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open access

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

Description: Report that discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai to address corruption within the Afghan government. Election fraud and corruption in Afghanistan are also discussed.
Date: November 30, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
open access

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

Description: This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai, to address corruption within the Afghan government. The report also includes discussion of election fraud and corruption in Afghanistan.
Date: March 30, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
open access

Animal Waste and Water Quality: EPAā€™s Response to the Waterkeeper Alliance Court Decision on Regulation of CAFOs

Description: In October 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a regulation to revise a 2003 Clean Water Act rule governing waste discharges from large confined animal feeding operations. This report details the original 2003 rule, the Waterkeeper Alliance Decision and the EPA's 2008 revised rule.
Date: July 30, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
open access

The Army Corps of Engineers' Nationwide Permits Program: Issues and Regulatory Developments

Description: Permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorize various types of development projects in wetlands and other waters of the United States. The Corps' regulatory process involves two types of permits: general permits for actions by private landowners that are similar in nature and will likely have a minor effect on wetlands, and individual permits for more significant actions. The Corps uses general permits to minimize the burden of its regulatory program: they authorize landowners toā€¦ more
Date: January 30, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
open access

China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues

Description: Congress has long been concerned about whether U.S. policy advances the national interest in reducing the role of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missiles that could deliver them. China has taken some steps to mollify U.S. concerns about its role in weapons proliferation. Skeptics question whether China's cooperation in weapons nonproliferation has warranted President Bush's pursuit of stronger bilateral ties. This report discusā€¦ more
Date: March 30, 2012
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
open access

China's Rare Earth Industry and Export Regime: Economic and Trade Implications for the United States

Description: Over the past few years, the Chinese government has implemented a number of policies to tighten its control over the production and export of "rare earths"-a unique group of 17 metal elements on the periodic table that exhibit a range of special properties, such as magnetism, luminescence, and strength. Rare earths are important to a number of high technology industries, including renewable energy and various defense systems. This report examines the economic and trade implications of China's ā€¦ more
Date: April 30, 2012
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M. & Tang, Rachel
open access

Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session, Including Objections by Members of Congress

Description: Report that describes the steps which precede the joint session and the procedures set in the Constitution and statute by which the House and Senate jointly certify the results of the electoral vote. It also discusses the procedures set in law governing challenges to the validity of an electoral vote, and makes reference to the procedures followed during the joint session in 2005 by which the election of George W. Bush was certified.
Date: November 30, 2012
Creator: Maskell, Jack & Rybicki, Elizabeth
open access

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.
open access

Evaluating the Current Stance of Monetary Policy Using a Taylor Rule

Description: Oversight of the Federal Reserve's (Fed's) monetary policy decisions rests with Congress. But oversight is encumbered by the absence of a straightforward relationship between interest rates and economic performance. Further, the Fed's policy decisions are discretionary, meaning there is no objective, transparent ā€œyardstickā€ for evaluating their decisions. A simple rule of thumb guide to monetary policy decisions called a ā€œTaylor ruleā€ is an intuitive way to judge actual policy against some objeā€¦ more
Date: January 30, 2012
Creator: Labonte, Marc
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