AMERIQUE

America's Response to Terrorism

2011-07-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

In a new book, The Long Shadow of 9/11: America's Response to Terrorism, RAND experts offer a distinctively farsighted perspective to the national dialogue on 9/11's legacy. Their insights assess the military, political, fiscal, social, cultural, psychological, and even moral implications of U.S. policymaking since 9/11.

Introduction: The Shadow of 9/11 Across America

by Brian Michael Jenkins and John Paul Godges, editors

Part One: Humbled by Hubris

The Costs of Overreaction by James Dobbins
A Long-Overdue Adaptation to the Afghan Environment by Arturo Munoz
Lessons from the Tribal Areas by Seth G. Jones
The Iraq War: Strategic Overreach by America—and also al Qaeda by Frederic Wehrey

Part Two: Hopeful amid Extreme Ideologies and Intense Fears

Where Are We in the "War of Ideas"? by Angel Rabasa
Al Qaeda's Propaganda: A Shifting Battlefield by Eric V. Larson
Have We Succumbed to Nuclear Terror? by Brian Michael Jenkins

Part Three: Torn Between Physical Battles and Moral Conflicts

Winning Every Battle but Losing the War Against Terrorists and Insurgents by Christopher Paul
The Strategic Dilemma of Terrorist Havens Calls for Their Isolation, Not Elimination by Kim Cragin
Our Own Behavior Can Be Our Weakest Link—or Our Strongest Weapon by Todd C. Helmus

Part Four: Driven by Unreasonable Demands

Don't Let Short-Term Urgency Undermine a Long-Term Security Strategy by Brian A. Jackson
Flight of Fancy? Air Passenger Security Since 9/11 by K. Jack Riley
The Intelligence of Counterterrorism by Gregory F. Treverton

Part Five: Inspired to Build a Stronger America

The Public Health System in the Wake of 9/11: Progress Made and Challenges Remaining by Jeanne S. Ringel and Jeffrey Wasserman
The Link Between National Security and Compensation for Terrorism Losses by Lloyd Dixon, Fred Kipperman, and Robert T. Reville
The Land of the Fearful, or the Home of the Brave? by Brian Michael Jenkins

U.S. ECO ONLINE A SELECTION OF DOCUMENTS RECENTLY PUBLISHED ON THE WEB

2011-07-13T01:26:00.000-07:00

U.S. ECO ONLINE

A SELECTION OFDOCUMENTS RECENTLY PUBLISHED ON THE WEB

N^o 136 –June 2011

GENERALINTEREST 2

ProgressiveEntrepreneurship: A Work in Progress 3

TrackingEconomic Recession and Recovery in America’s 100 LargestMetropolitan Areas 3

AsiaMatters for America: The Source for Hundreds of Thousands of U.S.Jobs is Asia 3

FISCALPOLICY 3

TheCongressional Budget Office's Long-Term Budget Outlook 3

SpendLess, Owe Less, Grow the Economy 4

ReformingTaxes and Raising Revenue: Part of the Fiscal Solution 4

TheAssets Report 2011 4

TAXPOLICY 4

TenCharts that Prove the United States Is a Low-Tax Country 4

HowBusiness Tax Reform Can Encourage Job Creation 5

TaxReform and Foreign Investment in the United States 5

MONETARYPOLICY 5

ABrief History of the Gold Standard - The Return(s) to Gold 5

MeasuringInflation: The Core Is Rotten 5

FINANCE 5

FinancialRegulatory Reform: The International Context 6

OneYear Later - The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act -Implementation of Title VII 6

FinancialInstitutions and Consumer Protection 6

StressTesting and Bank Capital Supervision 6

Creatinga New Foundation for Risk Management (Special Issue) 6

Doesthe Dodd Frank Act End 'Too Big to Fail'?" 7

Oversightof the Mutual Fund Industry: Ensuring Market Stability and InvestorConfidence" 7

Choosingamong Macroprudential Tools 7

FannieMae, Freddie Mac & FHA: Taxpayer Exposure in the HousingMarkets 7

Homeownershipand Individual Development Accounts 8

TRANSPORTATION 8

TransportationResearch Priorities: Maximizing Return on Investment of TaxpayerDollars 8

CreatingJobs and Increasing U.S. Exports by Enhancing the MarineTransportation System 8

TransportationGovernance and Finance: A 50-State Review of State Legislatures andDOTs 9

OTHERECONOMIC POLICIES 9

TheViews of the Administration on Regulatory Reform: An Update 9

Evaluatingthe Cloud Computing Act of 2011 9

Patents:A Singular Law for the Diversity of Innovation 9

ALifesaver, Not A Job Killer - EPA’s Proposed “Air Toxics Rule”Is No Threat To Job Growth 10

LOCALECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 10

StatesContinue to Feel Recession’s Impact 10

ConservativeBudget Cuts Bad for State Economies 10

NewFiscal Year Brings Further Budget Cuts to Most States, SlowingEconomic Recovery 10

EnterprisingStates - Recovery and Renewal for the 21st Century 11

Rethinkingthe State-Local Relationship: Local Economic Development 11

MakingIt in America: Innovate Locally, Export Globally 11

ExciseTaxes in the States 11

NewEngland Transformed 11

Stepsto a 21st Century U.S.-Mexico Border 12

Florida:A State of Change 12

BUSINESS- INNOVATION 12

Accessto Capital: Can Small Businesses Access The Credit Necessary To Growand Create Jobs? 12

TheDodd-Frank Act: Impact on Small Business Lending 12

TheState of Small Business Access to Capital and Credit: The View fromSecretary Geithner 12

Doesthe Bankruptcy Code Provide a Fresh Start to Entrepreneurs? 13

PhDs,Policies and Patents: Innovation and America’s Future 13

MANUFACTURING- INDUSTRY 13

Respondingto Manufacturing Job Loss: What Can Economic Development PolicyDo? 13

Manufacturingin the USA: Why We Need a National Manufacturing Strategy? 13

TheResurgence of the American Automotive Industry 14

Low-carbonInnovation: A Uniquely American Strategy for Industrial Renewal. 14

ASurvey of Company Perspectives on Low-Carbon Business Innovation 14

AGRICULTURE 14

Opportunitiesand Benefits of Agricultural Biotechnology 14

FarmBalance Sheets: The Hidden Risk of Non-Real Estate Debt 15

EMPLOYMENT 15

WhyAre Manufacturers Struggling to Hire High-Skilled Workers? 15

Self-employmentas Economic Development Strategy: 15

TheGeography of Immigrant Skills: Educational Profiles of MetropolitanAreas 15

WorkSharing 16

SameWorker, Higher Wage: A Study of Workers Who Switch from Private toFederal Employment 16

PENSIONS– HEALTH ECONOMICS 16

RetirementIncome: Ensuring Income throughout Retirement Requires DifficultChoices 16

HealthSavings Account Enrollment Reaches 11.4 Million 16

TRADE 17

Deliveringthe Next American Economy: The Central Role of Exports 17

StakeholderPerspectives on Reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of theUnited States 17

WhatShould the United States Do about DOHA? 18

AGOA- DEVELOPMENT 18

ImprovingAGOA: Toward a New Framework for U.S.-Africa Commercial Engagement 18

InternationalFood Assistance: Funding Development Projects through the Purchase,Shipment, and Sale of U.S. Commodities Is Inefficient and Can CauseAdverse Market Impacts 18

CHINA 19

TheUnited States and China: Macroeconomic Imbalances and EconomicDiplomacy 19

WillChina Ever Become as Rich as the U.S? 19

China'sExchange Rate Politics 19

MISCELLANEOUS 19

SovereignDebt in Advanced Economies: Overview and Issues for Congress 19

LESETATS-UNIS en juin 2010

2010-07-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

Le lien ci-apres vous donnera acces a la selection de nouveaux documents disponibles sur internet ayant trait a la vie politique et sociale des Etats-Unis:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/45989/juillet2010/psijunejuly2010.pdf

Bonne vacances!

Veronique Deschamps
Centre de Ressources et d'Information
Ambassade des Etats-Unis
deschampsvm@state.gov

HISPANICS IN USA

2009-03-25T02:22:00.000-07:00

HISPANICS BECOME MORE PREVALENT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
U.S. Bureau of Census, March 4, 2009
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school.html
Hispanic students comprised 12 percent of full-time college students, both undergraduate and graduate students, in 2007, up from 10 percent in 2006, according to U.S. Census Bureau tables. Hispanics comprise 15 percent of the nation’s total population.

A RISING SHARE: HISPANICS AND FEDERAL CRIME
The Pew Hispanic Center, February 18, 2009
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=104
Sharp growth in illegal immigration and increased enforcement of immigration laws have altered the ethnic composition of offenders sentenced in federal courts. In 2007, Latinos accounted for 40% of all sentenced federal offenders-more than triple their share (13%) of the total U.S. adult population.

ENGLISH LITERACY OF FOREIGN-BORN ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES: 2003
National Center for Education Statistics, March 17, 2009
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009034.pdf
The brief draws on data from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) to explore the English literacy of foreign-born adults living in households in the United States. It presents the English literacy scores of foreign-born adults age 16 and older by race/ethnicity, age of arrival in the United States, years spent in the United States, highest level of educational attainment, and language spoken before starting school. Scores are reported on three literacy scales: prose, document, and quantitative. Findings indicate that English literacy scores of foreign-born adults varied across a variety of background characteristics.

UNEMPLOYMENT ROSE SHARPLY AMONG LATINO IMMIGRANTS IN 2008
The Pew Hispanic Center, February 22, 2009
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=102
The unemployment rate for foreign-born Hispanics increased from 5.1% to 8.0%, or by 2.9 percentage points, from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008. During this same time period, the unemployment rate for all persons in the labor market increased from 4.6% to 6.6%, or by 2.0 percentage points.

WOMEN IN AMERICA

2009-03-25T02:20:00.000-07:00

MILESTONES IN U.S. WOMEN’S HISTORY
International Information Program, U.S, Department of State, February 25, 2009
http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2009/February/20080325190828liameruoy0.3090631.html?CP.rss=true
The article covers people and events that moved women’s rights forward.

PLACES WHERE WOMEN MADE HISTORY
National Park Service, 2009
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/pwwmh/
The itinerary focuses on 75 historic places in New York and Massachusetts associated with the varied aspects women's history. It shows the accomplishments of many American women who made outstanding contributions to education, government, medicine, the arts, commerce, women's suffrage and the early civil rights movement.

U.S. CELEBRATES WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD EVERY MARCH
International Information Program, U.S. Department of State, February 24, 2009
http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2009/February/20090224164038xlrennef0.6375086.html
The author and environmentalist Rachel Carson is the inspiration for the 2009 National Women’s History Month theme, Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet. Carson’s 1962 book, Silent Spring, focused the world’s attention on the harm to human health and the environment caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: MARCH 2009: FACTS FOR FEATURES
U.S. Bureau of Census, January 2009
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/pdf/cb09ff-03.pdf
Starting with the number of females, 154.7 million, as of October 1, 2008, the report shows earnings, education, and other topics related to women.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: WOMEN TAKING THE LEAD TO SAVE OUR PLANET
Library of Congress, March 2009
http://womenshistorymonth.gov/
The website offers exhibits & collections, images, profiles and more related to women’s history.

RELIGION USA

2009-02-16T03:00:00.001-08:00

U.S. RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2008

http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf

An extensive new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American public and explores the shifts taking place in the U.S. religious landscape. Based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans age 18 and older, the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey finds that religious affiliation in the U.S. is both very diverse and extremely fluid.

The Landscape Survey confirms that the United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country; the number of Americans who report that they are members of Protestant denominations now stands at barely 51%.

RELIGION AND SECULARISM: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, December 3, 2007

http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=161

Given the recent popularity of several high-profile books on atheism, the Pew Forum invited Wilfred McClay, a distinguished professor of intellectual history, to speak on the historical relationship between religion and secularism in America. McClay argued for a distinction between two types of secularism.

OVERVIEW: THE CONFLICT BETWEEN RELIGION AND EVOLUTION
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, February 4, 2009
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=395
Almost 150 years after Charles Darwin published his groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Americans are still fighting over evolution. If anything, the controversy has recently grown in both size and intensity. In the last five years alone, for example, debates over how evolution should be taught in public schools have been heard in school boards, town councils and legislatures in more than half the states.

A RELIGIOUS PORTRAIT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, January 30, 2009
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=389
Compared with other racial and ethnic groups, African-Americans are among the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation, with fully 87% of African-Americans describing themselves as belonging to one religious group or another, according to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007 by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. Latinos also report affiliating with a religion at a similarly high rate of 85%; among the public overall, 83% are affiliated with a religion.

FAITH ON THE HILL: THE RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, December 19, 2008
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=379
Members of Congress are often accused of being out of touch with average citizens, but an examination of the religious affiliations of U.S. senators and representatives shows that, on one very basic level, Congress looks much like the rest of the country. Although a majority of the members of the new, 111th Congress, which will be sworn in on Jan. 6, are Protestants, Congress, like the nation as a whole, is much more religiously diverse than it was 50 years ago. Religious Landscape Survey of over 35,000 American adults finds that some smaller religious groups, notably Catholics, Jews and Mormons, are better represented in Congress than they are in the population as a whole. However, certain other smaller religious groups, including Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus, still are somewhat underrepresented in Congress relative to their share of the U.S. population.

AMERICAN RELIGIOUS IDENTIFICATION SURVEY 2008

Trinity College, March 2009

http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/

The American population self-identifies as predominantly Christian but Americans are slowly becoming less Christian. The U. S. population continues to show signs of becoming less religious, with one out of every five Americans failing to indicate a religious identity in 2008.

IMMIGRANTS

2009-02-16T02:51:00.000-08:00

IMMIGRANTS AND THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS
Migration Policy Institute, January 2009
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/lmi_recessionJan09.pdf
As the nation sinks into a recession that may be the worst since the Great Depression, the economic crisis raises fundamental questions about future immigration flows to and from the United States and how current and prospective immigrants will fare.

IMPENDING DEADLINES ON A NUMBER OF IMMIGRATION DECISIONS AWAIT OBAMA
Migration Policy Institute, January 15, 2009
http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=717
The new administration will likely face pressure from immigrant advocates, labor organizations, and business groups — many of whom are hoping for a dramatic change in immigration policy under the new Obama presidency, with or without legislative action in Congress.

BUILDING TOMORROW’S WORKFORCE: PROMOTING THE EDUCATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF HISPANIC IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN AMERICA
Excelencia in Education, January 21, 2009
http://www.edexcelencia.org/pdf/Building%20Tomorrow's%20Workforce%20full%20report.pdf
Strategic partnerships between industry and community colleges that engage younger Hispanic immigrants can boost the economy by training an important proportion of U.S. workers for future jobs. The report looks at six innovative partnerships throughout the country.

AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES
The Migration Policy Institute, February 2009
http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=719

The number of African immigrants in the United States grew 40-fold between 1960 and 2007, from 35,355 to 1.4 million. Most of this growth has taken place since 1990.
Compared to other immigrants, the African born tend to be highly educated and speak English well. However, they are also more likely not to be naturalized US citizens than other immigrants.

AFRICA AMERICANS

2009-02-16T02:47:00.000-08:00

AFRICA AMERICANS
February 2009
All previous web alerts can be found at:
http://france.usembassy.gov/politics-alert.html

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
Library of Congress, February 2009
http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/african-american.php
National African American History Month had its origins in 1915 when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. This organization is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (“ASALH”). Through this organization Dr. Woodson initiated the first Negro History Week in February 1926. Dr. Woodson selected the week in February that included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two key figures in the history of African Americans.

FREE AT LAST: THE U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs, January 2009
http://www.america.gov/publications/books-content/free-at-last.html
This publication recounts how African-American slaves and their descendants struggled to win — both in law and in practice — the civil rights enjoyed by other Americans. It is a story of dignified persistence and struggle, a story that produced great heroes and heroines, and one that ultimately succeeded by forcing Americans to confront squarely the shameful gap between their universal principles of equality and justice and the inequality, injustice, and oppression faced by millions of their fellow citizens

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: A LEGACY OF FREEDOM

U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs, 2008
http://www.america.gov/publications/books/lincoln.html
The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. president often considered the greatest of this country’s leaders. Americans’ reverence for Lincoln began with his tragic death by assassination in 1865, at the end of a brutal civil war in which 623,000 men died, the American Union withstood its greatest test, and slavery was banished. And his hallowed place in the iconography of America continues.

AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES
The Migration Policy Institute, February 2009
http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=719
The number of African immigrants in the United States grew 40-fold between 1960 and 2007, from 35,355 to 1.4 million. Most of this growth has taken place since 1990.
Compared to other immigrants, the African born tend to be highly educated and speak English well. However, they are also more likely not to be naturalized US citizens than other immigrants.

A RELIGIOUS PORTRAIT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, January 30, 2009
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=389
Compared with other racial and ethnic groups, African-Americans are among the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation, with fully 87% of African-Americans describing themselves as belonging to one religious group or another, according to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007 by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. Latinos also report affiliating with a religion at a similarly high rate of 85%; among the public overall, 83% are affiliated with a religion.

EDUCATION USA

2009-02-16T02:42:00.000-08:00

EDUCATION February 2009

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IN THE UNITED STATES: 2007
U.S. Bureau of the Census, January 2009
http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p20-560.pdf
This report provides estimates of educational attainment in the United States, including comparisons by demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin. Information about educational attainment among the native-born and foreign-born populations is included.

FROM QUALIFICATIONS TO RESULTS: PROMOTING TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH FEDERAL POLICY
Center for American Progress, January 28, 2009
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/01/pdf/het.pdf
This paper briefly explains why a focus on effectiveness is needed and how it might work, and it describes current federal policy related to teacher quality. It then provides some new ideas about how federal policy can stimulate change at the state and local level to help states and districts move from a qualifications focus to an effectiveness focus.

MAPPING NEW DIRECTIONS: HIGHER EDUCATION FOR OLDER ADULTS
American Council on Education, January 16, 2009
http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ProgramsServices/CLLL/Reinvesting/MapDirections.pdf
Despite successful efforts by some colleges and universities to create lifelong learning programs for adults aged 55 and older, many institutions remain stuck in outmoded, one-dimensional views of this population, according to the report. It offers recommendations to colleges and universities for broadening the participation of older adults who will comprise one-third of the nation’s overall population by 2030.

TRENDS IN COLLEGE SPENDING: WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? WHERE DOES IT GO?
Delta Cost Project, January 16, 2009
http://www.deltacostproject.org/resources/pdf/trends_in_spending-report.pdf
The report examines revenue and expenditure data for nearly 2,000 public and private non-profit colleges and universities, representing more than 75 percent of higher education enrollment, and analyzes recent trends, focusing on the period from 2002 to 2006. It is the most up-to-date and comprehensive assessment of higher education finance in the nation.

ARTS & THE ECONOMY: USING ARTS AND CULTURE TO STIMULATE STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
National Governors Association, January 15, 2009
http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0901ARTSANDECONOMY.PDF
Fostering the arts and culture sector has played a vital role in state economic development, according to the report. Arts and culture-related industries, collectively known as “creative industries,” provide direct economic benefits to states and communities by creating jobs, attracting new investments, generating tax revenues and stimulating tourism and consumer purchases.

HEALTH USA

2009-02-07T03:13:00.000-08:00

Source: http://france.usembassy.gov

HEALTH ISSUES

Enabling Healthcare Reform Using Information Technology: Recommendations for the Obama Administration and 111th Congress
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society - December 17, 2008 – 45 pages http://www.himss.org/2009calltoaction/HIMSSCallToActionDec2008.pdf
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) shows a detailed report outlining specific priorities and recommendations for the Obama Administration and 111th Congress to harness Information Technology’s power to reform healthcare and stimulate the U.S. economy.

The Fallacy of Health Care Reform as Economic Stimulus
Robert Book Heritage Foundation – WebMemo - January 16, 2009
http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/wm2231.cfm
“After spending decades trying to reduce health care costs, some commentators and policymakers now argue that health care costs should be increased to stimulate the economy. At the crux of the argument are the notions that increasing spending on health care will create jobs that can be filled by those losing jobs in other areas of the economy--and that implementing long-proposed reforms (such as an increased emphasis on primary care and large-scale deployment of health IT) will reduce health care costs. These two arguments are fundamentally at odds with each other.”

