Search Results

open access

Financial Regulatory Reform and the 111th Congress

Description: Financial regulatory reform is being discussed in the 111th Congress, the continuation of a policy debate that began before the September 2008 financial disruption. This report reviews issues related to financial regulation. It provides brief descriptions of comprehensive reform bills in the 111th Congress that addresses these issues.
Date: December 30, 2009
Creator: Murphy, Edward V.; Webel, Baird; Shorter, Gary & Hanna, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Terrorist Watchlist Checks and Air Passenger Prescreening

Description: This report discusses the controversy continues to surround U.S. air passenger prescreening and terrorist watchlist checks. In the past, such controversy centered around diverted international flights and misidentified passengers. Recent incidents raise new policy issues regarding the interaction between these broader terrorist databases and systems and the "No-Fly" and selectee lists, as well as the relationship between passenger prescreening processes.
Date: December 30, 2009
Creator: Krouse, William J. & Elias, Bart
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

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.
Date: December 24, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Agriculture and Forestry Provisions in Climate Legislation in the 111th Congress

Description: This report compares and contrasts the House's American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 and the Senate's Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. Both bills establish further regulations on greenhouse gases. The contention is that both of these bills potentially raise costs.
Date: December 23, 2009
Creator: Johnson, Renée
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: This report describes Congress's pursuit of postal reform, and summarizes the major provisions of the new postal reform law. The report also suggests PAEA-related oversight issues for Congress. President George W. Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA; P.L. 109-435; 120 Stat. 3198) on December 20, 2006. The PAEA was the first broad revision of the 1970 statute that replaced the U.S. Post Office with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), a self-supporting, independent ag… more
Date: December 14, 2009
Creator: Kosar, Kevin R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 111th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices

Description: The Endangered Species Act has been one of the more contentious environmental laws. This may stem from its strict substantive provisions, which can affect the use of both federal and nonfederal lands and resources. This report discusses oversight issues and legislation introduced in the 11th Congress to address Endangered Species Act implementation and management of endangered and threatened species.
Date: December 11, 2009
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne; Sheikh, Pervaze A.; Meltz, Robert & Alexander, Kristina
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

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.
Date: December 9, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 111th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices

Description: The Endangered Species Act has been one of the more contentious environmental laws. This may stem from its strict substantive provisions, which can affect the use of both federal and nonfederal lands and resources. This report discusses oversight issues and legislation introduced in the 11th Congress to address Endangered Species Act implementation and management of endangered and threatened species.
Date: December 4, 2009
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne; Sheikh, Pervaze A.; Meltz, Robert & Alexander, Kristina
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Lobbying the Executive Branch: Current Practices and Options for Change

Description: This report outlines the development of registration requirements for lobbyists engaging executive branch officials since 1995. It also summarizes steps taken by the Obama Administration to limit and monitor lobbying of the executive branch; discusses the development and implementation of restrictions placed on lobbying for Recovery Act and Emergency Economic Stabilization Act funds; examines the Obama Administration's decision to stop appointing lobbyists to federal advisory bodies and committ… more
Date: December 1, 2009
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Lobbying the Executive Branch: Current Practices and Options for Change

Description: This report outlines the development of registration requirements for lobbyists engaging executive branch officials since 1995, as well as several other related issues.
Date: December 1, 2009
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The German Economy and U.S.-German Economic Relations

Description: This report first examines Germany's economic performance in historical perspective and assesses some of the domestic factors that may be contributing to Germany's suboptimal performance; the second discusses the reform challenges facing Germany's political leaders; and the third section evaluates a few salient U.S.-German economic policy differences and strains that seem to be influenced by Germany's weakened economic situation.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Ahearn, Raymond J. & Belkin, Paul
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Piracy off the Horn of Africa

Description: This report discusses recent (2008-2009) pirate attacks on vessels, including United States vessels, in the waters off the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa is sometimes called the Somali Peninsula and includes the nations of Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia. This report explores reasons behind the increased number of pirate attacks in recent years, as well as what efforts are being taken to combat said attacks, including those by the 111th Congress and President Obama and his Administ… more
Date: November 28, 2009
Creator: Ploch, Lauren; Blanchard, Christopher M.; O'Rourke, Ronald; Mason, R. Chuck & King, Rawle O.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Financial Market Supervision: Canada's Perspective

Description: This report presents an overview of Canada's financial system and its supervisory framework and draws some distinctions between that system and the current U.S. framework.
Date: November 25, 2009
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Comparison of Rights in Military Commission Trials and Trials in Federal Criminal Court

Description: This report provides a brief summary of legal issues raised by the choice of forum for trying accused terrorists and a table comparing selected military commissions rules under the Military Commissions Act, as amended, to the corresponding rules that apply in federal court.
Date: November 19, 2009
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Exon-Florio National Security Test for Foreign Investment

Description: This report covers the recent background of the Exon-Florio provision with special regards to issues faced in the 112th Congress. The Exon-Florio provision grants the President the authority to block proposed or pending foreign acquisitions of "persons engaged in interstate commerce in the United States" that threaten to impair the national security.
Date: November 6, 2009
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Farm-to-Food Price Dynamics

Description: This report discusses about Farm to food dynamics. It also discusses about an array of cost that are layered on top of the price of a raw agricultural commodity at each stage of the marketing chain as it moves to the consumer.
Date: November 6, 2009
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Status of the Copenhagen Climate Change Negotiations

Description: This report evaluates the Copenhagen climate talks, including the status of the negotiations on the key issues under the formal negotiating tracks and the provisions of the Copenhagen Accord, and draws implications for the implementation of actions in developing countries.
Date: November 5, 2009
Creator: Leggett, Jane A. & Lattanzio, Richard K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Terrorism Information Sharing and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Report Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report describes the Nationwide SAR Initiative (NSI), the rationale for the sharing of terrorism-related Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), and how the NSI seeks to achieve this objective. It examines the privacy and civil liberties concerns raised by the initiative and identifies other oversight issues for Congress.
Date: November 5, 2009
Creator: Randol, Mark A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 111th Congress

Description: This report discusses Congressional debate of comprehensive immigration reform and other immigration-related issues that have seen legislative action or are of significant congressional interest.
Date: November 4, 2009
Creator: Bruno, Andorra; Ester, Karma; Haddal, Chad C.; Kim, Yule; Lee, Margaret Mikyung; Siskin, Alison et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Back to Top of Screen