Congressional Research Service Reports - 111 Matching Results
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- The Refugee Problem in the Arab-Israeli
- This report documents the start, consequences, and outcomes of the Arab-Israeli situation in Palestine.
- Recent Developments in the Area of Religious Exercises in Public Schools and Other Public Places
- This report addresses the recent developments in the area of religious exercises in public schools and other public places.
- Conscientious Objection and the Constitution: "Welsh v. United States" and Beyond
- This report discusses the Supreme Court case "Welsh v. United States" which considered the question of what constituted a religious belief that merited recognition as a conscientious objector. A judicial history of cases related to conscientious objection, analysis of the "Welsh" case, and Congressional options for dealing with the question of conscientious objection requirements are included.
- Recent Developments in the Area of Religious Activities in Public Schools and Other Public Places
- This report discusses legislation and court rulings governing religious activity in public schools and other public property and discusses recent changes to policy in a variety of court cases.
- Recent Developments in the Area of Religious Activities in Public Schools and Other Public Places
- This report discusses Supreme Court decisions related to religious activities in public schools and on public land and provides analysis of each cases main arguments and effects.
- Prayer and Religion in the Public Schools: What is, and is not, Permitted
- This report summarizes what religious activities are, and are not, permitted in public schools as a result of the decisions of various acts and their interpretation in subsequent litigation.
- Public Aid to Church Related Colleges: An Analysis of Roemer v. Board of Public Works of Maryland
- This report is on Public Aid to Church-Related Colleges: An Analysis of Roemer v. Board of Public Works of Maryland. This report will summarize the Roemer case and analyze its constitutional implications.
- The Constitutionality of the Withdrawal of All Federal Court Jurisdiction Over Questions Involving State-Sponsored Prayer in Public Schools and Public Buildings
- This report discusses several court decisions regarding the constitutionality of the withdrawal of all Federal Court Jurisdiction over questions involving state-sponsored prayer in Public Schools and Public Buildings.
- Prayer and Religion in the Public Schools: What Is, and Is Not, Permitted
- Few areas of constitutional law have proven to be as controversial and as subject to misinterpretation as that concerning the constitutionality of government-sponsored religious activities in public schools. In the last three decades the Supreme Court in five decisions and the State arid lower Federal courts in dozens of related decisions have attempted to articulate the 1 / meaning of the religion clauses of the First ~mendment- for a variety of such activities, including State-sponsored prayer, Bible reading, and religious teaching. Notwithstanding continuing political controversy over many of these decisions, they provide a fairly consistent interpretation and application of the First Amendment.
- School Prayer
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) report entailing information about school prayer. Topics include, proposed amendments, news articles, coverage of the issue of school prayer from 1962 to 1982, etc..
- Legal Analysis of President Reagan's Proposed Constitutional Amendment on School Prayer
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) report for Congress entailing a legal analysis of President Reagan's proposed constitutional amendment on school prayers. Topics include, interpretation of the first amendment, prayer activities in schools, supreme court decisions etc..
- Supreme Court: Church-State Cases, October 1983 Term
- This report provides an assessment of Supreme Court cases from the 1983-85 Term that involve issues involving the free exercise of religion. It provides a detailed review of the case Lynch v. Donnelly, and brief descriptions of twelve other cases that have not been reviewed.
- The School Prayer Controversy: Pro-Con Arguments
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) report entailing information about pro-con arguments in regards to the school prayer controversy. Topics include, background an policy analysis, hearings, reports and congressional documents, etc..
- The School Prayer Controversy: Pro-Con Arguments
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) report entailing information about pro-con arguments in regards to the school prayer controversy. Topics include, background an policy analysis, hearings, reports and congressional documents, etc..
- Legislative Prayer and School Prayer: The Constitutional Difference
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) report entailing the Constitutional difference between legislative prayer and school prayer. Topics include, descriptions of both types of prayer, their distinctions, and a conclusion on the matter.
