Congressional Research Service Reports - 2,221 Matching Results
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- Capital Punishment
- This report is about Capital Punishment.
- Oil Shale Development in the West: Outlook, Current Activities, and Constraints
- This report discusses the technology base for processing oil shale, the outlook and constraints facing potential shale oil producers, the environmental and regulatory concerns associated with shale development.
- Parental Kidnaping
- This report addresses the issue of parental kidnaping.
- Marihuana Control
- This report addresses the issue of marihuana control
- Agriculture: Proposed Revisions in Federal Disaster Assistance
- This report is about the proposed revisions in federal disaster assistance for the agriculture field.
- Gasoline: Public opinion on the shortage
- This report gives details about the opinion polls on the shortages and on the possible actions to meet the shortage can illuminate Public views on the debate.
- Nuclear Power: Three Mile Island Accident-- Congressional Rseponse and Investigations
- This report contains background information and investigations regarding the Three Mile Island nuclear power accident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It also shows the President's Commission and overall chronology of Committee responses on one of the largest nuclear power plant accident.
- Afghanistan: Soviet Invasion and U.S. Response
- The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan has raised a number of serious issues and choices for the United States. The train of events seem likely to have an important influence on overall American foreign policy in the 1980s. Reassessment of Soviet motives and of U.S. roles in the world are already in progress. Emerging American attitudes, in turn, will shape more specific policy decisions on several issues, which this issue brief discusses.
- Child Welfare and Family Problems: Legislation and Issues in the 97th Congress
- This issue brief contains a discussion of the evolution of existing child and family related social services programs.
- Abortion: Public opinion
- This report gives details aboutpublic opinions on abortion.
- Comprehensive Employment and Training Act Budget for FY82
- This report covers the impact of revisions for the 1982 fiscal year budget set in place by President Ronald Reagan.
- China-U.S. Trade
- The improved political relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), initiated by the Nixon Administration and furthered by the Carter Administration's decision to establish diplomatic relations, has spurred a rapid increase in Sino-U.S. trade. While still small relative to overall U.S. foreign trade, the volume of trade represents an abrupt shift from the no-trade policy that had been pursued since 1950. Despite the rapid expansion, outstanding issues remain as serious barriers to normalized trade. Resolution of those issues may require concession or accommodations by the Chinese leadership as well as action by both the U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch. However, the development of a new approach to foreign economic relations by the post-Mao Chinese leadership and the establishment of diplomatic relations have laid the ground work for a further expansion of commercial relations.
- Congressional Veto of Executive Actions
- Statutory provisions by which Congress authorizes a Federal program to be administered by the Executive but retains the legal authority to disapprove all or part of the program before final implementation have become increasingly frequent in recent years. These statutory provisions which subject a variety of proposed executive actions to congressional review are commonly known as "congressional veto" devices.
- Proposals for Revision of the Communications Act of 1934: Telecommunications Issues
- No Description Available.
- Are High Interest Rates a Threat to Sustained Economic Recovery?
- This report is on Are High-Interest Rates a Threat to Sustained Economic Recovery?
- War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance
- No Description Available.
- Congressional Ethics in the 98th Congress
- This report describes Congressional Ethics in the 98th Congress.
- African Famine: U.S. Response
- This report discusses the 1985 African famine situation, especially regarding U.S. emergency assistance at a time of U.S. domestic budgetary restraints, the adequacy of U.S. measures for monitoring and anticipating food emergencies, and the scale and nature of U.S. agricultural development programs intended to prevent future famines.
- Constitutional Conventions: Political and Legal Questions
- This report discusses the applications that have been passed by 32 of the necessary 34 State legislatures to convene a convention to propose an amendment prohibiting abortion. Because this process for amending the Constitution has never been used, several unresolved legal and policy questions arise governing the convening and the authority of such a convention.
- Budget Deficits: Causes, Effects and Some Remedial Options
- In 1981 Congress enacted extensive changes in taxing and spending policies that supporters of these changes expected to generate sufficient revenues, despite a series of tax rate cuts, to balance the budget by FY84. After the onset of recession in early 1982, however, the Reagan Administration's projections showed widening budget deficits, which culminated in an actual FY83 deficit of $195.4 billion. Despite enactment of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, and, more recently, the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, large deficits are expected to persist, even under continued favorable economic conditions, unless Federal taxing and spending policies are altered dramatically.
- Costa Rica: U.S. Foreign Assistance Facts
- This issue brief provides basic information on the U.S. aid program and on the general situation in Costa Rica. It is one in a series on U.S. assistance to key countries.