Healthcare Costs and U.S. Competitiveness
Lee Hudson Teslik and Toni Johnson Council on Foreign Relations - Backgrounder – December 30, 2008
http://www.cfr.org/publication/13325/healthcare_costs_and_us_competitiveness.html?breadcrumb=%2Fpublication%2Fby_type%2Fbackgrounder
“Factoring in costs borne by government, the private sector, and individuals, the United States spends over $1.9 trillion annually on healthcare expenses, more than any other industrialized country… These costs prompt fears that an increasing number of U.S. businesses will outsource jobs overseas or offshore business operations completely. U.S. economic woes have heightened the burden of healthcare costs both on individuals and businesses, and the incoming Obama administration says it plans to provide funding for healthcare as part of a fiscal stimulus package aimed at boosting the U.S. economy. Yet despite the economic downturn, experts see a consensus emerging that healthcare reform should move forward.”

Cost Sharing for Health Care: France, Germany, and Switzerland
Kaiser Family Foundation - January 12, 2009 – 25 pages http://kff.org/insurance/upload/7852.pdf
As policymakers in the United States weigh options for reform to the nation’s health care system, the level of cost sharing that consumers face when they receive services covered by their health plans is a major consideration, especially for those with serious health conditions. The brief examines how three European countries, France, Germany, and Switzerland, have dealt with cost sharing in their health systems. It provides an overview of each country’s health care system, its cost-sharing policies, and the cost-sharing exemptions and limits that help protect people with low incomes, certain medical conditions or high medical costs, and other characteristics from burdensome, excessive costs.

EMPLOYMENT WORK USA

2009-02-07T02:22:00.001-08:00

Source: http://france.usembassy.gov

EMPLOYMENT

Robert Michaels and Robert P. Murphy
Green Jobs: Fact or Fiction? An Assessment of the Literature
Institute for Energy Research – Study - January 2009 – 21 pages
http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/IER%20Study%20-%20Green%20Jobs.pdf
“It is highly questionable whether a government campaign to spur “green jobs” would have net economic benefits. Indeed, the distortionary impacts of government intrusion into energy markets could prematurely force business to abandon current production technologies for more expensive ones. Furthermore, there would likely be negative economic consequences from forcing higher-cost alternative energy sources upon the economy. These factors would likely increase consumer energy costs and the costs of a wide array of energy-intensive goods, slow GDP growth and ironically may yield no net job gains. More likely, they would result in net job losses.”

Labor Supply Responses to Changes in Wealth and Credit
Mary Daly, Bart Hobijn, and Joyce Kwok Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco - January 2009 –http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economics/letter/2009/el2009-05.html

“Using monthly data from the Household Survey of the Current Employment Situation Report, we find evidence suggestive that sharply reduced wealth and liquidity are prompting certain demographic groups to enter the labor force in greater numbers.”

Building Tomorrow’s Workforce: Promoting the Education and Advancement of Hispanic Immigrant Workers in America
Mary Gershwin et al. Excelencia in Education - January 21, 2009 – 51 pages http://www.edexcelencia.org/pdf/Building%20Tomorrow's%20Workforce%20full%20report.pdf
Strategic partnerships between industry and community colleges that engage younger Hispanic immigrants can boost the economy by training an important proportion of U.S. workers for future jobs. The report looks at six innovative partnerships throughout the country.

Recessions and Older Workers
Alicia H. Munnell et al. Center for Retirement Research, Boston College - January 2009 – 11 pages http://crr.bc.edu/images/stories/Briefs/ib_9-2.pdf
With the economy in recession, questions arise about how older workers are faring and how their fate relative to younger workers compares to the past. On the one hand, labor force participation among older workers has been rising since the early 1990s, a reversal of the long-standing trend toward ever-earlier retirement. On the other hand, the edge that older workers used to have relative to younger workers when it comes to layoffs seems to have disappeared, so the rise in the unemployment rate for older workers in recessions now looks similar to that for younger workers.

Improving Quality of Life through Telecommuting
Wendell Cox Information Technology & Innovation Foundation - January 20, 2009 – 24 pages http://www.itif.org/files/Telecommuting.pdf
The report shows that the number of jobs filled by telecommuters could grow nearly four-fold to 19 million and deliver substantial economic, environmental and quality of life benefits for the United States over the next 12 years. Spurred by advances in IT, especially the spread of broadband, telecommuting is already the fastest growing mode of getting from home to work. The report calls for government to pursue policies to accelerate and maximize telecommuting, including spurring the deployment and adoption of broadband, which is an essential facilitator of telecommuting.
Sundown for California Joel Kotkin The American – Article - November/December 2008.
http://www.american.com/archive/2008/november-december-magazine/sundown-for-california
“Much has changed in recent years. And today our Golden State appears headed, if not for imminent disaster, then toward an unanticipated, maddening, and largely unnecessary mediocrity. Since 2000, California’s job growth rate— which in the late 1970s surged at many times the national average—has lagged behind the national average by almost 20 percent. Rapid population growth, once synonymous with the state, has slowed dramatically. Most troubling of all, domestic out-migration, about even in 2001, swelled to over 260,000 in 2007 and now surpasses international immigration. Texas has replaced California as the leading growth center for Hispanics.”

Deborah Reed California's Future Workforce: Will There Be Enough College Graduates?
Public Policy Institute of California – Report - December 2008 - 20 pages http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_1208DRR.pdf
“Over the past several decades, the demand in California for college-educated workers has grown. But the supply of college graduates has not kept pace with demand, and it appears that this “workforce skills gap” will not only continue but widen. This study examines the causes, magnitude, and likely consequences of the potential mismatch between the level of education the future population is likely to possess and the level of education demanded by the future economy. The author concludes that if current trends continue, California will experience a serious shortfall of college graduates by 2025, unable to meet its needs even through the migration of college graduates from other states.”

REGULATION
Regulating Work in Confined Spaces
N. Mike Helvacian National Center for Policy Analysis - Brief Analysis, January 19, 2009 – 2 pages http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba639/ba639.pdf
“Since the early 20th century, employers have had incentives to increase workplace safety. In fact, the financial liability of employers for workplace accidents — as reflected in their worker’s compensation premiums — is the greatest incentive for employers to improve safety. Furthermore, increased workplace safety reduces employers’ costs due to injuries and lost productivity. OSHA regulations, on the other hand, increase regulatory compliance costs, but don’t necessarily improve safety.”

EMPLOYMENT RECESSION ; SOCIAL SECURITY
RECESSION AND OLDER WORKERS
Center for Retirement Research, Boston College, January 2009
http://crr.bc.edu/images/stories/Briefs/ib_9-2.pdf
With the economy in recession, questions arise about how older workers are faring and how their fate relative to younger workers compares to the past. On the one hand, labor force participation among older workers has been rising since the early 1990s, a reversal of the long-standing trend toward ever-earlier retirement. On the other hand, the edge that older workers used to have relative to younger workers when it comes to layoffs seems to have disappeared, so the rise in the unemployment rate for older workers in recessions now looks similar to that for younger workers.

RECESSION, POVERTY AND THE RECOVERY ACT
Center for American Progress, February 11, 2009
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/02/pdf/recession_poverty.pdf
The economic downturn means hard times for millions of Americans. If unemployment rates reach double-digits, as some economists fear, nearly 7 million people will lose their jobs, more than 7 million will lose their health coverage, and more than 12 million will fall into poverty.

AMERICAN SOCIETY 2008

2009-01-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

Source: http://france.usembassy.gov

AMERICAN MOBILITY: WHO MOVES? WHO STAYS PUT? WHERE’S HOME?
Pew Research Center, December 25, 2008
http://pewsocialtrends.org/assets/pdf/Movers-and-Stayers.pdf
As a nation, the United States is often portrayed as restless and rootless. Census data, though, indicate that Americans are settling down. Only 13% of Americans changed residences between 2006 and 2007, the smallest share since the government began tracking this trend in the late 1940s. The Pew survey finds that most Americans have moved to a new community at least once in their lives, although a notable number, nearly four-in-ten, have never left the place in which they were born. Asked why they live where they do, movers most often cite the pull of economic opportunity. The stayers most often cite the tug of family and connections.

BUILDING AN AMERICANIZATION MOVEMENT FOR THE 21st CENTURY
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Taskforce on New Americans, 2008
http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-708.pdf
With a long immigrant tradition, we as a nation have embraced the opportunities and met the challenges associated with each successive wave of immigration. The present wave is no exception. With immigrants increasingly coming from different countries of origin and settling in communities that lack a long history of receiving immigrants, citizens and immigrants alike should reengage the principles and values that bind us as Americans. Educating on these principles and providing opportunities for civic participation will ensure that the United States remains a successful nation and a home to immigrants.

AMERICAN HEALTHCARE SINCE 1994: THE UNACCEPTABLE STATUS QUO
Center for American Progress, January 8, 2009
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/01/pdf/1994_health_memo.pdf
Since the failure of health care reform in 1994, costs have increased, quality has been inconsistent, and more Americans have joined the ranks of the uninsured.

THE CASE FOR PUBLIC PLAN CHOICE IN NATIONAL HEALTH REFORM: KEY TO COST CONTROL AND QUALITY COVERAG
Institute for America’s Future, December 18, 2008
http://institute.ourfuture.org/files/Jacob_Hacker_Public_Plan_Choice.pdf
A health care system that contains costs and drives value must include a good public plan if the broad goals of reform, universal insurance and improved value, are to be achieved. Private insurance and public insurance have distinct strengths and weaknesses, and thus should be encouraged to compete side by side to attract enrollees on a level playing field that rewards plans that deliver better value and health to their enrollees, according to the report.

KEY ISSUES IN ANALYZING MAJOR HEALTH INSURANCE PROPOSALS
Congressional Budget Office, December 2008
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9924/12-18-KeyIssues.pdf
The proposals are built upon Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) previous analytical work on health insurance and health care financing issues and are intended to assist the Congress as it contemplates possible changes, both large and small, to federal health programs and the nation’s health insurance and health care systems.

THE ECONOMIC CRISIS HITS HOME: THE UNFOLDING INCREASE IN CHILD AND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS
First Focus, December 19, 2008
http://www.firstfocus.net/Download/TheEconomicCrisisHitsHome.pdf
The study finds that school districts across the country have experienced a significant spike in the number of homeless students. The report centers around a voluntary survey conducted during the fall of 2008 by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and First Focus.

RISING FOOD PRICES TAKE A BITE OUT OF FOOD STAMP BENEFITS
U.S. Department of Agriculture, December 2008
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB41/EIB41.pdf
The Food Stamp Program is designed to provide low-income families with increased food purchasing power to obtain a nutritionally adequate diet. As in most other Federal Government assistance programs, benefits are adjusted in response to rising prices, in this case, rising food prices. In FY 2008, the amount grew from almost $8 in October 2007 to $34 in July 2008 and to $38 in September 2008.

HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS SURVEY
United States Conference of Mayors, December 2008
http://www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/documents/hungerhomelessnessreport_121208.pdf
Hunger and homelessness are both on the rise according to the report. For more than 22 years, the Conference of Mayors has documented the magnitude of the issues of hunger and homelessness in our nation’s cities. The report provides an analysis of the scale of the problem in twenty-five of America’s major cities and the efforts these cities are making to address the issue.

THE LONG WAIT FOR PROGRESS: WOMEN AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EQUALITY
Century Foundation, December 21, 2008
http://www.tcf.org/publications/economicsinequality/longwait_brief.pdf
The report shows that despite some progress, America is a nation in which neither minorities nor women have yet achieved anything approaching economic or social equality. The report analyzes the substantial gap in wages between men and women, and then measures that gap in the context of women’s educational achievements and the continuing discrimination against women in the workplace, with attention to the impact of the issues of health and child care.

AASA SURVEY RESULTS: OPPORTUNITY FOR FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDING
American Association of School Administration, December 18, 2008
http://www.aasa.org/files/PDFs/Publications/FINALResults121008Memo.pdf
America’s public schools have a list of ready-to-go construction and renovation projects that, with an infusion of federal economic stimulus funds, would work to both stimulate a stagnating economy and improve the educational environment for children, according to a national survey. AASA administered the survey to superintendents nationwide in December 2008 to learn how school districts would spend one-time block-grant funds, if they were to become available as part of an economic stimulus package. Almost all respondents, 99 percent, identified budget gaps that they could direct stimulus money to and 97 percent identified short-term projects that could be placed in the bid market in 60-90 days.

PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM: WHAT’S IN IT FOR CHILDREN AND TEACHERS
Albert Shanker Institute, December 16, 2008
http://www.shankerinstitute.org/Downloads/Early%20Childhood%2012-11-08.pdf
The Albert Shanker Institute suggests that early, age-appropriate instruction in language, literacy, mathematics and science can have significant, long-lasting effects on preschool children’s social and cognitive skills. While 43 states and the District of Columbia have adopted early childhood standards designed to prepare children to take on the academic requirements of the elementary grades, these standards are of varying quality, often underestimate what young children are capable of absorbing, and are not always adapted to the unique ways in which young children learn best.

THE STATE OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN 2008
Children’s Defense Fund, December 25, 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/DocServer/state-of-americas-children-2008-report.pdf?docID=9061
The report is a statistical compendium of key child data showing epidemic numbers of children at risk: the number of poor children has increased nearly 500,000 to 13.3 million, with 5.8 million of them living in extreme poverty, and nearly 9 million children lack health coverage with both numbers likely to increase during the recession. The number of children and teens killed by firearms also increased after years of decline.

RANKINGS AND ESTIMATES: RANKINGS OF THE STATES 2008 AND ESTIMATES OF SCHOOL STATISTICS 2009
National Education Association, December 2008
http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/rankings08.pdf
Teachers across the nation are continuing to lose spending power for themselves and their families as inflation continued to outpace teacher salaries last year. Over the decade from 1997-98 to 2007-08, in constant dollars, average salaries for public schoolteachers declined 1 percent while inflation increased 31.4 percent. According to the report, the average one-year increase in public schoolteacher salaries was 3.1 percent, while inflation increased 4.3 percent

2008 STATE OF AMERICA’S CITIES: ANNUAL OPINION SURVEY OF MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS
National League of Cities, December 22, 2008
http://www.nlc.org/ASSETS/43A4BDCCFDAE4D029D66719CE63F43DA/StateofAmericasCities2008.pdf
A record number of municipal officials expressed their growing pessimism for the nation’s direction, according to a survey. The Survey demonstrates the widespread nature of the current economic crisis is having on cities’ bottom lines. It shows that at mid-recession, more than six out of 10 city officials are pessimistic about the nation’s future.
The second issue cited most frequently for the new administration is deteriorating transportation infrastructure. Almost seven in ten say the quality of roads, bridges, and airports are problems for their city, with 29% saying the conditions worsened in the past year. The survey also found that two in five city officials responding say the worsening relationship between city and federal governmental bodies is posing a problem for their city; 50% report that city-state relations are posing a problem.

REINVESTING IN NATIONAL PARKS TO CREATE JOBS AND PROTECT AMERICA’S HERITAGE
National Parks Conservation Association, December 21, 2008
http://www.npca.org/media_center/pdf/stimulus_report-dec_16.pdf
The new report highlights several of the more than $2.5 billion worth of job-creating projects in national parks. It encourages Congress and the incoming Obama Administration to include national parks in economic recovery legislation to create jobs and restore our national treasures.

PENSIONS

Martin Neil Baily and Jacob Funk Kirkegaard
US Pension Reform: Lessons from Other Countries
Peterson Institute – Book – February 2009
http://bookstore.petersoninstitute.org/book-store/4259.html

“It is generally accepted that Social Security must be reformed, but there is little agreement on what should be done to reform the program. US Pension Reform: Lessons from Other Countries looks at the social pension reforms of twelve other countries, assesses the current US Social Security program, and evaluates how these twelve models inform opportunities for adaptation of the current system. The authors consider governments' current fiscal balances in order to contextualize countries' initial financial liabilities and pension program infrastructure. The book concludes with an integrated reform proposal for Social Security.”

FAITH ON THE HILL: THE RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, December 19, 2008
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=379
Members of Congress are often accused of being out of touch with average citizens, but an examination of the religious affiliations of U.S. senators and representatives shows that, on one very basic level, Congress looks much like the rest of the country. Although a majority of the members of the new, 111th Congress, which will be sworn in on Jan. 6, are Protestants, Congress, like the nation as a whole, is much more religiously diverse than it was 50 years ago. Religious Landscape Survey of over 35,000 American adults finds that some smaller religious groups, notably Catholics, Jews and Mormons, are better represented in Congress than they are in the population as a whole. However, certain other smaller religious groups, including Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus, still are somewhat underrepresented in Congress relative to their share of the U.S. population.

ALL AMERICA’S STAGE: GROWTH AND CHALLENGES IN NONPROFIT THEATER
National Endowment for the Arts, December 26, 2008
http://www.nea.gov/research/TheaterBrochure12-08.pdf
Nonprofit theaters in the United States have seen unprecedented expansion across the United States, according to the research. It examines developments in the growth, distribution, and finances of America’s nonprofit theater system since 1990. The investigation revealed that National Endowment for the Arts funding is a likely catalyst in drawing sizeable contributions from other sources. Each dollar in NEA grant support is associated with an additional $12 from individual donors, $1.88 from businesses, and $3.55 from foundations.

OBAMA

2009-01-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S INAUGURALADDRESS
U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs, January 20, 2009

THE CABINET
U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs, January 2009

U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITIONS
U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs, January 2009

An important characteristic of democracy in the United States, however, is the regularly recurring peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next. Americans know when the next presidential election will take place – the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. And power will be transferred to the newly elected (or re-elected) president on January 20 of the following year.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE 111the CONGRESS: A PROFILE
Congressional Research Service, December 31, 2008

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 111th Congress. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age and length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.

ELECTION PRESIDENTIELLE

2008-11-05T00:34:00.000-08:00

LA CAMPAGNE PRESIDENTIELLE DE 2008

PORTAIL AMERIQUE

DOSSIER NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR
DOSSIER LE MONDE

US FINANCIAL MARKETS

2008-08-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Recent Developments in U.S. Financial Markets and Regulatory Responses to Them
Senate Committee on Banking – Hearing – July 15, 2008
http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=8f6a9350-3d39-43a0-bbfb-953403ab19cc
Witnesses:
Henry M. Paulson , Jr., Secretary of the Treasury
Ben S. Bernanke , Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Christopher Cox , Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission

Systemic Risk and the Financial Markets (1)
US House of Representatives - Committee on Financial Services – Hearing - July 10, 2008
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr071008.shtml

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke appeared at the first of a series of hearings on the policy implications of the transformation of domestic and international financial markets, with a primary focus on the rise of potential systemic risk associated with the dramatic growth in the share of assets held outside the commercial banking system, the complex arrangements that link firms that are regulated differently (or not at all) and the increasing amount of leverage.

Systemic Risk and the Financial Markets (2)
US House of Representatives - Committee on Financial Services – Hearing - July 24, 2008
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr072408.shtml

This is the second in a series of hearings on the policy implications of the transformation of domestic and international financial markets. Witnesses for this hearing are New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner, S.E.C. Chairman Christopher Cox.

Speculative Bubbles and Overreaction to Technological Innovation
FRB San Francisco - Economic Letter - June 20, 2008 – 4 pages
http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economics/letter/2008/el2008-18.pdf
“This Economic Letter examines some historical links between speculative bubbles, technological innovation, and capital misallocation.”

William R. Emmons FRB St. Louis - Regional Economist – Article - July 2008
The Mortgage Crisis: Let Markets Work, but Compensate the Truly Needy

http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/re/2008/c/pages/mortgage.html

Recent mortgage-foreclosure rates are the highest since the 1930s.[1] Yet, large-scale government interventions directly in housing or mortgage markets—such as government purchases of delinquent mortgages or vacant houses, involuntary mortgage modifications, or outright mortgage-foreclosure bans—are not necessarily the best policy responses. From the perspective of maximizing long-run economic efficiency, it would be better to allow housing and mortgage markets to sort themselves out, as painful as that may be. Politicians can decide whether and how to help those who were made truly needy by this crisis.

