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Covert Action: Legislative Background and Possible Policy Questions

Description: Published reports have suggested that in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Pentagon has expanded its counter-terrorism intelligence activities as part of what the Bush Administration termed the global war on terror. This report discusses the Department of Defense's (DOD) various counter-terrorist intelligence activities, whether or not they constitute classification as "covert action," and the challenge of clarifying the roles and responsibilities of various intelligence activities wi… more
Date: July 6, 2009
Creator: Cumming, Alfred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Intelligence Spending: Public Disclosure Issues

Description: This report describes the constituent parts of the intelligence budget, past practice in handling intelligence authorizations and appropriations, the arguments that have been advanced for and against making intelligence spending totals public, a legal analysis of these issues, and a review of the implications of post-Cold War developments on the question. It also describes past congressional interest in keeping intelligence spending totals secret.
Date: February 15, 2007
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr. & Bazan, Elizabeth B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Presidential Libraries: The Federal System and Related Legislation

Description: Through the National Archives and Records Administration, the federal government currently manages and maintains 12 presidential libraries. Inaugurated with the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955, these entities are privately constructed on behalf of former Presidents and, upon completion, are deeded to the federal government. This report provides a brief overview of the federal presidential libraries system and tracks the progress of related legislation.
Date: November 26, 2008
Creator: Relyea, Harold C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Protection of Classified Information by Congress: Practices and Proposals

Description: The protection of classified national security and other controlled information is of concern not only to the executive branch - which determines what information is to be safeguarded, for the most part - but also to Congress, which uses the information to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities. It has established mechanisms to safeguard controlled information in its custody, although these arrangements have varied over time between the two chambers and among panels in each. This report ex… more
Date: May 27, 2008
Creator: Kaiser, Frederick M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq: Map Sources

Description: This report identifies selected websites for maps of Iraq, including government, library, and organizational websites. Maps of the Middle East, Iraq, facilities used by U.S. forces in the Gulf, and U.S. government humanitarian assistance and reconstruction activities in Iraq are also provided.
Date: May 26, 2006
Creator: Fischer, Hannah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Service Records and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources

Description: This report is a guide to locating individual service records and military unit histories from the American Revolution to the present. This guide provides referral information for locating individual service records of discharged and deceased veterans. It includes information regarding locating and obtaining active service records. Also included are relevant addresses and websites of government agencies, historical associations, and a select bibliography.
Date: September 1, 2006
Creator: Gomez-Granger, Julissa & Klarman, Kim Walker
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Amendments: 109th Congress

Description: Enacted in 1966, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was designed to enable any person -- individual or corporate, regardless of citizenship -- to request, without explanation or justification, presumptive access to existing, identifiable, unpublished, executive branch agency records on any topic. The statute specified nine categories of information that may be permissibly exempted from the rule of disclosure. Disputes over the accessibility of requested records could be ultimately settled in… more
Date: September 22, 2006
Creator: Relyea, Harold C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Iraq: Map Sources

Description: This report identifies selected websites for maps of Iraq, including government, library, and organizational websites. Maps of the Middle East, Iraq, facilities used by U.S. forces in the Gulf, and U.S. government humanitarian assistance and reconstruction activities in Iraq are also provided.
Date: May 26, 2006
Creator: Fischer, Hannah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2590): Overview and Comparison with H.R. 5060

Description: In an attempt to expand oversight of federal spending, including earmarks, S. 2590 would provide the public with access to an online database containing information about entities that are awarded federal grants, loans, and contracts. This report summarizes S. 2590, compares it to H.R. 5060, and outlines the arguments in favor of the bill and those critical of it. The final section discusses the implications of using the Federal Assistance Award Data System (FAADS) and the Federal Procurement … more
Date: September 11, 2006
Creator: Hatch, Garrett L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of Veteran Affairs: Information Security and Information Technology Management Reorganization