- Campaign Financing
- This is one report in the series of reports that discuss the campaign finance practices and related issues. Concerns over financing federal elections have become a seemingly perennial aspect of our political system, centered on the enduring issues of high campaign costs and reliance on interest groups for needed campaign funds. The report talks about the today’s paramount issues such as perceived loopholes in current law and the longstanding issues: overall costs, funding sources, and competition.
- The Persian Gulf and the U.S. Naval Presence: Issues for Congress
- No Description Available.
- AIDS: International Problems and Issues
- This issue brief discusses the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) virus and its effects on the world, especially with regard to the welfare of developing nations and various facets of general international relations. Also discussed are the related issues for Congress and U.S. contributions to international AIDS relief efforts led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- The Labor Market of the 1980s: Unemployment Omens in a Growing Economy
- This report provides discussion over the nature of job growth, the labor market of the 1980s, and the skill and pay ladder.
- The Labor Market of the 1980s: Unemployment Omens in a Growing Economy
- This report provides discussion over the nature of job growth, the labor market of the 1980s, and the skill and pay ladder.
- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Military Manpower Policy
- This issue brief will discuss issues dealing with military manpower policy and the AIDS virus, including the level of the AIDS infection or HIV infection rates in the military; efforts to control the spread of AIDS to and among military personnel; and AIDS in the context of military personnel stationed overseas.
- Japanese-U.S. Trade Relations: Cooperation or Confrontation?
- With Japan the United States has had one of its most important, and, at the same time, one of its most difficult, trading rela- tionships. Japan ranks second to Canada as the largest U.S. export market. It is also the largest single source of imports to the United States.
- Japanese-U.S. Trade Relations: Cooperation or Confrontation?
- With Japan the United States has had one of its most important and most difficult trading relationships. Japan ranks second to Canada as the largest U.S. export market. It is also the second largest single source of imports to the United States. Trade issues are likely to become even more important as the whole U.S.-Japanese relationship changes in the post-Cold War period. How each country views and reacts to the other is changing as economic issues replace foreign policy and national security issues as the driving force of the relationship.
- Global Climate Change
- This report details the information related to Global Climate Change. The contents include the Greenhouse effect and Global warming, Greenhouse gases, international action, and Congressional interest and activities.
- Japanese-U.S. Trade Relations: Cooperation or Confrontation?
- No Description Available.
- Chinese Missile and Nuclear Proliferation: Issues for Congress
- Congressional Research Service: Issue Brief October 20, 1993 Chinese Missile and Nuclear Proliferation: Issues for Congress By Shirley A. Kan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Divisi
- Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress in the 1990s
- No Description Available.
- Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress in the 1990s
- No Description Available.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- The growing U.S. trade imbalance with China, and alleged Chinese unfair trade practices, have become of major concern to many U.S. policymakers. Over the past few years, the U.S. trade deficit with China has grown at a faster rate than that of any other major U.S. trading partner. In 1993, the U.S. trade deficit with China totalled $22.8 billion, the second largest U.S. bilateral trade imbalance after Japan. Many trade analysts have attributed the growing U.S.-China trade deficit to a variety of Chinese restrictive trade practices. Other areas of concern to the United States have included China's alleged violation of U.S. intellectual property rights, transshipments of textiles to the United States in violation of U.S. textile quotas, and China's alleged use of forced labor for products exported to the United States.
- Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress in the 1990s
- Japan-U.S. relations are more uncertain and subject to greater strain today than at any time since World War II. Longstanding military allies and increasingly interdependent economic partners, Japan and the United States have worked closely together to build a strong, multifaceted relationship based on democratic values and interests in world stability and development. But Japan today is our foremost economic and technological competitor.
- Chinese Missile and Nuclear Proliferation: Issues for Congress
- Congressional Research Service: Chinese Missile and Nuclear Proliferation: Issues for Congress
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- U.S.-China economic ties have expanded substantially over the past several years. China is now the third largest U.S. trading partner, its second largest source of imports, and its fourth largest export market. However, U.S.-China commercial ties have been strained by a number of issues, including a surging U.S. trade deficit with China, China's refusal to float its currency, and failure to fully comply with its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments, especially its failure to provide protection for U.S. intellectual property rights (IPR). This report explores these issues in detail, especially concerning the lack of protection for U.S. IPR.
