Congressional Research Service Reports - 358 Matching Results

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Current Issues in Patentable Subject Matter: Business Methods, Tax Planning Methods, and Genetic Materials

Description: This report provides information about the Current Issues in Patentable Subject Matter and its Business Methods, Tax Planning Methods, and Genetic Materials. The patent statute currently provides that patent can be obtained on any invention that is a process, the machine, etc.
Date: January 6, 2010
Creator: Thomas, John R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Estate Taxes and Family Businesses: Economic Issues

Description: The report discusses an uncapped exemption and an uncapped exemption targeted at liquidity issues.
Date: January 6, 2010
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G. & Maguire, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Competition in Federal Contracting: An Overview of the Legal Requirements

Description: This report describes the legal requirements pertaining to competition that presently apply to federal procurement contracts. Among other things, it discusses what contracts are subject to competition requirements; what constitutes full and open competition for government contracts; and what is meant by "full and open competition after exclusion of sources."
Date: January 21, 2010
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Job Loss and Infrastructure Job Creation Spending During the Recession

Description: This report takes an in-depth look at job creation estimates, including the limitations of the methodology often used to derive them and the difficulties associated with developing job estimates for green infrastructure in particular. The report views these topics in the context of the 2007-2008 recession and its aftermath.
Date: January 21, 2010
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Economic Downturns and Crime

Description: This report examines the relationships between selected variables of economic strength and crime. It begins with an overview of crime rates during times of economic recession in the United States. It then reviews the existing literature in the field analyzing various data sets that examine whether the unemployment rate and foreclosures can be related to increases in the national crime rate.
Date: January 27, 2010
Creator: Finklea, Kristin M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

Description: This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, a historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
Date: January 28, 2010
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Government Interventions in Response to Financial Turmoil

Description: This report reviews new programs introduced and other actions taken by the Treasury, Federal Reserve, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in response to the recent financial crisis. It does not cover longstanding programs such as the Fed's discount window and FDIC receivership of failed banks.
Date: February 1, 2010
Creator: Webel, Baird & Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Government Access to Phone Calling Activity and Related Records: Legal Authorities

Description: This report summarizes legal authorities regarding access by the government, for either foreign intelligence or law enforcement purposes, to information related to telephone calling patterns or practices. Where pertinent, it also discusses statutory prohibitions against accessing or disclosing such information, along with relevant exceptions to those prohibitions.
Date: February 2, 2010
Creator: Bazan, Elizabeth B.; Liu, Edward C. & Stevens, Gina
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): Issues and Proposed Expansion

Description: This report provides background information on IRAs, including a description of current law and the tax benefits of IRAs. In addition, the effects of IRAs on saving and other national objectives is discussed. A final section describes and analyzes recent IRA reform proposals.
Date: February 2, 2010
Creator: Hungerford, Thomas L. & Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Proposed Comcast-NBC Universal Combination: How It Might Affect the Video Market

Description: This report discusses the proposed combination of Comcast, the largest distributor of video services in the United States, and NBC Universal (NBCU), a major producer and aggregator of video content, which would create a huge, vertically integrated entity with potentially enormous negotiating power at a time when market forces already are altering traditional content provider/distributor relationships.
Date: February 2, 2010
Creator: Goldfarb, Charles B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Financial Market Supervision: European Perspectives

Description: This report addresses the European perspectives on a number of proposals that are being advanced for financial oversight and regulation in Europe. The European experience may be instructive because financial markets in Europe are well developed, European firms often are competitors of U.S. firms, and European governments have faced severe problems of integration and consistency across the various financial structures that exist in Europe.
Date: February 4, 2010
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

Description: This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, an historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
Date: February 16, 2010
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Running Deficits: Positives and Pitfalls

Description: This report discusses how deficit finance can help governments manage their economies and how large and persistent deficits can lead to severe economic problems.
Date: March 10, 2010
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

GAO Bid Protests: An Overview of Timeframes and Procedures

Description: This report is one of two providing Congress with background on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) bid-protest process. It provides an overview of the timeframes and procedures in a GAO bid protest, including several issues enumerated in the report's introduction.
Date: March 15, 2010
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Schwartz, Moshe
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Financial Crisis: Impact on and Response by The European Union

Description: This report discusses the European Union's response to the global financial crisis. As the crisis has ebbed, coordination among European capitals and between Europe and the United States has become more elusive and growing differences threaten the adoption of a coordinated long-term solution to regulatory reform and coordination of financial policies.
Date: March 17, 2010
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Financial Market Supervision: European Perspectives

Description: This report addresses the European perspectives on a number of proposals that are being advanced for financial oversight and regulation in Europe. The European experience may be instructive because financial markets in Europe are well developed, European firms often are competitors of U.S. firms, and European governments have faced severe problems of integration and consistency across the various financial structures that exist in Europe.
Date: March 17, 2010
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Confronting a New Dynamic in the Global Economy

Description: This report provides an in-depth analysis of the 2009 crisis in the U.S. auto industry and its prospects for regaining domestic and global competitiveness. It also analyzes business and policy issues arising from the unprecedented restructurings that occurred within the industry. The starting point for this analysis is June-July 2009, with General Motors Company (GM or new GM) and Chrysler Group LLC (or new Chrysler) incorporated as new companies, having selectively acquired many, but not all, … more
Date: March 26, 2010
Creator: Canis, Bill & Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations

Description: This report provides an overview of actions taken by Congress to provide FY2011 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). It also provides an overview of FY2010 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded under the CJS bill.
Date: April 6, 2010
Creator: James, Nathan; Gonzales, Oscar R. & Williams, Jennifer D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Global Economic Crisis: Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Policy Responses

Description: This report analyzes Africa's vulnerability to the global crisis and potential implications for economic growth, poverty alleviation, fiscal balances, and political stability. The report describes channels through which the crisis is affecting Africa, and provides information on international efforts to address the impact, including U.S. policies and those of multilateral institutions in which the United States plays a major role.
Date: April 6, 2010
Creator: Arieff, Alexis; Weiss, Martin A. & Jones, Vivian C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Days Reserved for Special Business in the House

Description: This report provides information about the Days Reserved for Special Business in the House.several provisions in the rules of the house provide for certain types of business to be privileged for consideration on special days.
Date: April 7, 2010
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Health Care Reform and Small Business

Description: This report provides a brief discussion of the need for mandates in comprehensive health care reform and why employer mandates might be useful. It also discusses the potential impact of employer mandates and credits on small businesses.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Causes of the Financial Crisis

Description: The financial crisis that began in 2007 spread and gathered intensity in 2008, despite the efforts of central banks and regulators to restore calm. By early 2009, the financial system and the global economy appeared to be locked in a descending spiral, and the primary focus of policy became the prevention of a prolonged downturn on the order of the Great Depression. This report sets out in tabular form a number of the factors that have been identified as causes of the crisis. The left column of… more
Date: April 9, 2010
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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