N. Eric Weiss :Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Web posted July 21, 2008 – 6 pages
Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s Financial Problems: Frequently Asked Questions
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22916_20080715.pdf
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac chartered by Congress as government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and are widely believed to have an implicit guarantee from the federal government. Questions about their roles are covered by the report in light of today’s economic environment.

Governor Randall S. Kroszner
Federal Reserve's Initiatives to Support Minority-Owned Institutions and Expand Consumer Protection
Remarks to Minority Depository Institutions National Conference, Chicago, Illinois - July 17, 2008
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kroszner20080717a.htm

“I am delighted to be here to participate in today's discussion about how we can work together to foster and preserve the strength and vitality of minority depository institutions. These institutions serve essential roles. Most important, they extend credit…to businesses and individuals in neighborhoods that otherwise may not have ready access to loans. They also foster a spirit of entrepreneurship in their communities… I will focus on two important Federal Reserve initiatives. First, I will update you on our new Partnership for Progress program, which is designed to foster and support minority-owned and de novo depository institutions. Second, I plan to discuss the recent finalization of significant Federal Reserve rules implementing certain provisions of the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act.”

Larry D. Wall, Alan K. Reichert, and Hsin-Yu Liang
The Final Frontier: The Integration of Banking and Commerce
Part 1: The Likely Outcome of Eliminating the Barrier
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta - Economic Review - Vol. 93, No. 1, 2008 – Webposted July 2008 - 18 pages
http://www.frbatlanta.org/filelegacydocs/er08no1_wall.pdf

“The policy debate on whether to strengthen or to remove the legal barriers between banking and commerce has paid little attention to what the practical effects of removing the barriers would be. To help answer this question, this article, the first part of a two-part study, provides an overview of the potential gains of integrating banking and commerce.”

Securities Class Action Litigation: The problem, its impact and the path to reform
U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform – Report - July 2008 – 56 pages
http://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/issues/docload.cfm?docId=1213

“Private securities class action lawsuits present a serious threat to the health of U.S. businesses, the prosperity of American families and the strength of our nation's global competitiveness.. Driven by the multibillion dollar plaintiffs' lawyer industry, the system exacts enormous costs on our economy while betraying the individual investors it is designed to assist." The report suggests a number of potential legislative changes.

Peter Tufano and Daniel Schneider
Using Financial Innovation to Support Savers: From Coercion to Excitement
Harvard Business School - Working Paper - Web posted July 3, 2008 – 59 pages
http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/08-075.pdf

The paper shows the wide range of solutions to the problem of low family savings. Families save for a wide variety of purposes, including education, retirement, and others like rainy days or emergencies. Given societal pressures to consume, and given the diversity among people, there is no single solution to the savings problem. A wide variety of programs that support savings by families, in particular by low- and moderate-income families are reviewed. These programs range from ones that literally compel families to save, to those that make it hard not to save, make it easier to save, provide financial incentives to induce savings, leverage social networks to support savers, and finally, to programs that excite people to saving.

GROWTH

2008-06-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

American Decline or Renewal? – Globalizing Jobs and Technology

House Science and Technology Committee – Hearing – May 22, 2008

http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2199

"No longer can we in good conscience escape the question: What do we do about the offshoring of American jobs?... Subcommittee Members expressed the importance of federal funding to cultivate American innovation and stimulate the economy here. Witnesses testified about the role and responsibilities of corporations, the relationship between the state and the market, and the ability of technological innovation to ensure our country’s economic prosperity in the absence of changes in the trading system. Members questioned witnesses from domestic firms regarding the cost of producing at home under the current trading system and requested their suggestions as to what the federal government could do to improve this system.”

Wing Thye Woo

Inflation amidst Recession: Policy Prescriptions for Sustaining Stable Growth

The Brookings Institution – Paper - May 14, 2008

http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2008/0514_inflation_woo.aspx?emc=lm&m=215615&l=51&v=252043

“If the U.S. cannot achieve the international cooperation required for effective financial supervision to alleviate the present stagflation, it is highly improbable that the U.S. can achieve the international cooperation to prevent the worse stagflation created by climate change. The next president must be a strong consensus builder at home and abroad in order to effectively address these numerous challenges.”

Brian W. Cashell and Marc Labonte

Understanding Stagflation and the Risk of Its Recurrence

Congressional Research Service - Library of Congress - Web posted April 28, 2008 - 17 pages

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34428_20080331.pdf

The slowing of economic growth and the rising rate of inflation have given rise to concerns that the U.S. economy is at risk of an episode of stagflation. Stagflation describes an economy that is characterized by high rates of both unemployment and inflation. The term came into popular use in the 1970s to describe the economy at that time. Even though recent unemployment and inflation rates are not nearly as high as they were in the 1970s, some economists fear that the recent expansion in monetary and fiscal policy at a time when unemployment is low but rising and energy prices are rising, could lead to a new bout of stagflation in the near future.

Marc Labonte

Evaluating the Potential for a Recession In 2008

Congressional Research Service - Library of Congress – Report - May 13, 2008 – 24 pages

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34484_20080513.pdf

“The U.S. economy has faced some bad news lately… A look at the available data suggests that economic growth has slowed considerably, but it is too soon to tell if the economy has entered a recession. Recessions are defined as prolonged and sustained declines in economic activity, so by definition, a persistent downturn cannot be identified until it has persisted. Given the lags between policy changes and their effects on the economy, the economy has not yet felt the full impact of the stimulus package and the Federal Reserve’s actions. Therefore, it is still too early to tell.”

2008-06-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

AMERICAN SMILE

2008-06-04T01:04:00.000-07:00

GW.BUSH
US STATE President (2000-2008)

LA MOBILITE SOCIALE AUX ETATS UNIS

2008-05-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

SOURCE Centre de Ressources et d'Information
Ambassade des Etats-Unis

New documents on political and social issues

April 2008

Voir aussi USA: Politique et société

SOCIETE AMERICAINE

RACES ET MINORITES USA

DISCRIMINATION AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY

The Urban Institute, April 3, 2008

http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=1001156

Although many researchers have documented lower levels of upward mobility amongst black families, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of discrimination from differences in (sometimes unobservable) characteristics that also contribute to variation in employment, income, health, housing, and wealth outcomes across groups.

EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY

The Urban Institute, April 3, 2008

http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=1001157

Education policy is important to the discussion of mobility because it serves both as an end and a means to an end in eliminating inequalities. In addition to fostering mobility among those directly benefited by it, the children of beneficiaries may indirectly benefit as well. Thus, properly targeted education programs may enhance outcomes in both present and future generations.

THE EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON THE EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES OF BLACK AMERICANS

The Urban Institute, April 4, 2008

http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=901159

While most evidence suggests that immigration has had a modest negative effect on black employment, especially for those without a high school diploma, changes in immigration law will probably not improve job prospects for young blacks, Senior Fellow Harry Holzer told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He offered six suggestions for policymakers looking to improve outcomes for young African Americans, such as improving their early work experience and occupational training with high-quality career and technical education.

PULLING APART: A STATE-BY-STATE ANALYSIS OF INCOME TRENDS

The Economic Policy Institute, April 2008

http://www.epi.org/studies/pulling08/4-9-08sfp.pdf

The study is based on Census income data that have been adjusted to account for inflation, the impact of

federal taxes, and the cash value of food stamps, subsidized school lunches, and housing vouchers. The

study compares combined data from 2004-2006 with data from the late 1980s and late 1990s, time periods

chosen because they are comparable peaks of their respective business cycles.

STILL AT RISK

The American Enterprise Institute, April 22, 2008

http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.27846/pub_detail.asp

In 1983, the seismically influential Reagan-era blue-ribbon report “A Nation At Risk” declared, "If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war." Twenty-five years later, when it comes to the crucial task of preparing our children for citizenship, how do we fare?

U.S. LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS: 2007

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, March 2008

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/LPR_FR_2007.pdf

In 2007, a total of 1,052,415 persons became legal permane residents (LPRs) of the United States. The majority of new LPRs (59 percent) already lived in the United States when they were granted lawful permanent residence. Two-thirds were granted permanent residence based on a family relationship with a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States. The leading countries of birth of new LPRs were Mexico (14 percent), China (7 percent) and the Philippines (7 percent).

IMMIGRATION AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY

The Urban Institute, April 1^st, 2008

http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=1001162

America offers opportunities for many immigrants to improve their earnings relative to what they could earn in their countries of origin, and research suggests that immigrants’ children tend to experience further economic gains. But the effect of immigrant workers on the earnings of low-skilled, native born workers may be significantly negative; some find that the recent influx of low-skilled, immigrant labor makes it more difficult for low-skilled native-born workers to gain higher wages.

Income Inequality, Income Mobility, and Economic Policy: U.S. Trends in the 1980s and 1990s

Congressional Research Service, April 4, 2008

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/103683.pdf

Income inequality has been increasing in the United States over the past 25 years. Several factors have been identified as possibly contributing to increasing income inequality. Some researchers have suggested the decline in unionization and a falling real minimum wage as the primary causes. Others have argued that rising returns to education and skill-biased technological change are the important factors explaining rising inequality. Most analysts agree that the likely explanation for rising income inequality is due to skill-biased technological changes combined with a change in institutions and norms, of which a falling minimum wage and declining unionization are a part.

Inside the Middle Class: Bad Times Hit the Good Life

The Pew Research Center, April 9, 2008

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/793/inside-the-middle-class

Fewer Americans now than at any time in the past half century believe they're moving forward in life.

Americans feel stuck in their tracks. A majority of survey respondents say that in the past five years, they either haven't moved forward in life (25%) or have fallen backwards (31%). This is the most downbeat short-term assessment of personal progress in nearly half a century of polling by the Pew Research Center and the Gallup organization.

The State of Minorities: How Are Minorities Faring in the Economy?

Center for American Progress - April 29, 2008

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/04/minorities_economy.html

Rapidly increasing amounts of debt, high job losses, skyrocketing gas and food prices, and a tidal wave of foreclosures are driving many American families to the edge of financial ruin. Although all U.S. households are hurt in the economic slowdown, Hispanic and African-American households are more vulnerable; they are likely to suffer first and to suffer more.

ETHNIES, RACES AUX USA

2008-03-07T00:29:00.000-08:00

VOIR: Races , ethnies sur Internet

BILINGUAL VOTING ASSISTANCE: SELECTED JURISDICTIONS' STRATEGIES FOR IDENTIFYING NEEDS AND PROVIDING ASSISTANCE

Government Accountability Office, January 18, 2008

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08182.pdf

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, contains, among other things, provisions designed to protect the voting rights of U.S. citizens of certain ethnic groups whose command of the English language may be limited. The Department of Justice (DOJ) enforces these provisions, and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) serves as a national clearinghouse for election information and procedures. The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 mandated that GAO study the implementation of bilingual voting under Section 203 of the act. This report discusses the ways that selected jurisdictions covered under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act have provided bilingual voting assistance as of the November 2006 general election and any subsequent elections through June 2007, and the challenges they reportedly faced in providing such assistance; and the perceived usefulness of this bilingual voting assistance, and the extent to which the selected jurisdictions evaluated the usefulness of such assistance to language minority voters. To obtain details about this voting assistance, GAO obtained information from election officials in 14 of the 296 jurisdictions required to provide it, as well as from community representatives in 11 of these jurisdictions. These jurisdictions were selected to reflect a range of characteristics such as geographic diversity and varying language minority groups.

THE HISPANIC VOTE IN THE 2008 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

The Pew Hispanic Center, February 21, 2008

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/742/hispanic-vote-exit-poll-texas-primary

Latinos have already made a big mark in the primaries and caucuses held so far. Their share of the Democratic primary vote has risen in 12 of the 15 states for which exit polling makes it possible to compare 2008 and 2004 turnout shares. And in the Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5, Latinos voted for Clinton over Obama by an aggregate margin of nearly two-to-one. They were especially important to Clinton in California, where they comprised 30% of the turnout (up from 16% in 2004) and voted for her by a larger margin than did all voters statewide.

IMMIGRANTS JOINING THE MAINSTREAM

International Information Programs, February 2008

http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0208/ijse/ijse0208.pdf

In every era of U.S. history, from colonial times in the 17th century through the early 21st century, women and men from around the world have opted for the American experience. They arrived as foreigners, bearers of languages, cultures, and religions that at times seemed alien to America’s essential core. Over time, as ideas about U.S. culture changed, the immigrants and their descendants simultaneously built ethnic communities and participated in American civic life, contributing to the nation as a whole.

MANAGING DIVERSITY IN CORPORATE AMERICA. AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS

RAND, January 23, 2008

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2007/RAND_OP206.pdf

Managing diversity has become a primary concern of top U.S. corporations. In this paper, the authors develop a fact-based approach to modeling diversity management. They use the model to determine whether diversity-friendly corporations really do stand out from other companies by analyzing the strategies pursued by 14 large U.S. companies recognized for their diversity or human resource (HR) achievements. Finally, to understand whether best practices alone make a company diversity-friendly, they compare a number of characteristics of best diversity companies, best HR companies, and other companies, using quantitative and qualitative methods. They find that firms recognized for diversity are distinguished by a core set of motives and practices that resemble those presented in the best-practices literature, but that best practices per se may not enable a company to achieve a high level of diversity. Contextual factors, such as industry affiliation and company size, may be as significant as strategic factors in influencing the extent of a company’s diversity.

RACE & ETHNICITY IN AMERICA: TURNING A BLIND EYE TO INJUSTICE

American Civil Liberties Union, December 10, 2007

http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/humanrights/cerd_full_report.pdf

According to this report, racial and ethnic discrimination and inequality are ongoing and pervasive in the U.S. Policies at the federal, state, and local levels often burden “racial and ethnic minorities and non-citizens, immigrants, low-wage workers, women, children, and the accused.” This report offers a “Convention” to U.S. policymakers to rectify these discriminatory policies.

POLICING IN ARAB-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AFTER SEPTEMBER 11
National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, July 2008
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/221706.pdf
Many Arab-Americans were troubled by increased government scrutiny of their communities following the terrorist attacks. Some Arab-American communities said they were more afraid of law enforcement agencies, especially federal law enforcement agencies, than they were of acts of hate or violence, despite an increase in hate crimes. They specifically cited fears about immigration enforcement, surveillance and racial profiling.

RACIAL PROFILING AND GENETIC PRIVACY
Center for American Progress, July 2008
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/03/pdf/racial_profiling.pdf
Racial profiling and genetic privacy are two related issues that together present a singular problem for policymakers: How do we reconcile our desire for excellent police work with maintaining criminal investigation protocols that respect the rights of citizens? Two recent criminal cases, one in Virginia and the other in Louisiana, encapsulate the problem.

HOMETOWN ASSOCIATIONS: AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE FOR IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION
The Migration Policy Institute, July 2008
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/Insight-HTAs-July08.pdf
With global migration rates at historic highs, the informal associations that immigrants create for social, economic development and political empowerment purposes are becoming more numerous and better networked. Though much of the policy and research focus on the immigrant organizations, known as hometown associations, is on their development potential for their home countries, a new Migration Policy Institute (MPI) report concludes that the groups play an important role in immigrant integration.

Le conservatisme américain

2008-02-27T01:55:00.000-08:00

"le conservatisme américain" .

Auteurs : Louis Balthazar, Barthélémy Courmont, Lee Edwards, Frédérick Gagnon, Jean-Frédéric Legaré-Tremblay, Karine Prémont, Christian Rioux, Greg Robinson et Élisabeth Vallet.Collection Enjeux contemporains – Presses de l’Université du Québec2007, 172 pages, ISBN 987-2-7605-1496-6
Le conservatisme est une composante majeure de la psyché américaine. En progression constante depuis les années 1960, il a acquis une résonance particulière avec les victoires récurrentes du Parti républicain, dont le programme se fonde sur cette idéologie. La réélection de George W. Bush en novembre 2004 en a même conduit certains — notamment le stratège républicain Karl Rove — à affirmer l’avènement d’une véritable ère conservatrice destinée à dominer la vie politique américaine pour les trente prochaines années.

Comment alors expliquer les profonds désaccords envers certaines politiques de l’administration Bush ou les revers électoraux subis par les républicains lors des élections de mi-mandat ?

Rare ouvrage écrit en français sur le sujet, ce livre contribue à combler un manque préjudiciable à la compréhension de l’évolution profonde des États-Unis, de ses impacts sur la politique intérieure américaine et de ses conséquences sur les relations des États-Unis avec leurs voisins, leurs alliés et le monde
Retrouvez les dernières publications de la Chaire Raoul Dandurand sur sa newsletter
Source de la note de lecture: http://www.inter-focus.com/

Voir US Think Tanks

EMPLOYMENT – LABOR MARKET – PRODUCTIVITY

2008-02-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Edward Knotek

How Useful is Okun’s Law?

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City - Economic Review – Fourth Quarter – 2007 – 31 pages

http://www.kansascityfed.org/PUBLICAT/ECONREV/PDF/4q07Knotek.pdf

“From the beginning of 2003 through the first quarter of 2006, real gross domestic product in the United States grew at an average annual rate of 3.4 percent. As expected, unemployment during the period fell. Over the course of the next year, average growth slowed to less than half its earlier rate--but unemployment continued to drift downward. This situation presented a puzzle for policymakers and economists, who expected the unemployment rate to increase as the economy slowed, as the Okun’s Law states.”

Riccardo DiCecio, Kristie Engemann, Michael Owyang & Christopher Wheeler

Changing Trends in the Labor Force: A Survey

The Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis – Research papers – January 2008 –16 pages

http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/08/01/DiCecio.pdf

“One of the primary indicators of the state of the U.S. labor market is the labor force participation rate (LFPR). It is measured each month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as the fraction of the civilian, non-institutional population 16 years or older who are either working or actively seeking work. Although the LFPR is constantly changing over the business cycle, the most noticeable feature is its dramatic increase over the post-World War II period. Between 1948 and 2006, the U.S. LFPR rose by more than 7 percentage points, with the majority of the rise taking place between the early 1960s and 2000. What accounts for the changes in the LFPR in the United States over the past several decades?”

James Sherk & Patrick Tyrrell

Unemployment Insurance Does Not Stimulate the Economy

Heritage Foundation - WebMemo #1777 - January 18, 2008 – 4 pages

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/upload/wm_1777.pdf

“With the economy weakening, some analysts have argued for increasing unemployment insurance (UI) benefits from 26 weeks to 39 weeks to stimulate economic growth. Few studies support the idea that extending unemployment benefits significantly stimulates the economy. In addition, extending UI benefits would do the following: (1) Encourage unemployed workers to stay out of work longer to collect benefits; (2) Encourage employers to wait longer to rehire laid-off workers; (3) Do relatively little to increase consumption. To stimulate the economy and create jobs, Congress should increase the incentives for businesses to invest.”

Jared Bernstein, James Lin & Lawrence Mishel

The Characteristics of Offshorable Jobs

Economic Policy Institute - November 14, 2007 – 12 pages

http://www.epi.org/datazone/characteristics_of_offshorable_jobs.pdf

“Offshoring is the practice of sending work from the U.S. to workers abroad. Computer programming in India or garments once produced domestically but now made abroad are examples of offshoring. This report presents data and findings in spreadsheet format. It concludes by showing that 18 to 22 percent of today’s jobs could be offshored.”

Bradford Jensen & Lori Kletzer

“Fear” and Offshoring: The Scope and Potential Impact of Imports and Exports of Services

Peterson Institute – Publications – January 2008 – 19 pages

http://www.petersoninstitute.org/publications/pb/pb08-1.pdf

“While the uproar over offshoring has largely subsided since the 2004 presidential campaign, there continues to be concern and anxiety regarding the potential impact of offshoring in general and services offshoring in particular. With the economy softening and potentially headed for a recession in the midst of the current presidential campaign, worries about jobs and globalization seem likely to reemerge. The purpose of this policy brief is to provide estimates of the scope and potential impact of imports and exports of services.”

