Congressional Research Service Reports - 950 Matching Results
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- Tracking Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Basic Sources
- This report introduces selected basic sources that are useful in obtaining background information or specific facts on the status of federal legislative or regulatory initiatives. It includes telephone, online, and media sources are included, as well as pertinent directories, such as those of organizations that track areas of interest. Annotations describing each source's contents and organization are included so that researchers can select those that most closely fit their needs. Internet addresses usually provide information about the items, rather than access to them.
- Adjusting Federal Benefits for Geographic Differences in the Cost of Living
- This report discusses the indexing provisions in relation to geographic location. Moreover, the report further summarizes how the consumer price index does not cover interarea cost of living comparisons.
- The African Union
- This report summaries the history of the African Union (AU) from the Organization of African unity (OAU) and the functionality of the AU. Specifically, the report claims that the main difference between the AU and the OAU is that the AU places more emphasis on economic growth and development.
- The Financial Outlook for Social Security and Medicare
- This report provides a financial outlook for social security and medicare programs.
- Government Spending or Tax Reduction: Which Might Add More Stimulus to the Economy?
- This report provides discusses about Government Spending or Tax Reduction and check which adds more Stimulus to the Economy. This report also consider that issues in the context of conventional economic analysis.
- Additional Standard Tax Deduction for the Elderly: A Description and Assessment
- This report briefly summarizes the history, reasoning, and current tax deductions (as of May 7th 2008) for the elderly. The report suggests that the current tax deduction for both the elderly and the blind will result in the loss of 9 billion in tax revenue. Moreover, the report suggests that corrections could be made with alternative solutions.
- The Financial Outlook for Social Security and Medicare
- This report provides an overview of the financial outlook for social security and medicare programs.
- The Financial Outlook for Social Security and Medicare
- This report provides an overview of the financial outlook for social security and Medicare
- Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties for Inflation
- This report summarizes and discusses potential adjustments in civil monetary penalties. The report covers the history of both legislation and enforcement on this issue which is central to the deciding how to enforce civil monetary penalties. The report identifies three courses of action that include either maintaining the status quo, adjusting civil monetary penalty maximums through legislation, or implementing some of the recommendations in the General Accounting Office's (GAO) report.
- Lobbying Regulations on Non-Profit Organizations
- This report is intended to provide a brief overview of the various potential restrictions or regulations on lobbying activities of non-profit organizations. Public charities, social welfare organizations, religious groups, and other non-profit, tax-exempt organizations are not generally prohibited from engaging in all lobbying or public policy advocacy merely because of their tax-exempt status.
- Tracking Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Basic Sources
- This report introduces selected basic sources that are useful in obtaining background information or specific facts on the status of federal legislative or regulatory initiatives. It includes telephone, online, and media sources are included, as well as pertinent directories, such as those of organizations that track areas of interest. Annotations describing each source's contents and organization are included so that researchers can select those that most closely fit their needs. Internet addresses usually provide information about the items, rather than access to them.
- Current Economic Conditions and Selected Forecasts
- U.S. real GDP growth has been positive for 18 consecutive quarters, and the economy is considered to be in an "expansion" phase. As of the second quarter of 2006, real or inflation-adjusted growth was nearly 16% above its previous high near the end of the 1991-2001 expansion. This report contains information on current economic conditions, the posture of fiscal and monetary policy, economic forecasts, and related information.
- Lobbying Regulations on Non-Profit Organizations
- This report is intended to provide a brief overview of the various potential restrictions, rules or regulations upon lobbying activities of non-profit organizations.
- The Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program: Status and Issues
- This report discusses the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program by the Department of Energy (DOE). Furthermore, the report establishes the program as giving loans to businesses in the automotive industry to make new factories or redesign old ones to produce vehicles that achieve at least 25% higher fuel economy than vehicles from 2005. The report also covers the spending on the program and the requirements to receive a loan.