Description: On May 3, 2006, the home of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data analyst was burglarized, resulting in the theft of a laptop computer and an external data storage device that was reported to contain personal information on more than 26 million veterans and United States military personnel. The VA Secretary testified that he was not informed of the incident until May 16, 2006, almost two weeks after the data had been stolen. VA publicly announced the theft on May 22. On June 29, VA announc… more
Date: August 14, 2006
Creator: Panangala, Sidath Viranga
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Critical Infrastructure: The National Asset Database

Description: The purpose of this report is to discuss the National Asset Database: what is in it, how it is populated, what the Database apparently is, what it is not, and how it is intended to be used. The report also discusses some of the issues on which Congress could focus its oversight, including appropriation bill language.
Date: September 14, 2006
Creator: Moteff, John D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Congressional Research Service and the American Legislative Process

Description: The Legislative Reference Service, it was charged with responding to congressional requests for information. For more than 50 years, this department assisted Congress primarily by providing facts and publications and by transmitting research and analysis done largely by other government agencies, private organizations, and individual scholars. In 1970, Congress enacted a law transforming the Legislative Reference Service into the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and directing CRS to devote … more
Date: June 14, 2006
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Countries of the World and International Organizations: Sources of Information

Description: This report provides a selection of materials for locating information on foreign countries and international organizations. In the general information section, it presents sources giving an overview of politics, economics, and recent history. A specialized information section cites sources on human rights, immigration, international organizations, military strengths, terrorism, and other topics. Included are titles of some of the most frequently consulted bibliographic sources that are availab… more
Date: August 8, 2006
Creator: Torreon, Barbara Salazar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Changing Demographic Profile of the United States

Description: As noted by the Population Reference Bureau, “The U.S. is getting bigger, older, and more diverse.” The objective of this report is to highlight some of the demographic changes that have already occurred since 1950 and to illustrate how these and future trends will reshape the nation in the decades to come (through 2050). This report discusses the current and projected demographic changes if policymakers accelerate efforts to address and adapt to the changing population profile as it relates to… more
Date: May 5, 2006
Creator: Shrestha, Laura B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Oversight of Dual-Use Biological Research: The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity

Description: This report discusses the risks involved in federally funding "dual-use" biological research, which can apply to the creation of both biological countermeasures and biological weapons, and the establishment of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) to aid in assessing these risk.
Date: March 28, 2006
Creator: Shea, Dana A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Government Access to Phone Calling Activity and Related Records: Legal Authorities

Description: This report summarizes statutory authorities regarding access by the Government, for either foreign intelligence or law enforcement purposes, to information related to telephone calling patterns or practices.
Date: May 17, 2006
Creator: Bazan, Elizabeth B.; Stevens, Gina Marie & Yeh, Brian T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Enterprise Architecture and E-Government: Issues for Information Technology Management

Description: This report discusses government efforts to increase efficiency. One approach being implemented to reduce duplicative spending and improve cross-agency collaboration is the use of enterprise architecture (EA) planning across the federal government. An EA serves as a blueprint of the business operations of an organization, and the information and technology needed to carry out these functions.
Date: May 10, 2006
Creator: Seifert, Jeffrey W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Sensitive but Unclassified" Information and Other Controls: Policy and Options for Scientific and Technical Information

Description: This report traces the evolution of "sensitive but unclassified" or SBU-related controls; summarizes actions taken to protect certain types of scientific and technical information; describes critiques of some control policies; and summarizes proposals and actions, including congressional, executive and other initiatives, to clarify these issues and develop policies that serve various stakeholders. It also raises issues that may warrant further attention.
Date: February 15, 2006
Creator: Knezo, Genevieve J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Balancing Scientific Publication and National Security Concerns: Issues for Congress

Description: There is a lack of consensus regarding the best method of balancing scientific publishing and national security. The current federal policy, as described in National Security Decision Directive 189, is that fundamental research should remain unrestricted and that in the rare case where it is necessary to restrict such information, classification is the appropriate vehicle to do so. Other mechanisms restrict international information flow, where Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and Intern… more
Date: February 2, 2006
Creator: Shea, Dana A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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