CONJONCTURE ECONOMIQUE US EN 2008;

2008-02-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

FPUBLIC AFFAIRS - American Embassy

Sylvie VACHERET

Tel: 01 43 12 29 28

E Mail: vacheretsr@state.gov

Voir aussi Crise 2007-2008

et Points de vue américains sur la crise economique et financière

U.S. ECO ONLINE

A SELECTION OF DOCUMENTS RECENTLY PUBLISHED ON THE WEB

No 100 – January 2008

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2008 to 2018

Congressional Budget Office – January 23, 2008 - 199 pages

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8917/01-23-2008_BudgetOutlook.pdf

“The state of the economy is particularly uncertain at the moment. The pace of economic growth slowed in 2007, and there are strong indications that it will slacken further in 2008. In CBO's view, the ongoing problems in the housing and financial markets and the high price of oil will curb spending by households and businesses this year and trim the growth of GDP. Although recent data suggest that the probability of a recession in 2008 has increased, CBO does not expect the slowdown in economic growth to be large enough to register as a recession.”

David Madland, John Irons

Responsible Investment: A Budget and Fiscal Policy Plan for Progressive Growth

Center for American Progress – Progressive Growth Program – January 9, 2008 – 38 pages

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/01/pdf/responsible_investment.pdf

“The economic transformation envisioned in the Progressive Growth series of papers, requires a progressive economic program that is fiscally responsible as well as pro-growth. Our latest paper details how the next administration and Congress can do that. Our plan will not only help ensure future U.S. economic prosperity but also is affordable and can be paid for in a way that supports the progressive values of work, fairness, and simplicity. How? By accelerating America’s transformation to a low-carbon economy, by spurring innovation to sustain productivity growth and job creation, by rebuilding the ladder of opportunity by restoring economic security and mobility, and by creating a virtuous circle of rising economic fortunes for a growing global middle class.”

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

John Robertson & Ellis Tallman

A Look Ahead: Housing, Energy Squeezed in '08

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta – EconSouth – Vol. 9, no. 4 – Fourth Quarter 2007

http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=1CB1552F-5056-9F12-1294F7523CA4B68C&method=display_body

“In 2008 the U.S. economy will face several challenges, including risks that have affected the economy for nearly two years. With the continuing contraction in housing market activity, higher energy prices, and generally tighter lending standards by banks, the outlook centers on the extent to which consumer and business spending will weaken. Many forecasters expect that the U.S. economy will experience subdued economic growth in 2008, somewhere in the range of 2 to 2.5 percent as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP). This forecast is a notable step down from the growth observed on average in 2006 and 2007 and carries with it considerable downside risks.”

Economic Outlook: Economic Growth to Slow on Credit Market Uncertainty and Housing Contraction, Pick Up Pace in Second Half

Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) - December 10, 2007 – 6 pages

http://www.sifma.org/research/pdf/economic-outlook1207.pdf

“Members of SIFMA expect the pace of the U.S. economy to slow in the first half of 2008 but pick up in the latter part of the year. Based on a survey of SIFMA members conducted during the week of November 27-December 3, the respondents also project the Gross Domestic Product to grow at 2.1 percent next year. Housing sector deterioration, tight financing conditions, an accommodative monetary policy response to the credit market environment, a projected decline in the price of oil, and the combined effect of a lower dollar and global economic expansion provide the backdrop for the economic outlook.”

Robert Bixby, Robert Kerrey, Peter Peterson & Warren Rudman,

America's Economy - Headed for Crisis: Realistic Approaches Are Essential

Brookings – Opportunity ’08 – December 2007 – 18 pages

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Projects/Opportunity08/PB_Budget_Rudman.pdf

“Deficits do matter. Projections show risks to the economy, an extra "debt tax" on every taxpayer, and highlight the weakened ability of the federal government to invest in the future or respond to unforeseen emergencies. Cutting fraud, waste, and abuse, curbing earmarks, raising taxes on the very wealthy, or streamlining the staffing of the federal government is simply not enough to solve the problem.”

Rea Hederman Jr. & James Sherk

The Economy's Year-End Fizz

The Heritage Foundation - WebMemo #1766 - January 7, 2008

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/wm1766.cfm

“On January 4, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 18,000 jobs were created in the month of December; private employment actually contracted by 13,000 jobs. The unemployment rate increased from 4.7 percent to 5 percent, a larger-than-expected increase and the highest rate in two years. The December employment report is of particular interest due to a softening economy. Today's report provides evidence that the economy has slowed and that the chances of a recession have increased. While the economy will probably continue to expand in the next year, the weaknesses in construction, the financial sector, and manufacturing could cause the economy to tilt into a short decline.”

What Should the Federal Government Do to Avoid a Recession

US Senate – Joint Economic Committee - Hearings – January 16, 2008

http://www.jec.senate.gov/Hearings/01.16.08%20Avoid%20a%20Recession.htm

“The economy has been broken for some time, and the economic growth we have seen has not reached the vast majority of families. This will probably be the first business cycle where, at the end of the recovery (last full year being 2007), the typical family will have lower incomes than they did at the start of the downturn (2000, the last full year of recovery). Fixing this disconnect between growth and the pay and incomes of the vast majority of Americans requires a policy agenda on health care, retirement, labor policy, trade policy, and work/family policy that is much more substantial than what we will be talking about today. The focus today should be on offsetting the rising unemployment and the corresponding income losses that families will shortly face.”

The Near-Term Outlook for the U.S. Economy

US House of Representatives – House Budget Committee - January 17, 2008 – 8 pages

http://www.house.gov/budget_democrats/hearings/Bernanke%20Testimony.pdf

“Since late last summer, financial markets in the United States and in a number of other industrialized countries have been under considerable strain. Heightened investor concerns about the credit quality of mortgages, especially subprime mortgages with adjustable interest rates, triggered the financial turmoil. As these problems multiplied, money center banks and other large financial institutions, which in many cases had served as sponsors of these financial products, came under increasing pressure to take the assets of the off-balance-sheet vehicles onto their own balance sheets. Banks have also evidently become more restrictive in their lending to firms and households. More-expensive and less-available credit seems likely to impose a measure of restraint on economic growth.”

Lee Hudson Teslik

Recession, Beyond the Economy

Council on Foreign Relations – Daily Analysis - January 22, 2008

http://www.cfr.org/publication/15287/recession_beyond_the_economy.html?breadcrumb=%2F

“When Goldman Sachs recently revised its forecast for the U.S. economy, predicting a recession in 2008, the shockwaves weren’t confined to boardrooms or even living rooms. The economic ramifications of a recession are much-discussed, myriad, and well-known. Less certain are the geopolitical and geoeconomic effects a U.S. downturn might bring, particularly at a time that finds other powers on the rise, the price of vital commodities spiking, and U.S. prestige in question.”

More than Half of Democrats and Independents Feel the Economy Will Get Worse in 2008

Harris Interactive – The Harris Poll #3 – January 7, 2008

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=855

“With all the recent negative economic reports from financial services firms and from major retailers about lower holiday spending, it is not too surprising that Americans are not confident about the 2008 economic outlook. When asked to compare to last year, only one-in five (21%) indicated that they feel more secure financially now, and only a minority (15%) believe the economy will improve in the coming year. In fact, 38 percent of Americans say they feel less secure about their financial situation compared to last year and a plurality (45%) believe the economy will get worse in the coming year.”

FISCAL STIMULUS

Ruy Teixeira

Fact Sheet on the Bipartisan Economic Growth Agreement

White House – Fact Sheets - January 24, 2008

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080124-4.html

“President Bush announced his Administration reached a bipartisan agreement with House leadership on an economic growth package, and he encouraged Congress to deliver a bill to his desk as soon as possible to bolster the economy this year. The President's advisors and many outside experts expect that our economy will continue to grow over the coming year, but at a slower rate than we have enjoyed for the past few years – and there is the risk of a downturn. The agreement reached today meets the criteria the President set forward last week to provide an effective, robust, and temporary set of incentives to protect the health of our economy and encourage job creation. If enacted in a timely manner, it is expected to help create more than half a million jobs by the end of 2008.”

Alice Rivlin

The Need for a Stimulus Package Now

Brookings – January 29, 2008

http://www.brookings.edu/testimony/2008/0129_fiscalstimulus_rivlin.aspx?emc=lm&m=212393&l=70&v=252043

“The economy clearly slowed sharply in the fourth quarter of 2007 after growing strongly in the third, and the current quarter is beginning with signs of weakness as well. Unemployment rose in December—although 5 percent is still a pretty good number—and employment increases stagnated. Retail sales have fallen off, and the housing sector continues to plunge. Although some indicators, notably exports, are positive, it is clear that the economy is in a period of slow growth, possibly headed for a recession. Some economists are predicting a long or deep recession. The gloomiest forecasts are coming from economists associated with major financial institutions. The truth is: we simply do not know.”

Strengthening America’s Economy: Stimulus that Makes Sense

US Senate – Committee on Finance – January 22 & 24 2008

http://www.senate.gov/~finance/sitepages/hearing012208.htm (part 1)

http://www.senate.gov/~finance/sitepages/hearing012408.htm (part 2)

“Strong indications suggest that economic growth is slowing and will remain sluggish for much of 2008. The risk of recession is elevated, however, and some respected economists believe that the probability of a recession has now risen to 50 percent or greater. Discretionary fiscal policy stimulus (that is, legislative action aimed at providing stimulus) may not be necessary to avoid an outright recession, if most current forecasts are correct. Nonetheless, policymakers may choose to proceed with a stimulus package to bolster a weak economy and as insurance against the elevated risk of a recession. Some economists advocating a stimulus also believe that a recession, if it occurs, could prove to be unexpectedly deep; a fiscal stimulus would help reduce the severity of a recession, should one occur.”

Tom Finnigan

RSC Stimulus Proposal Would Be a Move in the Right Direction

Heritage Foundation - WebMemo #1779 – January 25, 2008

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/wm1779.cfm

“The Republican Study Committee (RSC) has introduced the Economic Growth Act of 2008 (H.R. 5109). The legislation, which aims to stimulate the economy by lowering the tax and regulatory burden on businesses, takes steps in the right direction. The legislation offers a solid alternative to proposals—such as tax rebates and federalizing mortgage contracts—that would fail to stimulate, or do serious harm to, the economy. Congress should focus on creating long-term, pro-growth economic policies in the areas of taxes, spending, and regulation.”

Alan Berube

After the Stimulus

Brookings – Opinions – January 29, 2008

http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2008/0129_economic_stimulus_berube.aspx?emc=lm&m=212393&l=74&v=252043

“With the nation’s economy on the brink of cardiac arrest last week, the “emergency stimulus” doctors in Washington reached for the defibrillator to jolt consumers and businesses back to life. But even if we manage to stabilize the ailing economy, should we really discharge the patient without a longer-term health plan?”

Blogs sur l'économie américaine

2008-02-11T08:22:00.001-08:00

Annuaires et revues
USA: Blog catalog
Economics Blogs

Revue quotidienne des études économiques

Revue de G.Mankiw

Blog de The Economist

Economistes "libéraux"
Krugman
Dani Rodrik sur le développement

La pensée ultralibérale
Ecole de Chicago Becker, Posner

Influence économique américaine

Barack Obama’s Economic Agenda

Barack Obama’s Official Website - Report - 6 pages

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/EconomicPolicyFullPlan.pdf

Hillary Clinton: Strengthening the Middle Class

Hillary Clinton’s Official Website – Economics Plan

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/middleclass/

McCain Tax Cut and Economics Plan

John McCain’s Official Website - Pro-Growth Tax Agenda

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/0B8E4DB8-5B0C-459F-97EA-D7B542A78235.htm

Les jeunes dans l'éléction présidentielle

2008-02-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

Source:

Forum Mondial de l'e-Démocratie
Lettre d'informations sur l'e-Démocratie

Mobilisation sans précédent des jeunes dans la présidentielle américaine

Derrière la popularité du candidat démocrate Barack Obama, c'est la mobilisation sans précédent des jeunes de moins de 30 ans qui marque la campagne des primaires américaines. Selon les résultats des sondages sortis des urnes et les calculs du Centre d'information et de recherche sur l'engagement civique (Circle), la participation électorale des jeunes votants atteint partout des scores inédits. Dans pratiquement chaque Etat où se sont tenus des élections primaires ou des caucus, la participation des jeunes a doublé, triplé et même parfois quadruplé par rapport aux scrutins de 2000 et 2004. Un phénomène qui, combiné à l'utilisation des outils technologiques, favorables à la constitution de réseaux, pourrait bouleverser la donne. [Lire la suite]

A lire :

RACES ET MINORITES USA

2008-02-08T00:28:00.000-08:00

SOURCES: All previous web alerts can be found at:

http://france.usembassy.gov/irc/politics/webalert/default.htm

Ethnies et races sur Internet

RACE, ETHNICITY AND CAMPAIGN ’08

The Pew Research Center, January 17, 2008

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/694/race-ethnicity-and-campaign-08

A major Pew Research survey of racial attitudes taken this past fall found that whites, blacks and Hispanics all have generally favorable opinions of one another and all tend to see inter-group relations in a more positive than negative light. There are some differences in these attitudes by race, ethnicity, age, social-economic status and geography -- but these tend to be small. The overall portrait of race relations is one of moderation, stability and modest progress.

Spotlight on Naturalization Trends in Advance of the 2008 Elections

The Migration Policy Institute, January 2008

http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=670

Beginning October 1, 2008, immigrants who wish and are eligible to become U.S. citizens will have to take a revised citizenship test. The new test was created to ensure that future citizens have a good understanding of U.S. history and civic values, as well as English language skills.

THE IMPACT OF UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANTS ON THE BUDGETS OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Congressional Budget Office, December 2007

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/87xx/doc8711/12-6-Immigration.pdf

This paper, requested by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, is one of several reports prepared by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that present facts and research on immigration. The paper focuses on the estimated costs that certain state and local governments incur for providing various services--especially those related to education, health care, and law enforcement--to unauthorized immigrants. It also looks at the estimated taxes those individuals pay and at certain types of federal assistance that are available to states to help provide such services. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide objective, nonpartisan analysis, the paper makes no recommendations.

MANAGING DIVERSITY IN CORPORATE AMERICA

The Rand Corporation, January 23, 2008

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2007/RAND_OP206.pdf

Managing diversity has become a primary concern of top U.S. corporations. As a result, a cottage industry of firms specializing in diversity management has emerged to help corporate executives identify appropriate diversity policies and programs. Generally, however, the diversity management literature consists of a laundry list of best practices that is not well organized, prioritized, or integrated. In contrast to this rule-based approach, the authors attempt to lay the groundwork for a fact-based approach to diversity management.

RACE & ETHNICITY IN AMERICA: TURNING A BLIND EYE TO INJUSTICE

American Civil Liberties Union, December 10, 2007

http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/humanrights/cerd_full_report.pdf

HISPANICS AND THE 2008 ELECTION: A SWING VOTE?

The Pew Hispanic Center, December 8, 2007

http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/83.pdf

After spending the first part of this decade loosening their historic ties to the Democratic Party, Hispanic voters have reversed course in the past year, a new nationwide survey of Latinos by the Pew Hispanic Center has found. Some 57% of Hispanic registered voters now call themselves Democrats or say they lean to the Democratic Party, while just 23% align with the Republican Party -- meaning there is now a 34 percentage point gap in partisan affiliation among Latinos.

IMMIGRANTS INTEGRATION IN LOW-INCOME URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS

The Urban Institute, November 27, 2007

http://www.urban.org/publications/411574.html

How are immigrants integrating in U.S. inner cities? To answer this question, this report draws on a unique survey of residents in 10 vulnerable urban neighborhoods to examine the financial well-being and economic integration of families of different racial, ethnic, and nativity status. The paper explores the extent to which the economic well-being of immigrant groups is influenced by specific factors related to their immigrant status, compared with members of native-born minority groups and native-born whites.

2007 NATIONAL SURVEY OF LATINOS: AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DEBATE ISSUE HEATS UP, LATINOS FEEL A CHILL

The Pew Hispanic Center, December 13, 2007

http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/84.pdf

Hispanics in the United States are feeling a range of negative effects from the increased public attention and stepped up enforcement measures that have accompanied the growing national debate over illegal immigration. Just over half of all Hispanic adults in the U.S. worry that they, a family member or a close friend could be deported, a new nationwide survey of Latinos by the Pew Hispanic Center has found.

Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between Poor and Middle Class

The Pew Research Center, November 13, 2007

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/634/black-public-opinion

African Americans see a widening gulf between the values of middle class blacks and poor blacks, and nearly four in ten say that because of the diversity within their community, blacks can no longer be thought of as a single race, a new Pew Research Center survey has found. The survey also finds blacks less upbeat about the state of black progress now than at any time since 1983. Looking backward, just one in five blacks say things are better for blacks now than they were five years ago. Looking ahead, fewer than half of all blacks (44%) say they think life for blacks will get better in the future, down from the 57% who said so in a 1986 survey.

Muslim Integration: Challenging Conventional Wisdom in Europe and the United States

Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 20, 2007

http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/070920_muslimintegration.pdf

This report shows “that despite efforts to improve the West’s collective understating of Islam and Muslim integration in American and European societies, many countries remain ill-equipped to fully incorporate these growing groups into society at large in terms of economic advancement, social mobility, and political participation. As such, the report highlights some of these shortcomings, puts forth a more accurate picture of European and U.S. Muslim communities, and presents recommendations for improving the status quo.”

PAYING THE PRICE: THE IMPACT OF IMMIGRATION RAIDS ON AMERICA’S CHILDREN

The Urban Institute, October 31^st, 2007

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411566_immigration_raids.pdf

Over the past year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has intensified immigration enforcement activities by conducting several large-scale worksite raids across the country. From an in-depth study of three communities--Greeley, CO, Grand Island, NE and New Bedford, MA--this report details the impact of these worksite raids on the well-being of children. The report provides detailed recommendations to a variety of stakeholders to help mitigate the harmful effects of worksite raids on children.

RACE, ETHNICITY AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

American Sociological Association, September 2007

http://www.asanet.org/galleries/Research/ASARaceCrime.pdf

This research brief highlights data and research findings on racial and ethnic disparities in crime and the criminal justice system in the United States, with particular emphasis on studies that illustrate differences that can be explained by discrimination. The discussion focuses on issues relating to race/ethnicity in different stages of criminal justice processing at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

SOCIETE AMERICAINE

2008-02-08T00:22:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL REPORT ON MEDICAID: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CARE AND COST

The Pew Center on the States, January 2, 2008

http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/Medicaid%20Special%20Report(1).pdf

This report examines the challenges facing state Medicaid programs and the balance to be struck between care and cost considerations.

MEASURING UP 2006

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, December 28, 2007

http://measuringup.highereducation.org/

Measuring Up 2006 is the fourth national report card on higher education in the United States. As in earlier editions, the 2006 report card evaluates the progress of the nation and all 50 states in providing Americans with education and training from high school through the baccalaureate degree.

FOUNDATION GIVING TRENDS: PREVIEW

Foundation Center, December 2007

http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/fgt_preview_2008.pdf

This preview highlights key patterns of giving during 2006 by subject area, type of support, population group, geographic focus, and foundation type. The report illustrates that health issues passed education as the top priority of private and community foundations primarily due to large grants received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A full analysis of grants will be published in February 2008.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE UNITED STATES, 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 23, 2007

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/volun.pdf

About 60.8 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2006 and September 2007, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The proportion of the population who volunteered was 26.2 percent. This 0.5 percentage point decrease in the volunteer rate follows a decline of 2.1 percentage points in the prior year. The volunteer rate had held constant at 28.8 percent from 2003 through 2005, after rising slightly from its 2002 level of 27.4 percent.

RELIGION AND SECULARISM: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, December 3, 2007

http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=161

Given the recent popularity of several high-profile books on atheism, the Pew Forum invited Wilfred McClay, a distinguished professor of intellectual history, to speak on the historical relationship between religion and secularism in America. McClay argued for a distinction between two types of secularism.

U.S. RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2008

http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf

An extensive new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American public and explores the shifts taking place in the U.S. religious landscape. Based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans age 18 and older, the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey finds that religious affiliation in the U.S. is both very diverse and extremely fluid.

The Landscape Survey confirms that the United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country; the number of Americans who report that they are members of Protestant denominations now stands at barely 51%.