- Legislative Prayer and School Prayer: The Constitutional Difference
- The Supreme Court's decisions holding government-sponsored prayer in the public schools to violate the First Amendment's establishment clause but prayer in legislative assemblies to be constitutional are sometimes lifted up as contradictory. This report summarizes the relevant decisions and identifies the distinctions the Court has drawn between the two situations.
- The Law of Church and State: The Proposed Religious Freedom Amendment, H.J. Res. 78
- This report summarizes legislative developments on the proposal and briefly analyzes its likely legal effect if added to the Constitution.
- China's Treatment of Religious Practices
- From abstract: This report provides a brief background on religions in the People's Republic of China and discusses official Chinese government attitudes toward religious observance.
- The Religious Freedom Amendment: H.J. Res. 78, As Reported by the House Judiciary Committee
- This report details the legislative, political, and legal contexts of H.J.Res 78 (Religious Freedom Amendment) and analyzes its legal effect.
- Russia’s Religion Law: Assessments and Implications
- This short report provides an overview and assessment of the Russian religion law. On September 26, 1997, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the religion bill into law, and implementing regulations were promulgated in early 1998. The Administration and Congress have raised concerns that the law may restrict religion and have urged Russia to uphold its international commitments to religious freedom.
- Russia's Religion Law: Assessments and Implications
- This short report provides an overview and assessment of Russian religion law. On September 26, 1997, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the religion bill into law, and implementing regulations were promulgated in early 1998. The Administration and Congress have raised concerns that the law may restrict religion and have urged Russia to uphold its international commitments to religious freedom. The FY1998 Foreign Aid Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-118) prohibits the Freedom Support Act aid to Russia unless the President determines and certifies that the Russian government has not discriminated against religious groups in violation of its international commitments. The determination was released on May 26, 1998, finding that Russia has not violated such commitments, but that U.S. officials would continue to monitor the situation.
- Immigration-Related Provisions of Selected Bills on Religious Persecution
- This report analyzes immigration-related provisions of H.R. 2431, the “Freedom from Religious Persecution Act,” as passed by the House on May 14, 1998, and S. 1868, the “International Religious Freedom Act,” as introduced in the Senate.
- The Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Its Rise, Fall, and Current Status
- This report briefly summarizes Employment Division, Oregon Department of Human Resources v. Smith, the legislative history of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the Supreme Court's decision in City of Boerne, Texas v. Flores, and RFRA's current legal status, and notes the introduction of the Religious Liberty Protection Act (RLPA).
- Religious Persecution Abroad: Congressional Concerns and Actions
- The 105 Congress has sought to raise the priority of combating religious persecution worldwide among U.S. foreign policy objectives. The difficulty has been in agreeing on legislation that would effectively deal with religious persecution without adversely affecting other important U.S. interests. On May 14, 1998, the House passed H.R. 2431 (the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act of 1998) establishing in the State Department a Director of the Office of Religious Persecution Monitoring who is to issue an annual report assessing religious persecution abroad. The legislation places sanctions on countries and groups that carry out or permit such activities. The Senate may soon consider S. 1868 establishing an office in the Department of State to monitor religious persecution headed by an Ambassador at Large and requiring the President to take some action from a broad list of options against countries found engaging in or tolerating religious persecution.
- Immigration-Related Provisions of the ”International Religious Freedom Act” (p. l. 105-292)
- Report on the International Religious Freedom Act and how it affects asylum-based immigration, including training, guidelines, studies of expedited removal, and the exclusion of religious persecutors.
- Special Provisions for Religion in the Tax Code
- This report lists a number of tax provisions which accommodate religious groups in a special way. There is no attempt to analyze these provisions, other than to briefly note the special treatment.
