safety of U.S. military personnel.… more
Date: February 10, 2012
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons

Description: During the Senate debate on the new U.S.-Russian Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in 2010, many Senators raised questions about Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons and noted their absence from the treaty limits. The United States and Russia have not included limits on these weapons in past arms control agreements. Nevertheless, Congress may press the Administration to seek solutions to the potential risks presented by these weapons in the future. This report looks at issues for Cong… more
Date: February 14, 2012
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: Significance, Prospects, and Policy Options

Description: 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.
Date: December 5, 2011
Creator: Cooper, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: Significance, Prospects, and Policy Options

Description: 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.
Date: May 29, 2012
Creator: Cooper, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Egypt in Transition

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the transition underway and information on U.S. foreign aid to Egypt. U.S. policy toward Egypt has long been framed as an investment in regional stability, built primarily on long-running military cooperation and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Successive U.S. Administrations have viewed Egypt's government as a moderating influence in the Middle East. U.S. policy makers are now grappling with complex questions about the future of… more
Date: February 8, 2012
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Australia: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report gives an overview of the relationship between the Commonwealth of Australia and the United States including the close alliance under the ANZUS treaty. The report includes information about the structure of the Australian government, political and domestic issues, economics, defense policies and security ties, counterterrorism, environmentalism, affairs in Asia and the Pacific Southwest, and an analysis of other specific events.
Date: January 13, 2012
Creator: Vaughn, Bruce
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress

Description: India, which has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and does not have International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards on all of its nuclear material, exploded a “peaceful” nuclear device in 1974, convincing the world of the need for greater restrictions on nuclear trade. The United States created the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a direct response to India's test, halted nuclear exports to India a few years later, and worked to convince other states to do the same. India tested nuc… more
Date: May 7, 2012
Creator: Kerr, Paul K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses the revolution and current conflict in Libya. The current crisis was triggered in mid-February 2011 by a chain of events in Benghazi and other eastern cities that quickly spiraled out of Qadhafi's control. Although Libyan opposition groups had called for a so-called "day of rage" on February 17 to commemorate protests that had occurred five years earlier, localized violence erupted prior to the planned national protests. As of April 25, U.S. and coalition officials stated … more
Date: December 8, 2011
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Russian Political, Economic, and Security Issues and U.S. Interests

Description: This report discusses the current political and economic conditions in Russia, focusing on the impact of Vladimir Putin's leadership and the leadership of his successor/protégé, Dmitriy Medvedev, both of which have steered Russia away from progress toward democratization. The report also discusses the state of the economy since the Soviet collapse in 1999, how the recent global economic downturn has affected Russia, the state of Russia's military, and the current relationship between Russia and… more
Date: June 7, 2012
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress

Description: The post-World War II U.S.-Japan alliance has long been an anchor of the U.S. security role in East Asia. The alliance facilitates the forward deployment of about 36,000 U.S. troops and other U.S. military assets in the Asia-Pacific, thereby undergirding U.S. national security strategy in the region. For Japan, the alliance and the U.S. nuclear umbrella provide maneuvering room in dealing with its neighbors, particularly China and North Korea. This report looks at the relations post-2011 earthq… more
Date: May 4, 2012
Creator: Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Cooper, William H. & Manyin, Mark E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Syria: Unrest and U.S. Policy

Description: Syria remains mired in political confrontation and violence, and is perched on the edge of civil war. U.S. officials and many analysts believe that President Bashar al Asad, his family members, and his supporters will ultimately be forced from power. President Obama and his Administration have been calling for Asad's resignation since August 2011, and have been vocal advocates for United Nations Security Council action to condemn the Syrian government and end the bloodshed. The United States ha… more
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M. & Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iran Sanctions

Description: 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, elec… more
Date: February 10, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iran Sanctions

Description: This report gives an overview of the U.S. sanctions in place on Iran and legislation that would enhance both the economic sanctions and human rights-related provisions of CISADA and other laws. It also discusses the measures that the United Nations and others have enacted against Iran and the effects of the sanctions.
Date: January 26, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Kuwait: Security, Reform, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report provides a brief overview on the current political state of Kuwait, which has been pivotal to nearly two decades of U.S. involvement in Iraq and the Middle East. This report also discusses relations between Kuwait and the U.S., and the continuing domestic unrest in Kuwait, an issue separate from the unrest currently sweeping the rest of the Middle East.
Date: February 8, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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