LA CAMPAGNE PRESIDENTIELLE DE 2008

2008-02-08T00:16:00.000-08:00

SOURCES:

http://france.usembassy.gov/irc/politics/webalert/default.htm

INTERNET’S BROADER ROLE IN CAMPAIGN 2008

The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, January 11, 2008

http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/384.pdf

The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential campaign. Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage from a comparable point in the 2004 campaign (13%). The quadrennial survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Internet & American Life Project on campaign news and political communication, conducted Dec. 19-30 among 1,430 adults, shows that the proportion of Americans who rely on traditional news sources for information about the campaign has remained static or declined slightly since the last presidential campaign. Compared with the 2000 campaign, far fewer Americans now say they regularly learn about the campaign from local TV news (down eight points), nightly network news (down 13 points) and daily newspapers (down nine points). Cable news networks are up modestly since 2000, but have shown no growth since the 2004 campaign. By contrast, the proportion of Americans who say they regularly learn about the campaign from the internet has more than doubled since 2000 – from 9% to 24%.

RACE, ETHNICITY AND CAMPAIGN ’08

The Pew Research Center, January 17, 2008

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/694/race-ethnicity-and-campaign-08

THE RELIGION FACTOR IN THE 2008 ELECTION

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, December 4, 2007

http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=163

Analyzing recent surveys, John C. Green suggested that the line dividing more observant and less observant voters - so pronounced in the 2004 election - may be blurring. Finally, Green pointed out that while a majority of Americans both like the idea of a president with strong religious faith and enjoy hearing candidates talk about their beliefs, a significant minority are turned off by what they perceive as too much faith talk; candidates must therefore walk a fine line in order to satisfy both constituencies.

Spotlight on Naturalization Trends in Advance of the 2008 Elections

The Migration Policy Institute, January 2008

http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=670

THE ROLE OF DELEGATES IN THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING PROCESS

Council on Foreign Relations, February 12, 2008

http://www.cfr.org/publication/15414/delegate_system.html?breadcrumb=%2F

In recent decades, the presidential candidates of the two major political parties in the United States generally have emerged during state-by-state primary elections and caucuses that occur in the winter and spring before a general election. Officially, candidates only become their party’s presidential nominee after a vote is taken by party delegates to the Republican or Democratic presidential nominating conventions later in the summer. These delegates are supposed to take their cue from the voters who cast ballots during their states’ primaries and caucuses, though each party’s rules make it possible for multiple rounds of balloting and horse trading if no candidate is able to gain a majority on the first ballot. But since 1976, no major party convention has opened with the identity of the nominee in question.

U.S. ECO ONLINE No 92 –March/April 2007

2007-05-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

PUBLIC AFFAIRS - American Embassy
Sylvie VACHERET Tel: 01 43 12 48 97 E‑Mail: vacheretsr@state.gov

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Will Fast Productivity Growth Persist?
FRB San Francisco - Economic Letter - April 6, 2007 – 4 pages
http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economics/letter/2007/el2007-09.html

“This Letter begins to answer the title question by focusing on the factors that underlay the most recent productivity boom and what they may portend for the future.”

The U.S. Productivity Acceleration and the Current Account Deficit
FRB San Francisco - Economic Letter - March 30, 2007 – 4 pages
http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economics/letter/2007/el2007-08.html

“This Letter reviews the current facts about the current account deficit and its determinants and describes the channels through which it is affected by an increase in trend labor productivity growth.”

David C. Wheelock
Housing Slump Could Lean Heavily on Economy
FRB St. Louis - Regional Economist - April 2007
http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/re/2007/b/pages/slump.html

“Just because there was a boom in the housing market doesn't mean there will be a bust. But if the decline in prices that has hit some markets spreads across the country, the overall economy could suffer on multiple levels.”

After the Boom, Housing Affordability a Growing Challenge
FRB Atlanta – EconSouth - First Quarter 2007
http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=8F7F362A-5056-9F12-124168F1446F1678&method=display_body

“As Americans' rate of home ownership nears historical highs, home prices have risen simultaneously. Ensuring a supply of affordable housing for those aspiring to their share of the American dream remains a challenge in many areas, including the Southeast.”

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Repairing the Economic Ladder: A Transformative Investment Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Expand America’s Middle Class
Conference of Mayors - Taskforce on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity - Findings and Recommendations – January 24, 2007 – 28 pages
http://www.preschoolcalifornia.org/assets/US-Conf-Mayors-Poverty-Work-and-Opp-Task-Force-Jan-2007.pdf

How can the United States work to alleviate poverty and create work opportunities for its residents? This report draws on the observations of mayors around the country and their colleagues. The report notes that there are a number of opportunities, such as the fact that the globalization of trade and commerce has spurred demand for highly skilled labor and accountability in the educational systems of large cities. The document also spells out three primary investment strategies for the short and long term, including making substantial investments in the life-long education and skills development of tomorrow’s workers.

The Role of Public Investment in Promoting Economic Growth
House Financial Services Committee – Hearing - March 23, 2007
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht032307.shtml

Witness List & Prepared Testimony:
Ambassador Felix Rohatyn, Rohatyn Associates; Dr. Michael Drake, Chancellor University of California, Irvine; Cliff Winston, Senior Fellow of Economic Studies, Brookings Institution; Miles Rapoport, President Demos; Andrew F. Haughwout, Research and Statistics Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

An Education Strategy to Promote Opportunity, Prosperity, and Growth
The Hamilton Project, The Brookings Institution - Strategy Paper - February 20, 2007 – 25 pages
http://www1.hamiltonproject.org/views/papers/200702education.pdf

This paper offers a framework for educational policy from early childhood to post-secondary education. Evidence shows that education is critical to economic growth and an investment in education returns benefits to society and individuals. America’s educational system is not in crisis nor is it reaching its full potential. This paper outlines a strategy for new investments in early education and suggests structural reforms such as a teacher tenure system. A proposed early educational program for disadvantaged children and federally-funded student financial aid systems are also addressed.

TAX AND FISCAL POLICIES

Curtis S. Dubay
State and Local Tax Burdens Hit 25-Year High
Tax Foundation - Special Report No. 153 - April 6, 2007 – 12 pages
http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/sr153.pdf

“State and local taxes will consume a record-setting 11 percent of the nation's income in 2007. Since 1986, the state-local tax burden had never fallen below 10 percent or risen above 10.9 percent. This estimate of state-local tax burdens at an all-time high comes at a time when personal and corporate incomes have risen for almost four consecutive years, sometimes at a remarkable pace. Along with low unemployment, these rising incomes have boosted tax collections substantially and helped most states meet their revenue expectations with ease since 2004.”

Growing Number of States Considering a Key Corporate Tax Reform
Center on Budget and Policy - Priorities – April 7, 2007 – 9 pages
http://www.cbpp.org/4-5-07sfp.htm

“A growing number of states are giving serious consideration to a major reform in their corporate income taxes long advocated by state tax experts. The governors of six states - Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania - all recommended this year that their states implement this policy, which is known as "combined reporting." New York enacted combined reporting legislation on April 1 as part of the state's budget bill for FY2007-08.”

Alice M. Rivlin and Joseph R. Antos, editors
Restoring Fiscal Sanity 2007: The Health Spending Challenge
Brookings Institution Press. Web posted March 26, 2007. 252 pages
http://www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/es/research/projects/budget/fiscalsanity/2007full.pdf

“This book examines the health spending crisis and calls for a broad agenda of experimentation and reform to slow health care spending growth.” The authors provide suggestions to reform federal health care programs that could reduce the growth in spending, increase efficiency and effectiveness of care, and enhance health outcomes. The authors see this proposal as a “catalyst for improvements of the whole health system.”

MONETARY POLICY

William Poole
Understanding Inflation
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – Remarks to NABE - April 2, 2007
http://www.stlouisfed.org/news/speeches/2007/04_02_07.html

“The causes of our current prosperity will be studied by economists for some time. Today, I wish to discuss one of those: our improved understanding of how price stability contributes to overall economic stability. That understanding is reflected in the Federal Reserve’s commitment to maintaining a low, stable rate of inflation. Efforts to improve communications and increase the transparency of policymaking are essential aspects of that commitment.”

Governor Frederic S. Mishkin
Monetary Policy and the Dual Mandate
FRB – Remarks at Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia. April 10, 2007
http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2007/20070410/default.htm

“The Federal Reserve's mandate is "to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates." Because long-term interest rates can remain low only in a stable macroeconomic environment, these goals are often referred to as the dual mandate; that is, the Federal Reserve seeks to promote the two coequal objectives of maximum employment and price stability.”

Ben S. Bernanke
Globalization and Monetary Policy
Federal Reserve Board - Remarks At the Fourth Economic Summit, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford, California - March 2, 2007
http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2007/20070302/default.htm

“At the broadest level, globalization influences the conduct of monetary policy through its powerful effects on the economic and financial environment in which monetary policy must operate… Consequently, one direct effect of globalization on Federal Reserve operations has been to increase the time and attention that policymakers and staff must devote to following and understanding developments in other economies, in the world trading system, and in world capital markets.”

A Falling Dollar: Good or Bad News?
FRB Atlanta – EconSouth - First Quarter 2007
http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=8FBC5CFC-5056-9F12-12DEE2A422FA9E30&method=display_body

“While no consensus exists about the timing or speed of the adjustment to the value of the dollar, the natural correction mechanisms appear to be in place. As long as the current situation of strong global growth and impressive macroeconomic stability continues, the United States should be able to correct its external deficits smoothly, without enduring significant hardships.”

Edwin M. Truman, Peterson Institute
The Role of US and EU Financial Markets in the Global Economy
Remarks at the conference "The Euro and the Dollar: Pillars in Global Finance"- FRB New York - April 17, 2007
www.iie.com/publications/papers/paper.cfm?ResearchID=728

“Europe and the United States have huge stakes and responsibilities for the stability of the international economy and financial system. They should promote healthy, and minimize unhealthy, competition between the euro and the dollar. Their collaboration in the IMF just completed multilateral consultation process has been disappointing because of the absence of new policy commitments and any mention of exchange rates. Nevertheless, the euro area and the United States should cooperate in other areas to achieve substantial IMF governance reform, manage the international diversification of foreign exchange reserves through increased transparency, and discourage international money laundering.”

FINANCE

A Special Focus on Safe and Sound Banking: Past, Present, and Future
FRB Atlanta – First and Second Quarters 2007
http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=0F644CED-5056-9F12-128C9A6CA5296F50&method=display_body

“This issue of the Economic Review presents the papers, commentaries, and discussions from an August 2006 conference that assessed the legislative and regulatory changes in the banking industry during the past two decades and discussed the challenges still ahead.”

Financial Innovations and the Real Economy: Conference Summary
FRB San Francisco - Economic Letter - March 2, 2007
http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economics/letter/2007/el2007-05.html

“This Letter summarizes the papers presented at the conference "Financial Innovations and the Real Economy" held by the Bank's Center for the Study of Innovation and Productivity (CSIP) in November 2006.” It includes links to conference papers.

Ben S. Bernanke
Financial Regulation and the Invisible Hand
Federal Reserve Board – Remarks at the New York University Law School - April 11, 2007
http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2007/20070411/default.htm

“Although the market system is the principal source of America’s economic dynamism, economic theory and practice both suggest that targeted government regulation and intervention can sometimes benefit the economy. In the particular case of financial markets, for example, government regulation helps to promote general financial stability and to protect investors and consumers against fraud. Of course, the benefits of regulation come with direct and indirect costs.”

Financial Market Regulation: Agencies Engaged in Consolidated Supervision Can Strengthen Performance Measurement and Collaboration
U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) - Web posted March 15, 2007 - 86 pages
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07154.pdf

Financial institutions are increasingly operating globally; consequently, supervision of these institutions on a consolidated basis has become a necessity. The General Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed the policies and management of these programs at the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The GAO recommends that the heads of all three agencies develop clearer and more consistent objectives and performance measurements specific to consolidated supervision. The GAO also advises these agencies to collaborate more systematically.

Jeffrey Fankel
Responding To Financial Crises
Faculty Research Working Paper Series, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. February 14, 2007 – 13 pages
http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP07-010/$File/rwp_07_010_frankel.pdf

Most financial analysts agree there is a need for a Lender of Last Resort in the event of banking panics or disruptions, but crises should not be the basis for public policy. “The response must be appropriate and careful. It must be informed by the longer term perspective offered in the lessons of historical precedent. . .” This paper details lessons learned from past crises such as inflation, stock market crashes, housing crashes, and various international crises.

Bank Deregulation Helps Small Business
FRB St. Louis - Regional Economist - April 2007
http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/re/2007/b/pages/deregulation.html

“Once banking markets were opened up to geographic diversity and competition, more banks were in a better position to lend money to small businesses—even in tough times.”

Timothy Clark, Astrid Dick, Beverly Hirtle, Kevin Stiroh, and Robard Williams
The Role of Retail Banking in the U.S. Banking Industry: Risk, Return, and Industry Structure
FRB New York - Economic Policy Review, forthcoming – 18 pages
http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/epr/forthcoming/0703hirt.pdf

The U.S. banking industry is experiencing a renewed interest in retail banking, broadly defined as the range of products and services provided to consumers and small businesses. This article documents the “return to retail” in the U.S. banking industry and offers some insight into why the shift has occurred. At the bank level, the principal attraction of retail banking seems to be the belief that its revenues are stable and thus can offset volatility in nonretail businesses. At the industry level, the authors show that interest in retail activities fluctuates in rather predictable ways with the performance of nonretail banking and financial market activities.”

The Angel Investor Market in 2006: The Angel Market Continues Steady Growth
Center for Venture Research, University of New Hampshire - Web posted March 20, 2007 – 3 pages
http://unhinfo.unh.edu/news/docs/2006angelmarketanalysis.pdf

This report reports the growth in the angel investor market during 2006. The angel investor market totaled $25.6 billion in 2006, an increase of 10.8% over the previous year. Healthcare services accounted for the largest increase, followed by the software market and the biotech market. Angel investment also created 201,400 jobs in the U.S. in 2006, women angels accounted for 13.8% of the market, and women-owned ventures represented 12.9% of the entrepreneurs. Minority angels were 3.4% of the angel populations and minority-owned firms were 6.9% of the entrepreneurs.

Mortgage Market Turmoil: Causes and Consequences
US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – Hearing – Mach 22, 2007
http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=254

“You cannot pick up a newspaper lately without seeing another story about the implosion of the subprime mortgage market. The checks and balances that we are told exist in the marketplace, and the oversight that the regulators are supposed to exercise, have been absent until recently.”

OTHER ECONOMIC POLICIES

Thomas M. Sullivan
Report on the Regulatory Flexibility Act FY 2006: Annual Report of the Chief Counsel for Advocacy on Implementation of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order 13272
Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration - February 2007 – 77 pages
http://www.sba.gov/advo/laws/flex/06regflx.pdf

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) requires federal agencies “to review the potential impact of proposed regulations on small businesses and other small entities and to examine significant alternatives that minimize small entity impacts while still meeting the purpose of the regulation.” This annual report from the Small Business Administration measures the success of RFA during 2006.

Jonathan Baker
Beyond Schumpeter vs. Arrow: How Antitrust Fosters Innovation
AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies - Related Publication - Feb 2007 – 23 pages
http://www.aei-brookings.org/admin/authorpdfs/page.php?id=1369&PHPSESSID=ef380882adcd0e633019b25beca20a0f

“The modern economic learning about the connection between competition and innovation helps clarify the types of firm conduct and industry settings where antitrust interventions are most likely to foster innovation. Measured against this standard, contemporary competition policy holds up well. Today’s antitrust institutions support innovation by targeting types of industries and practices where antitrust enforcement would enhance research and development incentives the most. It is time to move beyond the “on-the-one-hand Schumpeter, on-the-other-hand Arrow” debate and embrace antitrust as essential for fostering innovation.”

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/hpaied/

“The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development was started in 1987 by Professors Stephen Cornell and Joseph P. Kalt. The Project’s primary goal is “to understand and foster the conditions under which sustained, self-determined social and economic development is achieved among American Indian nations.” To accomplish this goal, the Project has sponsored a number of conferences and events, and as also offered advisory services to interested persons and tribal leaders. The “Publications” area is a good way to take a look at the fruits of their labors, as it includes the archives of the Joint Occasional Papers on Native Affairs and a variety of field reports, such as “Renewing Beauty: Options for Navajo Land Management and Decision Making”.

Rural Sprawl
FRB Minneapolis - FedGazette – Focus - March 2007
http://www.minneapolisfed.org/pubs/fedgaz/07-03/

“As city dwellers seek bucolic bliss, sprawl is spreading to the countryside. Problem, or opportunity?”

BUSINESS

Florida Drives the National Auto Market
FRB Atlanta – EconSouth - First Quarter 2007
http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=8FB9D7D3-5056-9F12-1273D72F6DECA3AF&method=display_body

“The Sunshine State represents the nation's second-largest car market. Changes in the marketplace—from sagging fleet sales to strong import performance—reverberate from Florida to Detroit and beyond.”

The Best of All Worlds—Globalizing the Knowledge Economy
FRB Dallas – Annual Report – Essay – April 2007
http://www.dallasfed.org/fed/annual/2006/index.cfm

“The conquest of physical distance to deliver medical services testifies to the benefits of globalizing the Knowledge Economy. Our greatly expanded capacity to calculate, communicate and coordinate has toppled barriers that for centuries constrained so many economic activities. It has led to immensely increased productivity, thus lowering costs and raising living standards in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. We're only beginning to fathom the consequences.”

Options on the Outs
FRB Richmond - Region Focus - Winter 2007 – 7 pages
http://www.richmondfed.org/publications/economic_research/region_focus/winter_2007/pdf/cover_story.pdf

“Today, granting options is no longer painless: 2006 is the first year that public companies are being required to subtract the cost of stock options from their income. The change, which was years in the making, came about in large part because of clamoring for corporate governance reforms. Accounting scandals at Enron and WorldCom gave the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) support for a long-proposed rule to make stock option expensing mandatory, instead of something that since 1995 was relegated to footnotes in annual company filings…Across the nation, this one small accounting change is affecting the use of employee stock options in a significant way.”

David de Ferranti and Anthony J. Ody
Beyond Microfinance: Getting Capital to Small and Medium Enterprises to Fuel Faster Development
The Brookings Institution - Policy Brief - Web posted March 26, 2007 – 10 pages
http://www3.brookings.edu/comm/policybriefs/pb159.pdf

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are those that employ between 10 and 250 workers. SMEs are the backbone of modern economies and are the “seedbeds of innovation.” In the developing world, SMEs are “under-represented, stifled by perverse regulatory climates, and poor access to inputs.” The authors provide two new governmental options to promote SMEs: (1) remove artificial policies and regulatory obstacles; and (2) stimulate competition and develop credit information systems. The authors argue that SMEs need more attention to build more dynamic competitive economies in developing countries.

ENERGY

Annual Energy Outlook 2007: With Projections to 2030
Energy Information Administration - U.S. Department of Energy - February 2007 - 242 pages
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/index.html

This report presents a long-term projection of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2030. It provides a summary of referenced cases; discusses evolving legislation and regulation issues including an update of key provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT2005); and supplies a summary of sunset provisions in selected fuel taxes and tax credits.

State of the Markets Report: 2006
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), U.S. Department of Energy. Web posted February 20, 2007 – 59 pages
http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/st-mkt-ovr/som-rpt-2006.pdf

“In 2005 and 2006, electric and natural gas markets in the United States proved sufficiently robust to successfully meet various supply- and demand-related challenges with no major failures of service. While these markets continued to produce evidence of long-term developmental trends, the most striking forces affecting these markets since late 2005 were short term.” These forces were disruption of natural gas supplies by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a glut of natural gas because of mild weather, and heat waves drove new peak electric loads. However, short-term supply and demand disruptions caused challenges to energy market oversight efforts.

International Perspectives on Alternative Energy Policy: Incentives and Mandates and their Impacts
Senate - Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure – Hearing - April 12, 2007
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing041207a.htm

“The system we have developed to provide incentives to achieve it is not a simple system. Perhaps as a result, we have had many discussions about the manner in which the current law tax incentives have helped, and sometimes hurt, the development of alternative energy production in this country. So as we prepare to address the issue of energy policy and energy taxes again this year, we want to identify those energy tax provisions that have helped us achieve our energy policy goals, apply these successful concepts to promising new markets, and look to successful markets for new ideas.”

