Congressional Research Service Reports - 50 Matching Results

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Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress

Description: Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles are seen by proponents as integral to improving urban air quality, decreasing dependence on foreign oil, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. However, major barriers—especially economics—currently prevent the widespread use of these fuels and technologies. The 112th Congress has debated alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles directly and as it has addressed other key topics. On June 16, 2011 the Senate approved S.Amdt. 476 wh… more
Date: January 19, 2012
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Armed Conflict in Syria: U.S. and International Response

Description: This report looks at the recent conflict in Syria, particularly casualty estimates and an assessment of possible future scenarios. A large part of the report looks at U.S. policy towards Syria, including how Congress will handle humanitarian dilemmas, security of Syrian Weapons of Mass Destruction, and how the country is open to opportunities for terrorism recruitment. It also looks at key developments that have occurred during the conflict, including supports of the Asad government, political … more
Date: July 19, 2012
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M. & Blanchard, Christopher M.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meetings in Vladivostok, Russia: Postscript

Description: Report that examines the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) week-long series of senior-level meetings in Vladivostok on September 2-9, 2012, as well as the role of Congress with respect to APEC, including appropriations necessary to finance APEC's secretariat and U.S. support of APEC activities.
Date: November 19, 2012
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Constitutional Analysis of Suspicionless Drug Testing Requirements for the Receipt of Governmental Benefits

Description: This report gives an overview of the issues related to federal or state laws that condition the initial or ongoing receipt of governmental benefits on passing drug tests. These regulations are vulnerable to constitutional challenge, most often due to issues of personal privacy and Fourth Amendment protections against "unreasonable searches."
Date: January 19, 2012
Creator: Carpenter, David H.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Does Foreign Aid Work? Efforts to Evaluate U.S. Foreign Assistance

Description: This report focuses primarily on U.S. bilateral assistance, and less on the work of multilateral aid entities, such as the World Bank, to which the United States contributes. This report also provides an overview of the current evaluation policies of the primary implementing agencies, and discusses related issues for Congress, including recent legislation.
Date: November 19, 2012
Creator: Lawson, Marian Leonardo
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Double-Dip Recession: Previous Experience and Current Prospect

Description: This report discusses factors suggesting an increased risk of a double-dip recession. A double-dip or W-shaped recession occurs when the economy emerges from a recession, has a short period of growth, but then, still well short of a full recovery, falls back into recession. It also discusses other factors that suggest economic recovery will continue. It presents the U.S. historical experience with double-dip recessions. It examines the role of deleveraging by households and businesses in the af… more
Date: June 19, 2012
Creator: Elwell, Craig K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fact Sheet: The FY2013 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request

Description: On February 13, 2012, the Obama Administration submitted its FY2013 budget request, including $54.7 billion for State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations. Of the total request, $18.6 billion is for programs funded through the State operations and related agencies (a 4.6% increase over FY2012 estimates), and $36.1 billion is for foreign operations (a 0.1% increase over FY2012 estimates). This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the request.
Date: March 19, 2012
Creator: Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo & Tiersky, Alex L.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Generalized System of Preferences: Background and Renewal Debate

Description: This report presents, first, a brief history, economic rationale, and legal background leading to the establishment of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Second, the report presents a discussion of U.S. implementation of the GSP, along with the present debate surrounding its renewal and legislative developments to date. Third, an analysis of the U.S. program's effectiveness and the positions of various stakeholders are presented. Fourth, implications of the expiration of the U.S. prog… more
Date: April 19, 2012
Creator: Jones, Vivian C.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity

Description: This report provides an overview of Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity. Industrial hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa and is of the same species of Marijuana. However, hemp is genetically different and distinguished by its use and chemical makeup.
Date: January 19, 2012
Creator: Johnson, Renée
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

Description: This report discusses Iraq's political system that is increasingly characterized by peaceful competition and formation of cross-sectarian alliances. However, ethnic and sectarian political and sometimes violent infighting continues, often involving the questionable use of key levers of power and legal institutions. This infighting-and the belief that holding political power may mean the difference between life and death for the various political communities-significantly delayed agreement on a … more
Date: April 19, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

Description: This report discusses the situation immediately following the completion of the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq on December 18, 2011, when relations among major political factions worsened substantially, threatening Iraq's stability and the legacy of the U.S. intervention in Iraq. It includes an overview of historical and current political, military, and governance issues as well as an analysis of Iraq in relation to the other nations in the region.
Date: April 19, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

Description: This report discusses Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights. Relations among major political factions have worsened substantially since late 2011, threatening Iraq's stability and the perception of the achievements of the long U.S. intervention in Iraq. Sunni Arabs, always fearful that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki would seek unchallenged power for Shiite factions allied with him, accuse him of an outright power grab as he seeks to purge the highest-ranking Sunni Arabs from government an… more
Date: April 19, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs

Description: This report provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. antidrug assistance programs in the region. It also raises some policy issues for Congress to consider as it exercises oversight of U.S. antidrug programs and policies in the Western Hemisphere.
Date: March 19, 2012
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare; Wyler, Liana Sun & Sullivan, Mark P.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power

Description: This report is intended to provide background information needed to understand the debate over proposed strategies to redesign the global nuclear fuel cycle. It begins with a look at the motivating factors underlying the resurgent interest in nuclear power in some parts of the world, the nuclear power industry's current state of affairs, and the interdependence of the various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle.
Date: October 19, 2012
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth; Andrews, Anthony & Holt, Mark
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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