- Space Stations
- Congress continues to debate NASA's Europe, Japan, and Canada to build the plan to build a permanently occupied space station. They plan to provide station. Controversial since its inception in 1984, the space station, called Freedom for many years, was redesigned several times. Now it is tentatively called Alpha.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- U.S.-China economic ties have expanded substantially over the past several years. China is now the third largest U.S. trading partner, its second largest source of imports, and its fourth largest export market. However, U.S.-China commercial ties have been strained by a number of issues, including a surging U.S. trade deficit with China, China's refusal to float its currency, and failure to fully comply with its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments, especially its failure to provide protection for U.S. intellectual property rights (IPR). This report explores these issues in detail, especially concerning the lack of protection for U.S. IPR.
- Chinese Missile and Nuclear Proliferation: Issues for Congress
- The President has identified proliferation as a primary danger to U.S. security interests. China has contributed to the danger by providing nuclear weapons technology to Pakistan, and other nuclear technology to Iran and Algeria. China has also supplied CSS-2 intermediate-range ballistic missiles to Saudi Arabia, Silkworm anti-ship missiles to Iran and Iraq, and ballistic missile technology to Pakistan and perhaps Iran, North Korea, and others. China developed the mobile, solid-fuel M-9 and M-11 short-range ballistic missiles reportedly with Pakistan, Syria, and Iran as interested buyers.
- Chinese Missile and Nuclear Proliferation: Issues for Congress
- The President has identified proliferation as a primary danger to U.S. security interests. China has contributed to the danger by providing nuclear weapons technology to Pakistan, and other nuclear technology to Iran and Algeria. China has also supplied CSS-2 intermediate range ballistic missiles to Saudi Arabia, Silkworm anti-ship missiles to Iran and Iraq, and ballistic missile technology to Pakistan and perhaps Iran, North Korea and others. China developed the mobile, solid-fuel M-9 and M-11 short range ballistic missiles reportedly with Pakistan, Syria, and Iran as interested buyers.
- Nuclear Weapons Testing and Negotiation of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
- A nuclear test ban is the oldest item on the nuclear arms control agenda; Congress has debated the issue since the start of the nuclear age. Three treaties limit testing to underground only, with a maximum force equal to 150,000 tons of TNT.
- Fossil Energy Research and Development: Whither Coal?
- This report discusses Fossil Energy Research and Development: Whither Coal.
- Cooperative R&D: Federal Efforts to Promote Industrial Competitiveness
- In response to the foreign challenge in the global marketplace, the United States Congress has explored ways to stimulate technological advancement in the private sector. The government has supported various efforts to promote cooperative research and development activities among industry, universities, and the federal R&D establishment designed to increase the competitiveness of American industry and to encourage the generation of new products, processes, and services. Among the issues before Congress are whether joint ventures contribute to industrial competitiveness and what role, if any, the government has in facilitating such arrangements.
- Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy
- Concern has been growing that the pace of U.S. technological advancement is declining, with negative consequences for U.S. economic growth, productivity, and international competitiveness. Because technology can contribute to economic growth and productivity increases, congressional interest has focused on how to augment private sector technological development. Legislative activity over the past decade has created a policy for technology development, albeit an ad hoc one. Because of the lack of consensus on the scope and direction of a national policy, Congress has taken an incremental approach aimed at creating new mechanisms to facilitate technological advancement in particular areas and making changes and improvements as necessary.
- Global Climate Change
- This report discusses the effect of human activities on global climate change. Human activities, particularly burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other trace gases, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane, and nitrous oxide.
- Executive Branch Reorganization
- This issue brief views reorganization as involving the alteration and relocation of both programs and the administrative structure of the executive branch for reasons of efficiency, economy, and direction. The underlying issue is who reorganizes--Congress or the President--and by what authority and, also, for what purpose? Some other related administrative and management reforms are tracked as well.
- The Role of Risk Analysis and Risk Management in Environmental Protection
- No Description Available.
- Drug Control: International Policy and Options
- Over the past decade, worldwide production of illicit drugs has risen dramatically: opium and marijuana production has roughly doubled and coca production tripled. Street prices of cocaine and heroin have fallen significantly in the past 20 years, reflecting increased availability. Despite apparent national political resolve to deal with the drug problem, inherent contradictions regularly appear between U.S. anti-drug policy and other national policy goals and concerns. The mix of competing domestic and international pressures and priorities has produced an ongoing series of disputes within and between the legislative and executive branches concerning U.S. international drug policy. One contentious issue has been the Congressionally-mandated certification process, an instrument designed to induce specified drug-exporting countries to prioritize or pay more attention to the fight against narcotics businesses.