- Afghanistan: Connections to Islamic Movements In Central and South Asia and Southern Russia
- After several years of relative peace in Central Asia and southern Russia, Islamic extremist movements have become more active in Russia and in Central and South Asia, threatening stability in the region. Although numerous factors might account for the upsurge in activity, several of these movements appear to have connections to the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These linkages raise questions about whether the United States, as part of a broader effort to promote peace and stability in the region, should continue to engage the Taliban regime, or strongly confront it. This report will be updated as events warrant.
- The Law of Church and State: Public Aid to Sectarian Schools
- One of the most difficult issues of constitutional law concerns the extent to which the establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment imposes constraints on the provision of public aid to private sectarian schools. This report gives a brief overview of the evolution of the Court’s interpretation of the establishment clause in this area and itemizes the categories of aid that have been addressed by the Court and held to be constitutionally permissible or impermissible, both at the elementary and secondary school level and at the college level.
- Prayer and Religion in the Public Schools: What Is, and Is Not, Permitted
- This report summarizes each of the Supreme Courts decisions in regard to instances of prayer and religion in public schools. The report gives a detailed overview of what has been held to be constitutionally permissible and constitutionally forbidden, and describes two issues as yet unsettled.
- House and Senate Chaplains
- This report discusses the two chaplains, one in the House, the other in the Senate, who are the official clergy of Congress. At the beginning of each Congress, the House chaplain is elected for a 2-year term. The Senate chaplain does not have to be reelected at the beginning of a new Congress. There have been 61 Senate chaplains and 59 House chaplains.
- Supreme Court: Church-State Cases, 2001-2002 Term
- This issue brief discusses a number of Supreme Court cases that heavily concern church and state from the 2001-2002 Term. It provides detailed summaries on two decided cases, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc v. Stratton, Ohio and Zelman v. Selmon-Harris.
- Supreme Court: Church-State Cases, 2001-2002 Term
- This issue brief discusses a number of Supreme Court cases that heavily concern church and state from the 2001-2002 Term. It provides detailed summaries on two decided cases, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc v. Stratton, Ohio and Zelman v. Selmon-Harris. Updated November 26, 2002.
- Charitable Choice: House-Passed Version of H.R. 7 Compared with Existing Charitable Choice Laws
- This report provides a side-by-side comparison of two versions of the Charitable Choice Act of 2001 with three existing charitable choice laws.
- Faith-Based Organizations and Their Relationship with State and Local Governments: Analysis of Recent Initiatives
- This report discusses federal, state, and local government funding for faith-based organizations (FBOs) to provide services to needy citizens. It provides an overview of several selected issues including the effectiveness of FBOs, their accountability for results, and the working relationship that FBOs have at various levels of government.
- Islam: A Primer
- This report provides descriptions of the historical background, the tenets of Islam, jihad, the status of women in Islam, as well as other aspects concerning the religion.
- Campaign Activity by Churches: Legal Analysis of Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, H.R. 235 (108th Congress)
- Churches and other Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations can lose their tax-exempt status if they participate in a political campaign. The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, H.R. 235 (108th Congress) would permit churches to engage in limited types of political campaign activity, in unlimited amounts, without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status. This report provides an overview of current tax and campaign finance law relevant to this legislation, a discussion of how H.R. 235 (108th Congress) would amend current law, and a comparison of H.R. 235 (108th Congress) to H.R. 2357 (107th Congress).
- House and Senate Chaplains
- No Description Available.
- Chaplain of the House: Selection and Related Procedures
- House procedures to elect an officer during a Congress differ from those followed at the start of a Congress. A resolution to elect a replacement officer to fill a vacancy during a Congress is privileged and debatable under the hour rule. By statute, the Speaker has authority to appoint a temporary replacement officer, and in some cases, temporary appointments have continued in effect for the remainder of a Congress. This report describes the consultative process that ultimately led to Father Coughlin’s temporary appointment, and related parliamentary issues concerning the selection of House officers.