Eugene Gholz and Daryl G. Press
Energy Alarmism: The Myths That Make Americans Worry about Oil
Cato Institute - Policy Analysis no. 589 - April 5, 2007 – 24 pages
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa589.pdf

“Our overarching message is simply that market forces, modified by the cartel behavior of OPEC, determine most of the key factors that affect oil supply and prices. The United States does not need to be militarily active or confrontational to allow the oil market to function, to allow oil to get to consumers, or to ensure access in coming decades.”

The Future of Coal
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
http://web.mit.edu/coal/
Senate – Energy and natural Resources Committee – Hearing – March 22, 2007
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1617

“This report, the future of coal in a carbon-constrained world, evaluates the technologies and costs associated with the generation of electricity from coal along with those associated with the capture and sequestration of the carbon dioxide produced coal-based power generation.”

Crude Oil: Uncertainty about Future Oil Supply Makes It Important to Develop a Strategy for Addressing a Peak and Decline in Oil Production
GAO – Report - February 28, 2007 – 82 pages
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-283

“GAO (1) examined when oil production could peak, (2) assessed the potential for transportation technologies to mitigate the consequences of a peak in oil production, and (3) examined federal agency efforts that could reduce uncertainty about the timing of a peak or mitigate the consequences. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed studies, convened an expert panel, and consulted agency officials.”

Energy Innovation
Senate - Science, Technology, and Innovation – Hearing - March 20, 2007
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1832

Mr. Bill Prindle, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Mr. Michael Eckhart, American Council on Renewable Energy
Dr. Jim Katzer, MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment
Dr. K.R. Sridhar, Bloom Energy
Dr. Francis R. Preli, Jr., UTC Power, LLC Bruce Stokes

Amy Abel
Electric Transmission: Approaches for Energizing a Sagging Industry
Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress - February 12, 2007 – 26 pages
http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RL33875_20070212.pdf

This report provides background information on the regulatory structure of the electric utility industry and its transmission systems at both the federal and state levels. Some of the issues covered are congested transmission systems, security of physical assets, transmission line locations, cost implications, pricing of new projects, and funding.

AGRICULTURE

Investing in Our Nation's Future through Agricultural Research
Senate - Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee – Hearing - March 7, 2007
http://agriculture.senate.gov/Hearings/hearings.cfm?hearingId=2583

“While there has been excellent success in the past we must look to not only immediate scientific needs, but build an even stronger foundation to maintain our world leadership in agriculture. This is imperative if this nation’s agriculture system is to continue as a world leader and not be severely crippled by the ever increasing disease threats, changing world market competition, and drought and other natural impacts.”

Economic Challenges and Opportunities Facing American Agricultural Producers Today
Senate – Committee on Agriculture – April 2007

Part 1 (livestock, poultry, and competition issues for the 2007 Farm Bill):
http://agriculture.senate.gov/Hearings/hearings.cfm?hearingId=2699

Part 2 (speciality crops, dairy, sugar, organic productoin and marketing, and honey issues for the 2007 Farm Bill): http://agriculture.senate.gov/Hearings/hearings.cfm?hearingId=2723

Part 3 (general farm and commodity-specific organizations):
http://agriculture.senate.gov/Hearings/hearings.cfm?hearingId=2724

EMPLOYMENT

Closing the Gap: Equal Pay for Women Workers
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions – Hearing - April 12, 2007
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2007_04_12/2007_04_12.html

Witnesses:
-- Evelyn Murphy, Founder and President of The WAGE Project, Inc, Boston, MA
-- Jocelyn Samuels, Vice President for Education and Employment, National Women's Law Center, Washington, DC
-- Dr. Philip Cohen, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
-- Barbara Brown, Attorney, Paul Hastings, Washington, DC

Strengthening the Middle Class: Ensuring Equal Pay for Women
House – Committee on Education and Labor – Hearing - April 24, 2007
http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/fc042407.shtml

Witnesses
Catherine Hill, Research Director, American Association of University Women
Heather Boushey, Senior Economist, Center for Economic and Policy Research
Dedra Farmer, Plaintiff in the Walmart Sex-Discrimination Class Action Suit
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director, Center for Employment Policy, Hudson Institute

Marie-Claire Guillard
A Chartbook of International Labor Comparisons: The Americas—Asia-Pacific—Europe
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. January 2007. 67 pages
http://www.dol.gov/asp/media/reports/chartbook/chartbook_jan07.pdf

This Chartbook provides a comparative labor market perspective of employment levels, jobless rates, hours worked, labor costs, and productivity trends of all advanced and emerging economies. It is a “snapshot of where the United States stands today in relation to key economies of the rest of the world.” The purpose of the Chartbook is to assist policy and decision makers in preparing the nation’s workforce for future challenges and opportunities.

Phoning It In
FRB Richmond - Region Focus - Winter 2007 – 5 pages
http://www.richmondfed.org/publications/economic_research/region_focus/winter_2007/pdf/feature1.pdf
“Telecommuting hasn't become the commonplace work alternative its advocates anticipated. Still, the flexibility it offers has helped a significant number of companies and employees.”

Increasing Economic Security for American Workers
Committee on Ways and Means - Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support – Hearing – March 15, 2007
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=540

Witnesses:
-- Robert Reich, J.D., Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley
-- Thea Lee, Assistant Director of Public Policy, AFL-CIO
-- Howard Rosen, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
-- Maurice Emsellem, Policy Director, National Employment Law Project
-- Douglas J. Holmes, President, UWC – Strategic Services on Unemployment and Worker’s Compensation

Jacob Funk Kirkegaard
Offshoring, Outsourcing, and Production Relocation—Labor-Market Effects in the OECD Countries and Developing Asia
The Peterson Institute - Working Paper 07-2 – April 2007 – 51 pages
www.iie.com/publications/wp/wp07-2.pdf

Data for the United States, EU-15, and Japan indicate only a limited impact of offshoring/outsourcing on employment in the three regions. Correspondingly, developing Asia is unlikely to experience large employment gains as an offshoring/outsourcing destination region. The paper highlights the Indian information technology (IT) industry, where the majority of job creation has been in local Indian companies rather than foreign multinationals.

How Effective are Existing Programs in Helping Workers Impacted by International Trade?
House – Committee on Education and Labor – Hearing - March 26, 2007
http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/fc032607.shtml

“Today the Committee will begin its examination of U.S. trade policy and how it is affecting American workers. It is true that there have been many winners from free trade. In the U.S…Yet it is becoming ever clearer that the free trade process is at a standstill… too many workers are being hurt by international outsourcing and its resulting plant shutdowns… We are going to discuss the effectiveness of federal programs that are intended to assist dislocated workers, like unemployment insurance, trade adjustment assistance, COBRA health benefits, and the health care tax credit.”

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

William Poole
Changing World Demographics and Trade Imbalances
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – Remarks at the American European Community Association (AECA) - April 16, 2007
http://www.stlouisfed.org/news/speeches/2007/04_16_07.html

“My analysis combines demographic and economics facts with economic theory to provide some insights into the connections between demographic changes and international trade. I hope that my comments will contribute at least in some small measure to increasing international understanding, especially given the critical importance of an open international trading system to improvements in economic growth in all our countries.”

2007 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
U.S.T.R. – Report – April 2007
http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2007/2007_NTE_Report/Section_Index.html

“The 2007 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE) is the twenty-first in an annual series that surveys significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. The report provides, where feasible, quantitative estimates of the impact of these foreign practices on the value of U.S. exports. Information is also included on actions taken to eliminate barriers.”

Pirating the American Dream: Intellectual Property Theft’s Impact on America’s Place in the Global Economy and Strategies for Improving Enforcement
Senate, Committee on Security and International Trade and Finance – Hearing – April 12, 2007
banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=255

Statements by:
Dr. Moises Naim, Editor in Chief, Foreign Policy Magazine
Dr. Loren Yager, Director of International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office
Mr. Brad Huther, Senior Advisor for Intellectual Property Enforcement, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Tim Demarais, Vice President, ABRO Industries

Daniella Markheim
Why Free Trade Works for America
The Heritage Foundation - Backgrounder #2024 - April 16, 2007
http://www.heritage.org/Research/TradeandForeignAid/bg2024.cfm

“Armed with the facts, Congress should bolster itself against "free trade fatigue" and protectionist sentiment and revitalize the drive to promote economic growth and prosperity by eliminating international trade barriers. Renewing the President's trade promotion authority to facilitate the completion of new bilateral free trade agreements, reforming and reducing the scope of the U.S. farm bill to promote a successful conclusion to the WTO Doha Development Round, and generally guarding against populist, protectionist trade policy changes would go far toward expanding economic opportunity in the U.S. and around the world.”

Carolyn C. Smith
Trade Promotion Authority and Fast-Track Negotiating Authority for Trade Agreements: Major Votes
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Updated January 31, 2007. 6 pages
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/80216.pdf

This report identifies significant legislation from 1974 forward which authorized the use of the presidential Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) known as fast-track. It also identifies significant bills and resolutions that had floor votes as well as provides a list of floor votes on implementing legislation for trade agreements from 1979 forward.

Robert Z. Lawrence
The United States and the WTO Dispute Settlement System
The Bernard and Irene Schwartz Series on American Competitiveness, Council on Foreign Relations. Web posted March 30, 2007. 51 pages
http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/WTO_CSR25.pdf

The author reflects on the effectiveness of the World Trade Organization (WTO) especially the dispute settlement system. He argues that any radical change to the system could be detrimental. However, he offers some reforms in the multilateral negotiations sector such as enhancing transparency and improving steps for multilateral negotiations.

Steven Zahniser
NAFTA at 13: Implementation Nears Completion
Outlook Report, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Web posted March 29, 2007 - 49 pages
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/wrs0701/wrs0701.pdf

After 13 years, implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is drawing to a close-- transitional restrictions on agriculture will be removed next year. During this implementation period, the agricultural sectors in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada have become more integrated and have grown dramatically. This report on NAFTA’s effects on U.S. agriculture covers trade data through 2005 and economic and policy developments through 2006.

J.F. Hornbeck
U.S. Trade Policy and the Caribbean: From Trade Preferences to Free Trade Agreements
Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress - April 4, 2007 - 24 pages
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33951_20070404.pdf

The U.S. has relied on unilateral trade preferences to promote export-led development in poor countries. These trade preferences provide goods, duty-free or at tariffs below normal rates to selected developing countries. Over the past thirty years, the Caribbean region has benefited from these multiple preferential trade agreements. The 110th Congress faces a number of issues that challenge the U.S. trade policies in the Caribbean region. This report discusses these challenges and the “evolution of the U.S. trade policy toward the Caribbean, focusing on the implications of moving from unilateral tariff preferences to reciprocal FTAs [Free Trade Agreements].”

MISCELLANEOUS

Lisa Barrow Cecilia Elena Rouse
The Changing Value of Education
Chicago Fed Letter – April 2007 – 6 pages
http://www.chicagofed.org/publications/fedletter/cflapril2007_237.pdf

“Why has the economic value of education stopped rising over the past ten years? The most likely explanation seems to be that the booming economy of the late 1990s helped to increase the average earnings of all workers, including those at the low end of the skills distribution.”

J.P. Wieske
Understanding the Uninsured and What to Do About Them
Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI) - 2007 – 20 pages
http://www.cahi.org/cahi_contents/resources/pdf/UnderstandingTheUninsured0307.pdf

“Every year the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the number of uninsured has grown — reaching 46.6 million Americans in 2005. Of course, the primary reason the number is growing is that the U.S. population is growing. However, less reported is that the percentage of the population that is uninsured has been much more stable, averaging about 15 percent for the past 15 years. Before elected officials look for solutions, they need to understand who the uninsured are and why so many people lack coverage.”

David A. Wirth
Globalization and the Environment: Why All the Fuss?
Boston College Law School Faculty Papers, Boston College Law School - February 2007 – 10 pages
http://lsr.nellco.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1190&context=bc/bclsfp

The relationship between globalization and environmental policies is not just “free trader versus self-serving protectionists.” This report sets out a structural and analytical framework for addressing some of the major issues between these two views points. The author discusses unilateral trade-based measures to protect the environment, science-based tests applied through trade agreements, foreign investment disciplines that may have a “chilling” effect on environmental issues, and the relationship between free trade agreements and multilateral environmental agreements. U.S. domestic laws including federal administrative law and federal-state relations are also examined.

US ENERGY 2007

2007-04-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

ENERGY

Ending Oil Dependence

The Brookings Institute – Position Paper and Fact Sheet – March 2007

http://www.opportunity08.org/Issues/OurWorld/32/r1/Default.aspx

“Oil use continues to climb in the United States and around the world, creating national security, environmental and economic problems. Yet new technologies and an emerging political consensus bring solutions within reach. David Sandalow present options for ending the United States’ oil dependence.”

First in a Series of Hearings on Energy and Tax Policy

House Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - February 28, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=529

“In announcing the hearing, Chairman Rangel said, “Climate change and global warming will have a tremendous impact on the quality of life here in America and around the world. The Federal government needs a better understanding of what contributes to global warming so that we may play a significant role in preventing further damage.” This hearing will focus on a scientific discussion of the factors contributing to global warming and the effects of such changes on climate changes.”

Challenges Remain for Developing and Deploying Advanced Energy Technologies to Meet Future Needs

Jim Wells House Committee on Appropriations, GAO-07-550T – February 28, 2007 – 15 pages

http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-550T

This report “examined the (1) R&D funding trends and strategies for developing advanced energy technologies; (2) key barriers to developing and deploying advanced energy technologies; and (3) efforts of the states and six selected countries to develop and deploy advanced energy technologies. GAO reviewed DOE R&D budget data and strategic plans and obtained the views of experts in DOE, industry, and academia, as well as state and foreign government officials.”

Advanced Energy Technologies

Senate – Committee on Energy and Natural Resources – Hearing – March 7, 2007

http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1612

“The purpose of the hearing is to investigate market constraints on large investments in advanced energy technologies and investigate ways to stimulate additional private-sector investment in the deployment of these technologies.”

Public Transportation and Petroleum Savings in the U.S.: Reducing Dependence on Oil

Linda BaileyICF International for the American Public Transportation Association - January 2007 – 35 pages

http://www.apta.com/research/info/online/documents/apta_public_transportation_fuel_savings_final_010807.pdf

This analysis looks at what public transportation could save in gasoline consumption both individually and nationally, and it explores the possible future benefits of more Americans using public transportation. The study found that public transportation usage reduces gasoline consumption by 1.4 billion gallons each year--based on current public transportation usage. It also found that this savings amounts to 108 million fewer cars on the road; 34 fewer supertankers leaving the Middle East; over 140,000 fewer tanker trucks making deliveries; and a cumulative saving of 3.9 million gallons of gas each day.

California’s Electricity Market: A Post-Crisis Progress Report

Carl Pechman Public Policy Institute of California – Report - January 2007 - 21 pages

http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/cep/EP_107CPEP.pdf

“California's electric power crisis of 2000-2001 raised the blood pressure of millions of state residents. It also pushed a major utility into bankruptcy, and cost the state billions of dollars in lost productivity and expensive spot-market power. Most experts point the blame at the flawed way California deregulated its electric power markets in the late 1990s. This issue of CEP provides a progress report on the problems and successes of the state's post-crisis re-regulation strategies. These seek to balance consumer costs, environmental protection, and competition in the power marketplace.”

The Ethanol Mandate Should Not Be Expanded

Ben LiebermanThe Heritage Foundation - Backgrounder #2020 - M arch 28, 2007

http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/bg2020.cfm

“The new ethanol mandate is perhaps the most disappointing program in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Since taking effect in 2006, this measure has increased energy and food prices while doing little to reduce oil imports or improve the environment.”

US TRADE 2007

2007-04-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

GLOBALIZATION

Hearing on Trade and Globalization

House - Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - January 30, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=512

“During the hearing, Members hope to elicit responses from witnesses on the following: (1) the philosophy that more trade is always better, no matter its terms or contents; (2) whether the benefits of globalization are being spread broadly to working people, farmers, businesses and consumers in the United States, and if not, what specific changes to U.S. trade policy and international trading rules should be recommended to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of globalization; and (3) what have been some of the most important successes of U.S. trade policy in the recent past in terms of maximizing the benefits of globalization and minimizing its costs.”

Robert L. Thompson

Globalization and the Benefits of Trade

Chicago Fed Letter - March 2007 (Number 236) Essays On Issues – 4 pages

http://www.chicagofed.org/publications/fedletter/cflmarch2007_236.pdf

“Globalization involves increasing integration of economies around the world, from the national to the most local levels, thereby promoting international trade in goods and services and cross-border movement of information, technology, people, and investments. This article examines the benefits and costs to the U.S. and other countries.”
Pan A. Yotopoulos

The Asymmetric Benefits of Globalization

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research - Policy Brief – March 2007 – 6 pages

http://siepr.stanford.edu/papers/briefs/policybrief_mar07.html

“Although this brief has focused on the risk that globalization becomes the epitaph of growth in the third world, the increasing divide between the rich and the poor within countries, be they developed or developing, may prove even more ominous for the future of globalization itself. Unless the gains from free trade are shared more equally between rich and poor countries, and among the rich and the poor within them, the future of this second globalization may be short-lived.”

Jeff Faux

Globalization That Works for Working Americans

Economic Policy Institute - Briefing Paper - January 11, 2007 – 22 pages

http://www.sharedprosperity.org/bp179/bp179.pdf

The author advocates for better management of globalization through better international trade and investment agreements and policies. The author states that the present system rewards those at the top of the income ladder while working families suffer from stagnant wages and benefits. He further writes that over the last two decades, the mismanagement of trade policies has damaged the U.S.’s competitiveness and has caused trade deficits to soar. The paper offers a new, comprehensive strategy to change these imbalances.

Lee Hudson Teslik

The Global Auto Industry

Council on Foreign Relations – Backgrounder - March 2, 2007

www.cfr.org/publication/12764/global_auto_industry.html

“In February 2007, DaimlerChrysler executives announced a plan to restructure Chrysler's operations. As part of the restructuring, the company will cut thirteen thousand jobs, reduce its total production capacity, and consider divesting the Chrysler brand altogether. The announcement, analysts said, could mark the beginning of the end for an unhappy nine-year marriage between the companies, a merger celebrated in its time… Regardless of what happens to Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler’s woes highlight the shifting realities of the global auto industry. As Detroit’s automakers have struggled, Japan’s Toyota is commanding increased influence. A handful of Chinese manufacturers are also elbowing for global significance, especially in the auto-parts market.”
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE

U.S. Trade Agenda

House Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - February 14, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=526

The hearing will examine the direction and content of U.S. trade policy, including:

(1) the status of the WTO Doha Round negotiations and the role U.S. positions on agriculture, services, and industrial market access (including non-tariff barriers) have played in the talks; (2) the status of signed and yet-to-be-completed U.S. FTAs, including a review of open issues; (3) the U.S. policy responses to the U.S. trade deficit and debt… (4) the operation of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body…; (5) the status of Russia’s, and other countries’, accession to the WTO; (6) whether U.S. preference programs are effective in promoting growth and economic development, particularly in low-income and least developed countries, including Haiti; (7) issues related to extension of presidential trade negotiating authority; and (7) other issues.

Perspectives on the 2007 Trade Agenda

Senate – Committee on Finance – Hearing - March 8, 2007

http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing030807.htm

Testimonies by:

Larry Summers, Harvard University

Fred Smith, CEO, Federal Express, Washington, DC

Bob Baugh, Executive Director, Industrial Union Council, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC

Craig Lang, President, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, West Des Moines, IA

Andy Warlick, President, Parkdale Mills, Inc., Gastonia, NC
Daniella Markheim

Renew Trade Promotion Authority

The Heritage Foundation - Backgrounder #2014 - March 2007

http://www.heritage.org/Research/TradeandForeignAid/bg2014.cfm

“Congress should renew TPA as it is without adding new conditions that open the door to protectionist policies that undermine America's ability to remain a dynamic and dominant player in the global economy. Current TPA rules support the development and protection of effective labor and other economic policies without forcing unrealistic and detrimental regulations on developing economies.”

Robert Z. Lawrence

The United States and the WTO Dispute Settlement System

Council on Foreign Relations – Report – March 2007 - 56 pages

http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/WTO_CSR25.pdf

“In this Council Special Report, Professor Lawrence addresses the critics of the dispute settlement mechanism—both those who think it should be tougher on countries that violate trade rules and those who think it is already so tough as to violate sovereignty. He points out the successes of the WTO since its creation in 1995 and argues that radical changes to the system are ill-advised. Lawrence nonetheless suggests several areas for reform, from steps that require multilateral negotiations, such as improving opportunities for nonstate actor participation in and enhancing transparency of the process, to changes the United States could make in its own behavior.”