- Emerging Markets: Is Slower Growth Temporary?
- This report discusses the growing vulnerabilities Emerging market (EM) countries are facing due to declining global trade, depreciating currencies, sharply lower commodity prices, volatile equity markets, and deeper economic reforms.
- The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
- 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.
- Reporting Requirements in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
- This report describes the various reporting requirements in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) and is organized according to the entities required to prepare and submit the reports. It also provides some concluding observations regarding those requirements.
- Current Economic Conditions and Selected Forecasts
- This report contains information about the economy including an overview of the current economic conditions, fiscal and monetary policies, forecasts for 2008-2009, and other topics related to economic growth.
- Inequality in the Distribution of Income: Trends and International Comparisons
- This report examines the distribution of income in the United States, including factors that may help explain it, how it has changed over time, and how it compares with those of other countries.
- Russia's Economic Performance and Policies and Their Implications for the United States
- 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.
- The Cost of Government Financial Interventions, Past and Present
- The results of previous government financial interventions are summarized in this report. In response to ongoing financial turmoil that began in the subprime mortgage-backed securities market, the federal government has intervened with private corporations on a large scale and in an ad hoc manner three times from the beginning of 2008 through September 19, 2008.
- The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy
- 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.
- Reporting Requirements in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
- This report describes the various reporting requirements in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) and is organized according to the entities required to prepare and submit the reports. The report also provides some concluding observations regarding those requirements.
- Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States
- This report includes background information on Bolivia's political unrest, particularly regarding instability in shifting leaderships, economic situation, and relations with the United States.
- Turkmenistan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests
- This report examines Turkmenistan's halting economic and political reforms under the authoritarian leadership of President Saparmurad Niyazov. It discusses U.S. policy and assistance, including support for grassroots democratization and advocacy for human rights, and provides basic facts and biographical information.
- Economic Slowdown: Issues and Policies
- This report first discusses the current state of the economy, including measures that have already been taken by the monetary authorities, and assesses the need for and potential consequences of fiscal stimulus. The second part of the report reviews the proposals discussed during debate on the recently enacted fiscal stimulus, both those adopted and those considered but not adopted.
- Financial Market Intervention
- This report provides answers to some frequently asked questions concerning ongoing financial disruptions and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). It also summarizes legislation in the 111th Congress such as H.R. 384, the TARP Reform and Accountability Act of 2009 and H.R. 703, "Promoting Bank Liquidity and Lending Through Deposit Insurance, Hope for Homeowners, and other Enhancements."
- Economic Effects of the FY2014 Shutdown
- This report provides an info-graphic discussing the economic effects of the FY2014 shutdown.
- Emergency Economic Stabilization Act: Preliminary Analysis of Oversight Provisions
- This report discusses the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which provides authority for the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase and insure "troubled assets" to provide stability and prevent disruption in the economy and financial system.
- U.S. Trade in Services: Trends and Policy Issues
- This report provides background information and analysis on U.S. international trade in services, as well as policy issues before the United States. The report also examines emerging issues and current negotiations, including the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP).
- China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States
- This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise for the United States.
- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
- This report provides a background on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental economic organization in which the 30 member countries discuss, develop and analyze economic and social policy and shares expertise and exchanges with more than 70 developing and emerging economies.
- Running Deficits: Positives and Pitfalls
- This report discusses how deficit finance can help governments manage their economies and how large and persistent deficits can lead to severe economic problems.
- Agriculture, Nutrition, and Rural Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009
- This report analyzes the agriculture, nutrition, and rural provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5). The ARRA boosts government spending on various infrastructure programs and government benefits programs, and offers individual and business tax benefits.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- This report provides an overview of U.S.-China commercial relations, including major trade disputes.
- Legislation Eliminating the Federal Reserve's Surplus
- The Fed retains some of its profits in a surplus account, which currently has a balance of $29.3 billion. This report discusses H.Amdt. 824 to the highway bill (H.R. 22) and H.R. 3189, which would permanently eliminate the surplus.