- Terrorists and Suicide Attacks
- This report analyzes the increasing global threat of suicide attacks by terrorist organizations and assesses their relevance and threat toward the interests of the United States. It focuses on several issues, such as the historical background of suicide attacks, personal and organizational motivations of suicide attacks, suicide attacks in Iraq, women and suicide attacks, how to counter attacks, and the implications for U.S. Policy
- Islamic Religious Schools,
- Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Islamic religious schools known as madrasas (or madrassahs) in the Middle East, Central, and Southeast Asia have been of increasing interest to U.S. foreign policy makers. This report provides an overview of madrasas, of their role in the Muslim world and issues related to their alleged financing by Saudi Arabia and other external donors.
- The Islamic Traditions of Wahhabism and Salafiyya
- The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and subsequent investigations of these attacks have called attention to Islamic puritanical movements known as Wahhabism and Salafiyya. This report provides a background on Wahhabi Islam and its association to militant fundamentalist groups; it will also summarize recent charges against Wahhabism and responses.
- Islam: Sunnis and Shiites
- The majority of the world’s Muslim population follows the Sunni branch of Islam, and approximately 10-15% of all Muslims follow the Shiite (Shi‘ite, Shi‘a, Shia) branch. This report includes a historical background of the Sunni-Shiite split and the differences in religious beliefs and practices between and within each Islamic sect as well as their similarities.
- The Constitutionality of Including the Phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance
- On October 14, 2003, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in the appeal regarding the California statute, and on June 14, 2004, the Court reversed the Ninth Circuit’s decision finding that Newdow lacked standing to challenge the school district’s policy in federal court. This report summarizes the facts of the case, the opinions that have been rendered, congressional action, and the appeal to the Supreme Court. It will be updated as circumstances warrant.
- Charitable Choice, Faith-Based Initiatives, and TANF
- This report is one in the series of reports that discusses the Charitable Choice Act of 2001 (Title II of the House bill) and its rules, as well as the charitable choice laws, and other areas of this program.
- Islamic Religious Schools,
- This report provides an overview of madrasas, their role in the Muslim world, and issues related to their alleged financing by Saudi Arabia and other donors. The report also addresses the findings of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the “9/11 Commission”) and issues relevant to the 109th Congress.
- The Islamic Traditions of Wahhabism and Salafiyya
- This report provides a background on Wahhabi Islam and its association to militant fundamentalist groups; it also summarizes recent charges against Wahhabism and responses, including the findings of the final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (“The 9/11 Commission”) and bills relevant to this issue in the 109th Congress.
- House and Senate Chaplains
- The official clergy of Congress are the two chaplains — one in the House, the other in the Senate. They are among the elected officers of their respective houses. At the beginning of each Congress, the House chaplain is elected for a two-year term. The Senate chaplain does not have to be reelected at the beginning of a new Congress. This fact sheet is one of a series on the legislative process. For more information on the legislative process.
- Campaign Activity by Churches: Legal Analysis of Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act
- Under current law, churches and other IRC § 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations are prohibited from engaging in such activity and risk losing their tax-exempt status if they do. While this outcome is rare, it is possible. This report provides an overview of the current tax and campaign finance law relevant to this legislation, a discussion of how each bill would amend current law, and a chart that compares the bills.
- The Law of Church and State: Selected Opinions of Justice O'Connor
- This report offers an examination of Justice O’Connor’s opinions interpreting the Establishment Clause reveals that she employed different tests depending on the type of government activity at issue. The decisions show that O’Connor believed that these cases should all be examined carefully with particular attention given to the facts of each, and that the Court should refrain from tying itself to a single test for evaluating Establishment Clause cases.
- Islamist Extremism in Europe
- Although the vast majority of Muslims in Europe are not involved in radical activities, Islamist extremists and vocal fringe communities that advocate terrorism exist and reportedly have provided cover for terrorist cells. This report provides an overview of Islamist extremism in Europe, possible terrorist links, European responses, and implications for the United States.