C. Fred Bergsten

Toward a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific

Peterson Institute - Policy Brief – February 2007 – 13 pages

http://www.petersoninstitute.org/publications/pb/pb07-2.pdf

“At their latest annual summit in Vietnam in November 2006, the leaders of the 21 members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum agreed to “seriously consider” negotiating a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP). The FTAAP initiative may well turn out to be the best, or perhaps only, way to catalyze a substantively successful Doha Round. If it cannot do that, an FTAAP can still offer a Plan B to restore the momentum of trade liberalization, prevent further proliferation of bilateral and subregional preferential trade arrangements, avoid renewed risk of ”drawing a line down the middle of the Pacific,“ channel the US-China economic conflict into a more constructive, less confrontational context, and revitalize APEC itself.”

__________________________________________________________________

U.S-CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Trade with China

House Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - February 15, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=525

“This hearing is the first in a series on U.S.-China economic and trade relations. The hearings will focus on the impact of U.S.-China trade on jobs, wages, prices, manufacturing competitiveness, and other aspects of the U.S. economy; the causes of the U.S. trade deficit with China; China’s compliance with its WTO commitments; and China’s role in the world economy. This hearing will be divided into two panels. The first panel will focus on the role and effect of subsidies in the Chinese market and their impact on competition with U.S. products in China. The other panel will focus on China’s enforcement of intellectual property rights.”

C. Fred Bergsten

China and Economic Integration in East Asia: Implications for the United States

Peterson Institute - Policy Brief – March 2007 – 10 pages

http://www.petersoninstitute.org/publications/pb/pb07-3.pdf

“An essential pillar of a US strategy toward East Asian integration is acceptance of the legitimacy and desirability of that process. US acceptance of the economic integration of Europe is the model. Further, the United States—as well as Canada and Mexico—should seek to nest any new Pacific-Asia trade arrangements in a broader Asia-Pacific framework: Creation of a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) would embed Pacific Asia in the Asia Pacific. Another part of the US strategy should be to strengthen the substantive capabilities and political legitimacy of the global economic institutions, especially the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, to minimize the need for (and appeal of) new Asia-only regional compacts.”

Craig K. Elwell

Chinese Economic Growth: How Will It Affect the U.S. Gains from Trade?

Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress Report - December 6, 2006 – 19 pages

http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RL33744_20061206.pdf

The size and source of the U.S. gains from trade with emerging markets like China are not static--economic growth and economic circumstances change constantly. “China’s main impact on the U.S. terms of trade over the last decade has been through the falling price of U.S. imports from China, transmitting a favorable impulse to the U.S. terms of trade. It also seems likely that the impact of the economic growth of China on the U.S. terms of trade over the near term will continue to be dominated by the favorable effects of a falling price for imports from China.” Several factors point to a favorable outcome for the U.S over the long term.

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US SOCIETY 2007

2007-04-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Source: PUBLIC AFFAIRS - American Embassy
Sylvie VACHERET
Tel: 01 43 12 48 97
E Mail: vacheretsr@state.gov

ECONOMICS AND POVERTY

Economic and Societal Costs of Poverty

House Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - January 24, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=508

“There are 37 million Americans living in poverty, an increase of over 5 million since the year 2000 (after prior years of steady decline)… Poor Americans suffer various hardships, including reduced access to economic and educational opportunities, substandard housing, inadequate diet, greater levels of crime victimization, and diminished health. Less recognized, however, are the costs poverty exacts on society as a whole. Nevertheless, studies indicate that poverty reduces our nation’s economic growth and directly increases crime, health and other expenses absorbed by all Americans. The Committee’s hearing will examine the nature and extent of these costs.”

Economic Opportunity and Poverty in America

House Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - February 13, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=524

In announcing the hearing, Chairman McDermott stated, “We need to work to ensure the American dream can become a reality. Today, too many of our fellow citizens see that dream slipping away. Those in poverty feel trapped and the countless millions living paycheck to paycheck feel they could slip into poverty at any time. I hope this hearing and others to follow will illustrate the need for change.” The hearing will focus on the extent and nature of economic opportunity and poverty in America.

Poverty: Rewarding Work, Supporting Families

The Brookings Institute – Position Paper and Fact Sheet – March 2007

http://www.opportunity08.org/Issues/OurSociety/31/r1/Default.aspx

“The nation’s poverty rate is higher now than it was in the 1970s, but no President since Lyndon Johnson has made fighting poverty a major administration goal. The time has come for a reinvigorated fight against inequality and despair. Brookings scholars Isabel Sawhill and Ron Haskins offer a plan that focuses on supporting education, work, and marriage.”

_________________________________________________________________

AGING

The Aging Workforce: What does it Mean for Businesses and the Economy?

Senate – Special Committee on Aging – Hearing - February 28, 2007

http://aging.senate.gov/hearing_detail.cfm?id=270004&

“Today, people over the age of 65 make up about 12 percent of the population, but they will make up almost 20 percent in the next 25 years. That means one out of every five Americans will be a senior by the year 2030. Experts are talking about what this demographic wave will mean for Social Security, Medicare, and long-term care. But as we will hear today, we must address another piece of the puzzle: how the retirement of the Baby Boomers will impact the strength of our nation’s businesses and economy.”

Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective

Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services - National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health – Report - March 13, 2007 – 32 pages

http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/or/81537.htm

“Despite the weight of scientific evidence, the significance of population aging and its global implications have yet to be fully appreciated. There is a need to raise awareness about not only global aging issues but also the importance of rigorous cross-national scientific research and policy dialogue that will help us address the challenges and opportunities of an aging world. Preparing financially for longer lives and finding ways to reduce aging-related disability should become national and global priorities. Experience shows that for nations, as for individuals, it is critical to address problems sooner rather than later. Waiting significantly increases the costs and difficulties of addressing these challenges. This report paints a compelling picture of the impact of population aging on nations.”

John R. Gist

Population Aging, Entitlement Growth, and the Economy

AARP Public Policy Institute, AARP. Report - January 2007 – 64 pages

http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/2007_01_security.pdf

Demographic aging is changing the age structure of the U.S population. The age 65 and older group will increase from 12 percent to nearly 20 percent of the population. This change will have a profound effect on the federal budget, American families, and economic growth. This report takes a long-term perspective of the aging population; examines the historical experience of the entitlement programs, and compiles projections to 2050. The paper also offers some policy solutions to achieve economic security for the aging population while maintaining a strong economy.

James C. Capretta

Global Aging and the Sustainability of Public Pension Systems: An Assessment of Reform Efforts in Twelve Developed Countries: A Report of the Aging Vulnerability Index Project

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - Web posted January 3, 2007 – 57 pages

http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/pension_profile.pdf

This study chronicles the efforts of twelve developed countries’ attempts to reform their public pension systems. Public benefit systems have been reformed in recent years, but in most developed countries, the pension systems remain unsustainable with the possible exception of Australia. This study supplements the CSIS Aging Vulnerability Index (AVI) published in March 2003.

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EMPLOYMENT

Lynn A. Karoly

Forces Shaping the Future U.S. Workforce and Workplace: Implications for 21st Century Work

RAND Corporation - Testimony presented before the House Education and Labor Committee on February 7, 2007 – 14 pages

http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/2007/RAND_CT273.pdf

“While the consequences of the current state of the economy on the fortunes of middle class families are one area for potential concern, there are a number of longer-term issues that are equally relevant in terms of their potential effects on U.S. workers and employers. Thus, I would like to focus my testimony on the forces that are shaping the world of work and the implications of those trends for the U.S. workforce and workplace.

Understanding these forces is critical for shaping policies that can serve to foster a strong and secure middle class well into the 21st century.”

Increasing Economic Security for American Workers

House Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - March 15, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=540

Robert Reich, J.D., Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

Thea Lee, Assistant Director of Public Policy, AFL-CIO

Howard Rosen, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

Maurice Emsellem, Policy Director, National Employment Law Project

Douglas J. Holmes, President, UWC – Strategic Services on Unemployment and Worker’s Compensation

Christopher H. Wheeler

Trends in Neighborhood-Level Unemployment in the United States: 1980 to 2000

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review, March/April 2007, 89(2), pp. 123-142

http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/07/03/Wheeler.pdf

“Although the average rate of unemployment across U.S. metropolitan areas declined between 1980 and 2000, the geographic concentration of the unemployed rose sharply over this period. That is, residential neighborhoods throughout the nation’s metropolitan areas became increasingly divided into high- and low-unemployment areas. This paper documents this trend using data on more than 165,000 U.S. Census block groups (neighborhoods) in 361 metropolitan areas over the years 1980, 1990, and 2000; it also examines three potential explanations: (i) urban decentralization, (ii) industrial shifts and declining unionization, and (iii) increasing segregation by income and education.”

Giovanni Peri

How Immigrants Affect California Employment and Wages

Public Policy Institute of California - California Counts - February 2007 - 20 pp.

http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/cacounts/CC_207GPCC.pdf

“This issue examines the effects of the arrival of immigrants between 1960 and 2004 on the employment, population, and wages of U.S. natives in California. Among the study’s principal findings: 1) There is no evidence that the influx of immigrants over the past four decades has worsened the employment opportunities of natives with similar education and experience, 2) There is no association between the influx of immigrants and the out-migration of natives within the same education and age group, 3) Immigration induced a 4 percent real wage increase for the average native worker between 1990 and 2004, 4) Recent immigrants did lower the wages of previous immigrants.”

Lael Brainard

The Case for Wage Insurance

Joint Economic Committee Hearing, February 28, 2007

http://www.brookings.edu/views/testimony/brainard20070228.htm

“A new wave of globalization has reached our shores. Although the individual elements feel familiar, the combined contours are unprecedented – in scope, speed and scale… Wage insurance could provide an important tool in a broader set of policies designed to help American middle class families insure against disruptive income fluctuations, while preserving the benefits of a dynamic economy.”

Highlights of a GAO Forum: Engaging and Retaining Older Workers

GAO-07-438SP - February 28, 2007 – 25 pages

http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-438SP

“GAO convened this forum to address the issues surrounding engaging and retaining older workers. Participants included experts representing employers, business and union groups, advocates, researchers, actuaries, and federal agencies.”

MISCELLANEOUS

Health Care Capital Spending

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – Fedgazette – January 2007

http://www.minneapolisfed.org/pubs/fedgaz/07-01/

“Data on health care capital spending are not particularly neat and tidy, but what are available show strong recent growth. Nationally, data from the U.S. Census Bureau's construction survey show steady upward growth in the 1990s, with a bit of a slowdown in the latter part of the decade. But spending took a decided upturn about 2001.”

Ray Fisman, Geoffrey Heal, and Vinay B. Nair

A Model of Corporate Philanthropy

Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania - Web posted January 11, 2007 – 23 pages

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/papers/1331.pdf

“Our separating equilibrium is built on the assumption that entrepreneurs can be of two types—they are either purely profit motivated or they care about both profits and the externalities they impose. This difference in entrepreneurs’ preferences makes corporate philanthropy more expensive for profit-maximizing entrepreneurs than it is for ‘socially-minded’ entrepreneurs, who gain some warm glow from charity.” The authors’ preliminary tests support the framework that “corporate philanthropy and profits are positively related only in industries with high advertising intensity and high competition.”

U.S. ECO ONLINE February/March 2007

2007-04-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

U.S. ECO ONLINE

A SELECTION OF DOCUMENTS RECENTLY PUBLISHED ON THE WEB

N^o 91 – February/March 2007

Source: PUBLIC AFFAIRS - American Embassy
Sylvie VACHERET
Tel: 01 43 12 48 97
E Mail: vacheretsr@state.gov

_________________________________________________________________

GENERAL INTEREST

Can Higher Education Foster Economic Growth?—A Conference Summary

Chicago Fed Letter – Special Issue - March 2007 – 4 pages

http://www.chicagofed.org/publications/fedletter/cflmarch2007_236a.pdf

“While higher education is being asked to perform more roles in the local economy, specific pathways for influencing local and regional economic transformation are still being identified. On October 30, 2006, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Midwest Higher Education Compact held a conference on higher education and economic growth.”

Economic Report of the President

February 12, 2007

http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/pubs.html

U.S. Economy Outperforms Peer Group from 2001 to 2006

Joint Economic Committee - Report – March 2007 – 2 pages

http://www.house.gov/jec/publications/110/rr110-3.pdf

“From 2001 to 2006, the U.S. economy has generally outperformed the other large developed economies of Canada, the European Union (EU), and Japan. On balance, the U.S. economy compares favorably with its peer group in terms of real GDP growth, real investment in fixed assets, industrial production, employment, labor productivity, and price stability.”

Irwin Kirsch, Henry Braun, Kentaro Yamamoto, and Andrew Sum

America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future

Educational Testing Service - Policy Information Report - January 2007- 34 pages

http://www.ets.org/Media/Education_Topics/pdf/AmericasPerfectStorm.pdf

The three forces comprising this “perfect storm” are divergent skill distributions, the changing economy and demographic trends. First, there is a wide disparity in literacy and math skills among school-age and adult populations. These groups do not have “sufficient literacy and numeracy skills to fully participate in an increasingly competitive work environment.” Secondly, there have been huge changes in the economy primarily driven by technology and globalization resulting in a shift between capital and labor. Consequently, the shift in “composition of jobs in our country has been increasing economic returns to schooling and skills.” Lastly, there will be sweeping demographic changes where the labor force is projected to grow more slowly over the next 20 years and none of the predicted growth will come from native-born workers—more than half of these immigrants lack a high school diploma. The authors believe that our overall levels of learning and skills must be increased to overcome these disparities.

Hearing on Economic Challenges Facing Middle Class Families

House - Committee on Ways and Means – Hearing - January 31, 2007

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=514

“In recent years, middle-class families have found their economic circumstances increasingly precarious. Many workers face wage stagnation, or even prolonged unemployment, and fewer workers have guaranteed pension benefit plans, causing many to worry about retirement. All of this uncertainty comes at a time when families face increasing costs for education, health care, and energy. This hearing will examine these challenges and related pressures facing middle-class families and their economic future.”

See also: House Committee on Education and Labor hearings:

http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/fc013107.shtml

http://edworkforce.house.gov/committee/hearings.shtml

William H. Gates- Chairman, Microsoft Corporation

Strengthening American Competitiveness for the 21st Century

Written Testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions - March 7, 2007 – 14 pages

http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2007_03_07/2007_03_07.html

“When I reflect on the state of American competitiveness today, my immediate feeling is not only one of pride, but also of deep anxiety. Too often, we as a society are sacrificing the long-term good of our country in the interests of short-term gain. Too often, we lack the political will to take the steps necessary to ensure that America remains a technology and innovation leader. In too many areas, we are content to live off the investments that previous generations made for us – in education, in health care, in basic scientific research – but are unwilling to invest equal energy and resources into building on this legacy to ensure that America’s future is as bright and prosperous as its present. America simply cannot continue along this course…”

Matthew Higgins, Thomas Klitgaard, and Cedric Tille

Borrowing without Debt? Understanding the U.S. International Investment Position

Federal Reserve Bank of New York - Staff Report no. 271 - December 2006 – 19 pages

http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr271.pdf

“Sustained large U.S. current account deficits have led some economists and policymakers to worry that future current account adjustment could occur through a sudden and disruptive depreciation of the dollar and a sharp drop in U.S. consumption. Two factors that, to date, have cast doubt on such concerns are the stability of U.S. net external liabilities and the minimal net income payments made by the United States on these liabilities. Higgins, Klitgaard, and Tille show that the stability of the external position reflects sizable capital gains stemming from strong foreign equity markets and a weaker dollar--conditions that could be reversed in the future.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

PRODUCTIVITY

Jonathan L. Willis and Julie Wroblewski

What Happened to the Gains From Strong Productivity Growth?

Economic Review, FRB Kansas City - First Quarter 2007 - 19 pages

http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/econrev/PDF/1q07will.pdf
“Over the past decade, the United States economy has experienced strong economic growth due in large part to a resurgence in productivity growth. Little attention has been paid, however, to examining how the gains from this growth have been distributed… Willis and Wroblewski examine how the gains from increased productivity growth have been distributed. Their analysis focuses on two questions: Has the increase in productivity growth led to a change in the income shares for capital and labor? And, has the strong productivity growth over the past decade led to a change in the distribution of income across households?”

Dale W. Jorgenson, Mun S. Ho, and Kevin J. Stiroh

A Retrospective Look at the U.S. Productivity Growth Resurgence

Federal Reserve Bank of New York – Report - February 2007 - 37 pages

http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr277.pdf

“It is now widely recognized that information technology (IT) was critical to the dramatic acceleration of U.S. labor productivity growth in the mid-1990s. This paper traces the evolution of productivity estimates to document how and when this perception emerged. Early studies concluded that IT was relatively unimportant. It was only after the massive IT investment boom of the late 1990s that this investment and underlying productivity increases in the IT-producing sectors were identified as important sources of growth. Although IT has diminished in significance since the dot-com crash of 2000, the authors project that private sector productivity growth will average around 2.5 percent per year for the next decade, a pace that is only moderately below the average for the 1995-2005 period.”

Dean Baker

Behind the Gap between Productivity and Wage Growth

Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) - . Issue Brief - February 2007 – 6 pages

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/0702_productivity.pdf

From early 2001 to the second quarter of 2006, productivity growth increased by 17.9 percent; however, real wages barely moved over this same period. The author explains that the gap has been created by (1) the “redistribution from wages to capital income (primarily profits plus interest),” and (2) the fact that productivity is measured against gross output while income is derived from net output.

___________________________________________________________________
SAVINGS

William Poole

U. S. Saving

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – Remarks - Feb. 15, 2007

http://www.stlouisfed.org/news/speeches/2007/02_15_07.html
“My subject is an important, and puzzling, one. The puzzle is nicely illustrated by recent newspaper stories reporting that the U.S. saving rate is at the lowest level in 73 years—that is, since 1933, the bleakest year of the Great Depression. But let me ask five questions: Are there signs of distress all around, as there were 73 years ago? Has there been a tremendous surge of bankruptcies? Has the United States become a nation of profligate spenders? Are the data wrong? Are the data screwy? My answers to these five questions are no, no, no, no and no. But there are some puzzles to explain, and that is what my remarks are about.”

We Try Hard. We Fall Short. Americans Assess Their Saving Habits

Pew Research Center – Report - January 24, 2007

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/325/we-try-hard-we-fall-short-americans-assess-their-saving-habits
“At a time when the personal savings rate in this country has fallen into negative territory for the first time in modern history, more than three-quarters (77%) of all Americans describe themselves as the kind of person who "always looks for ways to save money." This paradox is not as stark as it may seem, for nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans also acknowledge they don't save enough, and more than a third say that they often (11%) or sometimes (25%) spend more than they can afford.”

Retirement Savings: How Much Will Workers Have When They Retire?

Congressional Research Service – Report - January 29, 2007 – 41 pages

http://www.opencrs.com/document/RL33845/2007-01-29%2000:00:00

“Over the past 25 years, an important change has occurred in the structure of employer-sponsored retirement plans in the private sector. Although the percentage of the workforce who participate in employer-sponsored retirement plans has remained relatively stable at approximately half of all workers, the type of plan by which most workers are covered has changed from defined benefit (DB) pensions to defined contribution (DC) plans… As a result of the shift from DB plans to DC plans, workers today bear more responsibility for preparing for their financial security in retirement.”
___________________________________________________________________________________

FISCAL POLICY

Ben S. Bernanke

Fiscal Challenges and the Economy in the Long Term

U.S. House of Representatives - Committee on the Budget – Statement - February 28, 2007

http://budget.house.gov/08Bernanke_testimony.pdf

“To summarize, because of demographic changes and rising medical costs, federal expenditures for entitlement programs are projected to rise sharply over the next few decades. Dealing with the resulting fiscal strains will pose difficult choices for the Congress, the Administration, and the American people. However, if early and meaningful action is not taken, the U.S. economy could be seriously weakened, with future generations bearing much of the cost. The decisions the Congress will face will not be easy or simple, but the benefits of placing the budget on a path that is both sustainable and meets the nation’s long-run needs would be substantial.”