- Federal Reserve: Oversight and Disclosure Issues
- This report provides an overview of existing Fed oversight and disclosure practices. It also considers the potential impact of greater oversight and disclosure on the Fed's independence and its ability to achieve its macroeconomic and financial stability goals.
- Discriminatory Pricing and the Robinson- Patman Act: Brief Background and Analysis
- This report discusses the Robinson-Patman (R-P) Act, which makes it unlawful, with certain exceptions, to knowingly sell goods "in commerce," for use or sale within the United States, at differing prices to contemporaneous buyers of those goods.
- Current Economic Conditions and Selected Forecasts
- This report contains information about the economy including an overview of the current economic conditions, fiscal and monetary policies, forecasts for 2008-2009, and other topics related to economic growth.
- China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States
- This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise.
- Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions
- This report discusses two of the four major responsibilities of the Federal Reserve (Fed) as the nation's central bank: execution of monetary policy and ensuring financial stability through the lender of last resort function. This report provides an overview of these mandates and activities, recent developments, and the role of Congressional oversight.
- Puerto Rico's Current Fiscal Challenges: In Brief
- This report discusses the current state of Puerto Rico's public finances. Puerto Rico faces several fiscal hurdles in 2015. Concerns regarding the sustainability of Puerto Rico's public finances have intensified over the past year, despite several measures taken by the island's government to reduce spending, increase revenues, and restructure its obligations.
- Federal Reserve: Emergency Lending
- This report provides a review of the history of Section 13(3) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act; P.L. 111-203), including its use in 2008. It discusses the Federal Reserve's (Fed's) authority under Section 13(3) before and after the Dodd-Frank Act. It then discusses policy issues and legislation to amend Section 13(3).
- Globalized Supply Chains and U.S. Policy
- This report discusses the challenges and opportunities raised by the globalized world of business, in which production becomes fragmented into discrete activities that can be spread geographically within and across national borders while remaining integrated organizationally within a multinational company or network of companies. Such globalized production networks are called supply chains or value-added networks.
- Financing the U.S. Trade Deficit
- This report provides an overview of the U.S. balance of payments, an explanation of the broader role of capital flows in the U.S. economy, an explanation of how the country finances its trade deficit or a trade surplus, and the implications for Congress and the country of the large inflows of capital from abroad.
- The Financial Crisis: Impact on and Response by The European Union
- This report discusses the global financial crisis and resulting geopoligical situation in detail. It also discusses individual efforts by both the U.S. and European Union (EU) to combat the effects of the crisis by attempting to resolve the financial crisis while stimulating domestic demand to stem the economic downturn.
- Is Global Growth Slowing?
- This report discusses concerns about a slowdown in the global economy, particularly in China and other emerging markets. Some projections indicate that global economic growth in 2016 could be slightly weaker for emerging markets, primarily Latin America, and developed economies, except the United States and the United Kingdom.
- Powering Africa: Challenges of and U.S. Aid for Electrification in Africa
- This report discusses the Power Africa initiative; policy problems and challenges related to power sector development in Africa; long-term perspectives on energy poverty, need, and future development; and raises some possible oversight questions and issues for Congress.
- Current Economic Conditions and Selected Forecasts
- This report contains information regarding the Current Economic Conditions, Recent Macroeconomic Developments, Posture of Monetary and Fiscal Policy, Summary of Current Developments, Sources of GDP Growth, Economic Forecasts 2001, and Promotion of Economic Growth.
- Proposals for a Congressional Commission on the Financial Crisis: A Comparative Analysis
- This report provides a comparative analysis of six proposed congressional advisory commissions that would investigate various aspects of the recent financial crisis and economic downturn. The report specifically discusses the membership structure, appointment structure, rules of procedure and operation, duties and reporting requirements, powers of the commission, staffing issues, and funding.