ELECTION PRESIDENTIELLE

LA CAMPAGNE PRESIDENTIELLE DE 2008

PORTAIL AMERIQUE

DOSSIER NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR
DOSSIER LE MONDE

US FINANCIAL MARKETS

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

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.”

AMERICAN SMILE

GW.BUSH
US STATE President (2000-2008)

LA MOBILITE SOCIALE AUX ETATS UNIS

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

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

"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

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;

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

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

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 :

• Behind the Clinton-Obama Draw
• Super Tuesday Youth voters turnout triples, quadruples in some States
• It's their turn now
• La percée d'Obama est-elle liée au web ?
• Obama sera-t-il le JFK du net ?

RACES ET MINORITES USA

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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 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.