GAO Report: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07510r.pdf

2008 Budget

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

On February 5, 2007, the President transmitted to the Congress the FY 2008 Budget, which reduces deficits each year and balances the budget by 2012.

Why Deficits Matter

House – Committee on the Budget – Hearing – January 23, 2007

The Honorable David M. Walker - Comptroller General of the United States, GAO

http://budget.house.gov/hearings/2007/Walker070123.pdf

Dr. Edward M. Gramlich - Richard B. Fisher Senior Fellow, Urban Institute

http://budget.house.gov/hearings/2007/Gramlich070123.pdf

Dr. Edwin M. Truman - Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

http://budget.house.gov/hearings/2007/Truman070123.pdf

_________________________________________________________________________________

MONETARY POLICY

Monetary Policy Report to the Congress

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System - February 14, 2007 – 31 pages

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/htmpr021507.pdf

“The U.S. economy turned in another solid performance in 2006, although the pattern of growth was uneven… The monetary policy decisions of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) in 2006 were intended to foster sustainable economic expansion and to promote a return to low and stable inflation.”

The State of the Economy, the State of the Labor Market, and the Conduct of Monetary Policy

House – Committee on Financial Services – Hearing - February 15 &16, 2007

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr021507.shtml

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht021607.shtml

Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute;. Ronald Blackwell, AFL-CIO; Rebecca Blank, The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan; James Grant, GRANT'S Interest Rate Observerness list.

Chairman Ben S. Bernanke

Central Banking and Bank Supervision in the United States

FED - Remarks - January 5, 2007

http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2007/20070105/default.htm

“The Federal Reserve, like many central banks, is engaged in a wide range of activities beyond the making of monetary policy. For example, the Fed plays a critical role in the U.S. payments system…; it has substantial responsibilities in the area of consumer protection, including rule-writing and enforcement; it promotes financial stability; and, together with other agencies, it supervises both large and small banking organizations. In this talk I will consider the case for one of these activities--namely, the supervision of the banking system--being conducted, at least in part, by the U.S. central bank.”

Michael D. Bordo and David C.Wheelock

Stock Market Booms and Monetary Policy in the Twentieth Century

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review, March/April 2007, 89(2), pp. 91-122

http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/07/03/BordoWheelock.pdf

“This article examines the association between stock market booms and monetary policy in the U.S. and nine other developed countries during the 20th century. The authors find, as was true of the U.S. stock market boom of 1994-2000, that booms typically arose during periods of above-average growth of real output and below-average inflation, suggesting that booms reflected both real macroeconomic phenomena and monetary policy. They find little evidence that booms were fueled by excessive liquidity. Booms often ended within a few months of an increase in inflation and consequent monetary policy tightening. They find few differences across the different monetary policy regimes of the century.”

George A. Kahn

Communicating a Policy Path: The Next Frontier in Central Bank Transparency?

Economic Review, FRB Kansas City - First Quarter 2007 - 27 pages

http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/econrev/PDF/1q07kahn.pdf

“In the last two decades, central banks have taken a variety of steps to increase the transparency of monetary policy. Today, many economists are suggesting ways to further increase transparency. One area of considerable interest is the outlook for the future path of the policy rate. The policy rate is the short-term, typically overnight, interest rate that central bankers use to adjust the stance of monetary policy. While central banks typically announce changes in the policy rate when they occur, very few central banks provide an explicit description of where the policy rate is likely to be set in the future.”

Ronald I. McKinnon

The Worth of the Dollar

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research - Policy Brief – February, 2007- 6 pages

http://siepr.stanford.edu/papers/briefs/policybrief_feb07.html

“Shouldn’t the market now discipline the world’s biggest debtor and bid the dollar down to reduce the trade deficit? Essentially, the answer is “no.”

The Treasury Department’s Report to Congress on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policy (IEERP) and the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue

US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – Hearing – January 31, 2007

http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=247

Henry M. Paulson, Jr. , Secretary of the Treasury

Richard Trumka , Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO

Michael E. Campbell , Vice Chairman, National Association of Manufacturers

Albert Keidel , Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Fred Bergsten , Director, Peterson Institute for International Economics

___________________________________________________________________

FINANCE

Thomas Dichter

A Second Look at Microfinance: The Sequence of Growth and Credit in Economic History

Cato Institute – Development Policy Briefing Paper – February 15, 2007 – 16 pages

http://www.cato.org/pubs/dbp/dbp1.pdf

“There is no reason to believe that the nature and sequence of growth and mass credit are fundamentally different for poor countries today than they were in the past. We should not expect microfinance to noticeably affect growth or successful business development.”

Hedge Funds and Systemic Risk in the Financial Markets

House – Committee on Financial Services – Hearing - March, 13, 2007

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht031307.shtml

Witness List & Prepared Testimony:

E. Gerald Corrigan, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs & Company; and former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York • Kenneth D. Brody, Co-Founder and Principal, Taconic Capital Advisors LLC; Chairman, Investment Committee, University of Maryland • James S. Chanos; Founder and President, Kynikos Associates LP • George Hall, Founder and CEO, Clinton Group • Jeffrey L. Matthews; Ram Partners, LP • Andrew Golden, President, Princeton University Investment Company • Professor Stephen J. Brown, David S. Loeb Professor of Finance, New York University, Stern School of Business

___________________________________________________________________

OTHER ECONOMIC POLICIES

John D. Graham

The Evolving Role of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in Regulatory Policy

AEI/Brookings Joint Center on Regulation - Working Paper - Feb 2007 – 26 pages

http://www.aei-brookings.org/admin/authorpdfs/page.php?id=1364&PHPSESSID=7e1f44665051bd08eaf45c8fbd961661

“Since the early Reagan years, critics have argued that benefit-cost analysis is used by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a one-sided tool of deregulation to advance the interests of business. This article discloses a little-known fact: OMB also plays a powerful pro-regulation role when agency proposals address market failures and are supported by benefit-cost analysis. Drawing on four case studies from the George W. Bush Administration, the author examines how and why OMB encouraged regulatory initiatives while protecting some rulemakings from opposition by forces inside and outside of the executive branch.”

Subsidies Enforcement Annual Report to the Congress

Office of the United States Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Web posted February 1, 2007 – 59 pages

http://ia.ita.doc.gov/esel/reports/seo2007/seo-annual-report-2007.pdf

Subsidies and other unfair trade-distorting practices continue to challenge the American workers and industries, but the U.S. government is committed to eliminating or neutralizing these practices. This report describes how the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, and other agencies monitor foreign government subsidy practices.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The State of Economic Development

House Transportation and Infrastructure – Hearing - January 23, 2007

http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=20

“The experts will provide testimony on the history of federal economic development programs, the role of the Federal Government in economic development, and suggestions for 21st century investment.”

Robert Atkinson and Howard Wial

The Implications of Service Offshoring for Metropolitan Economies

The Brookings Institution – Study – February 2007 – 28 pages

http://media.brookings.edu/mediaarchive/pubs/metro/pubs/20070131_offshoring.pdf

“An examination of service offshoring—the movement of service jobs overseas—forecasts higher than average job losses in twenty-eight U.S. metropolitan areas between 2004 and 2015. Information technology jobs, and the metropolitan areas where they are concentrated, will be hardest hit. To cushion the service offshoring blow, the paper urges federal, state, and local leaders to together pursue policies that boost productivity and innovation, assist workers who are harmed by offshoring, and modernize approaches to economic and workforce development.”

Wendell Cox and Ronald D. Utt

Housing Affordability: Smart Growth Abuses Are Creating a "Rent Belt" of High-Cost Areas

The Heritage Foundation - Backgrounder #1999 - January 22, 2007

http://www.heritage.org/Research/SmartGrowth/bg1999.cfm

“While the national data reveal that the housing affordability problem is limited to the metropolitan areas of a few states—principally those in coastal areas—these regional price differences could significantly affect public policy and shape future growth and prosperity in the United States.”

The Texas Economy: Almost a Boom

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas - Southwest Economy - January/February 2007

http://www.dallasfed.org/research/swe/2007/swe0701b.cfm

“The Texas economy turned in a robust performance in 2006. Initial estimates suggest employment increased 3.2 percent and output growth could approach 5 percent. For most any other state, an expansion this strong would constitute a boom. But everything is bigger in Texas, and so are the booms. Overall 2006 economic activity was not on par with the great bursts of growth ignited by construction and energy in the 1970s and 1980s or high tech in the 1990s. Still, the current expansion is impressive, even by Texas standards.”

Made in Texas: The Natural Selection of Manufacturing

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas - Southwest Economy - January/February 2007

http://www.dallasfed.org/research/swe/2007/swe0701c.cfm

“Texas has emerged as one of the nation’s fastest-growing manufacturing hubs. Between 1990 and 2005, a time frame long enough to encompass an entire business cycle, the state’s factory output grew an average of 5.8 percent a year, eclipsing all other major manufacturing states. A longer-run perspective shows that Texas’ share of the nation’s manufacturing base has been rising for at least four decades—with a particularly pronounced output jump in the past year or so.”

Jed Kolko and David Neumark

Are California’s Companies Shifting Their Employment to Other States?

Public Policy Institute of California – Occasional Paper - February 2007 - 54 pages

http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/op/OP_207JKOP.pdf

“In this paper we examine the dynamics of businesses headquartered in California. In particular, we ask whether California companies are shifting their operations to other states—in terms of either the number of business establishments or the level of employment—through expansions and contractions of existing establishments, as well as births and deaths of establishments. These types of changes could be informative about the business climate in California—perhaps most importantly changes in births of new establishments, which may be most responsive to economic, regulatory, and other conditions that create variability in profitability across states.”

Rural Sprawl

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – Fedgazette – January 2007

http://www.minneapolisfed.org/pubs/fedgaz/07-03/

“As city dwellers seek bucolic bliss, sprawl is spreading to the countryside. Problem, or opportunity? Incentive-based tools to protect rural land from sprawl are increasingly popular, but some doubt their effectiveness… This fedgazette feature examines rural sprawl in the Ninth District, the conflicts it's causing, the economics behind it, and policies and programs being used to address it.”

Jason Henderson and Maria Akers

Will Energy Markets Refuel the Rural Economy?

Economic Review, FRB Kansas City - First Quarter 2007 - 22 pages

http://www.kc.frb.org/PUBLICAT/ECONREV/PDF/1q07hend.pdf

___________________________________________________________________

AGRICULTURE – FOOD PRICES

Old Macdonald's Evolving Farm

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – Fedgazette – January 2007

http://www.minneapolisfed.org/pubs/fedgaz/07-01/livestock.cfm

“Looks like it might be time for Old MacDonald to add a few new animals to his farm—you know, just to keep up with the times. Unusual breeds might not be obvious yet in the pasture, but livestock farming is becoming more than just cattle, pigs and sheep. Though most alternative or niche livestock haven't hit commercial scale yet, some are poised to, and most of these herds are growing.”

Stephan Marette, Roxanne Clemens, and Bruce A. Babcock

The Recent International And Regulatory Decisions About Geographical Indications

Midwest Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center (MATRIC), Iowa State University - January 2007 – 37 pages

http://www.card.iastate.edu/publications/DBS/PDFFiles/07mwp10.pdf

“As worldwide consumer demand for high-quality products and for information about these products increases, labels and geographical indications (GIs) can serve to signal quality traits to consumers. However, GI systems among countries are not homogeneous and can be used as trade barriers against competition. Philosophical differences between the European Union and the United States about how GIs should be registered and protected led to the formation of a WTO dispute settlement panel. In this paper we discuss the issues behind the dispute, the World Trade Organization (WTO) panel decision, and the EU response to the panel decision leading to the new Regulation 510/2006.”

Ephraim Leibtag

The Impact of Big-Box Stores on Retail Food Prices and the Consumer Price Index Economic Research Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture - December 2006 - 41 pages

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err33/err33.pdf

“Over the past 10 years, the growth of nontraditional retail food outlets has transformed the food market landscape, increasing the variety of shopping and food options available to consumers, as well as price variation in retail food market. This report focuses on these dynamics and how they affect food price variation across store format types.” Based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), over the past 20 years food prices have increased on average of 3 percent annually, but food prices on similar products can vary by 10 percent or more across store formats.

__________________________________________________________________

Nanotechnology: The Future is Coming Sooner Than You Think

Joint Economic Committee - Study – March 2007 – 21 pages

http://www.house.gov/jec/publications/110/nanotechnology_03-22-07.pdf

“This paper discusses the range of sciences currently covered by nanotechnology. It begins with a description of what nanotechnology is and how it relates to previous scientific advances. It then describes the most likely future development of different technologies in a variety of fields. The paper also reviews the government’s current nanotechnology policy and makes some suggestions for improvement.”

New documents on political and social issues

2007-03-21T02:58:00.000-07:00

AMERICANS CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
U.S. International Information Programs, February 2007
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/african_americans/African_American_History_Month.html
Originally established as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African-American author and scholar, this event evolved into the establishment of February as "Black History Month" in 1976. This commemoration also has been referred to as "African-American History Month."
Since 1926, the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History (ASALH) has established the national theme for the monthlong celebration. The National Theme for the celebration in the year 2007 is “From Slavery to Freedom: The Story of Africans in the Americas.”

NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
U.S. International Information Programs, February 2007
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/women_in_the_us/womens_history_month.html
The 2007 Women's History Month theme, “Generations of Women Moving History Forward”, celebrates the wisdom and tenacity of prior and future generations of women and recognizes the power of generations working together.

WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES
U.S. International Information Programs, February 2007
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/women_in_the_us.html
American women -- 152 million or 51 percent of the U.S. population -- increasingly are making their influence felt in all spheres of American life. And the month of March – National Women’s History Month – is a fitting time to measure the progress women are making in American society.

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
U.S. International Information Programs, 2006
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/womeninfln/
This publication offers a glimpse at how women in the United States have helped shape their society. These notable women — from the Native-American Sacagawea, who guided white settlers through a vast wilderness, to Sojourner Truth, who fought for the end of slavery and equal rights for all; to Rosalyn Yalow, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine for her research into a new technique for measuring substances in the blood — believed that they had a contribution to make and did not shrink from the obstacles in their way. This account of their accomplishments is a reminder that all societies benefit from the talents and expertise of their women.

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY: ASIANS 2004
U.S. Bureau of the Census, February 2007
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-05.pdf
The 2004 American Community Survey estimated the number of Asians to be 13.5 million, or 4.7 percent of the U.S. household population. The number of individuals who reported Asian as their only race was 12.1 million, or 4.2 percent of the population. About another 1.4 million reported their race as Asian and one or more other races, including 882,000 people who reported their race as Asian and White. The Asian-alone-or-incombination population included 328,000 Hispanics, and the Asian alone population included 142,000 Hispanics.

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY: BLACKS 2004
U.S. Bureau of the Census, February 2007
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-04.pdf
This report presents a portrait of the Black or African-American population in the United States. It is part of the American Community Survey (ACS) report series. Information on demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics in the tables and figures are based on data from the 2004. The data for the Black population are based on responses to the 2004 ACS question on race, which asked all respondents to report one or more races.

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY: HISPANICS 2004
U.S. Bureau of the Census, February 2007
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-03.pdf
The 2004 American Communityt Survey estimated the number of Hispanics to be 40.5 million, or 14.2 percent of the U.S. household population. Hispanics of Mexican origin, with a population of 25.9 million in the United States, were the largest Hispanic group. Mexicans accounted for 64 percent of the Hispanic population. Puerto Ricans (3.9 million) were the second-largest group and made up nearly 10 percent of the Hispanic population. The third-largest Hispanic group, Other Hispanic or Latino, numbered 2.7 million and accounted for nearly 7 percent of the Hispanic population..

UNION MEMBERSHIP
Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 25, 2007
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm
In 2006, 12.0 percent of employed wage and salary workers were union members, down from 12.5 percent a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The number of persons belonging to a union fell by 326,000 in 2006 to 15.4 million. The union membership rate has steadily declined from 20.1 percent in 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available.

UNIONS, THE ECONOMY, AND EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE
The Economic Policy Institute, February 22, 2007
http://www.sharedprosperity.org/bp181.html
The latest numbers indicate that 7.4% of working Americans in the private sector were union members in 2006 (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007), compared to over 30% in 1960 (Greenhouse 2007). If you include government workers, then the numbers inch up to a still-meager 12%, which is down from 12.5% in 2005.

NOUVELLES DE LA SOCIETE AMERICAINE

2007-03-07T00:34:00.000-08:00

New documents on political and social issues February 2007February 2007

AMERICANS CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
U.S. International Information Programs, February 2007
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/african_americans/African_American_History_Month.html
Originally established as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African-American author and scholar, this event evolved into the establishment of February as "Black History Month" in 1976. This commemoration also has been referred to as "African-American History Month."
Since 1926, the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History (ASALH) has established the national theme for the monthlong celebration. The National Theme for the celebration in the year 2007 is “From Slavery to Freedom: The Story of Africans in the Americas.”

NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
U.S. International Information Programs, February 2007
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/women_in_the_us/womens_history_month.html
The 2007 Women's History Month theme, “Generations of Women Moving History Forward”, celebrates the wisdom and tenacity of prior and future generations of women and recognizes the power of generations working together.

WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES
U.S. International Information Programs, February 2007
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/women_in_the_us.html
American women -- 152 million or 51 percent of the U.S. population -- increasingly are making their influence felt in all spheres of American life. And the month of March – National Women’s History Month – is a fitting time to measure the progress women are making in American society.

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
U.S. International Information Programs, 2006
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/womeninfln/
This publication offers a glimpse at how women in the United States have helped shape their society. These notable women — from the Native-American Sacagawea, who guided white settlers through a vast wilderness, to Sojourner Truth, who fought for the end of slavery and equal rights for all; to Rosalyn Yalow, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine for her research into a new technique for measuring substances in the blood — believed that they had a contribution to make and did not shrink from the obstacles in their way. This account of their accomplishments is a reminder that all societies benefit from the talents and expertise of their women.

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY: ASIANS 2004
U.S. Bureau of the Census, February 2007
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-05.pdf
The 2004 American Community Survey estimated the number of Asians to be 13.5 million, or 4.7 percent of the U.S. household population. The number of individuals who reported Asian as their only race was 12.1 million, or 4.2 percent of the population. About another 1.4 million reported their race as Asian and one or more other races, including 882,000 people who reported their race as Asian and White. The Asian-alone-or-incombination population included 328,000 Hispanics, and the Asian alone population included 142,000 Hispanics.

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY: BLACKS 2004
U.S. Bureau of the Census, February 2007
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-04.pdf
This report presents a portrait of the Black or African-American population in the United States. It is part of the American Community Survey (ACS) report series. Information on demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics in the tables and figures are based on data from the 2004. The data for the Black population are based on responses to the 2004 ACS question on race, which asked all respondents to report one or more races.

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY: HISPANICS 2004
U.S. Bureau of the Census, February 2007
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-03.pdf
The 2004 American Communityt Survey estimated the number of Hispanics to be 40.5 million, or 14.2 percent of the U.S. household population. Hispanics of Mexican origin, with a population of 25.9 million in the United States, were the largest Hispanic group. Mexicans accounted for 64 percent of the Hispanic population. Puerto Ricans (3.9 million) were the second-largest group and made up nearly 10 percent of the Hispanic population. The third-largest Hispanic group, Other Hispanic or Latino, numbered 2.7 million and accounted for nearly 7 percent of the Hispanic population..

UNION MEMBERSHIP Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 25, 2007 http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm
In 2006, 12.0 percent of employed wage and salary workers were union members, down from 12.5 percent a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The number of persons belonging to a union fell by 326,000 in 2006 to 15.4 million. The union membership rate has steadily declined from 20.1 percent in 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available.

UNIONS, THE ECONOMY, AND EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE
The Economic Policy Institute, February 22, 2007
http://www.sharedprosperity.org/bp181.html
The latest numbers indicate that 7.4% of working Americans in the private sector were union members in 2006 (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007), compared to over 30% in 1960 (Greenhouse 2007). If you include government workers, then the numbers inch up to a still-meager 12%, which is down from 12.5% in 2005.

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