___________________________________________________________________
U.S. Information Resource Center
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy in Australia
April 2007
___________________________________________________________________
International
economic issues, trade and investment
Development
and international assistance
Terrorism,
extremism and homeland security
Immigration
and border security
Environment
and climate change
Social
issues, children and youth
Politics
and public administration
Media,
telecommunications and information technology
Isolating Proliferators and
Sponsors of Terror: The Use of Sanctions and the International Financial System to Change Regime Behavior
Joint
committee hearing, U.S. House Committee on Financial Services and U.S. House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, April 18, 2007
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht041807.shtml
Confidence in U.S. Foreign
Policy Index: Anxious Public Pulling Back from Use of Force
Public
Agenda, Spring 2007
http://www.confidenceinforeignpolicy.org/
The Politics of Identity:
History, Nationalism, and the Prospect for Peace in Post-Cold War East Asia
Sheila
Miyoshi Jager, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, April
2007
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB770.pdf
U.S.-China Relations
Statement
by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas J. Christensen to the
Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, U.S. House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 27, 2007
http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2007/82276.htm
China and Economic
Integration in East Asia: Implications for the United States
Policy
brief by C. Fred Bergsten, Peterson Institute for International Economics,
March 2007
http://petersoninstitute.org/publications/pb/pb07-3.pdf
China’s Economic Prospects
2006-2020
Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, April 2007
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp_83_polaski_final.pdf
The Aceh Peace Process:
Nothing Less Than Success
Pieter
Feith, U.S. Institute of Peace, March 2007
http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr184.pdf
There
is a summary at http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr184.html
The Future of Democracy in
Bangladesh
Pavithra
Banavar and Nicholas Howenstein, U.S. Institute of Peace, March 2007
http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2007/0302_democracy_bangladesh.html
Pakistan: Significant
Recent Events
Congressional
Research Service report, April 9, 2007
http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RL33954_20070409.pdf
Kashmir: A Problem in
Search of a Solution
Shahid
Javed Burki, U.S. Institute of Peace, March 2007
http://www.usip.org/pubs/peaceworks/pwks59.pdf
U.S. Forces in
Afghanistan
Congressional
Research Service report, March 27, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82599.pdf
State Building, Political
Progress, and Human Security in Afghanistan: Reflections on a Survey of the Afghan People
The
Asia Foundation, 2007
http://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/Afghan_Report_-April082007.pdf
There
is a press release about this 151-page report at http://www.asiafoundation.org/Locations/afghanistan_report.html
Central Asia
A
bibliography with hyperlinks by the Air University Library, April 2007
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/casia.htm
Post-War Iraq: Foreign
Contributions to Training, Peacekeeping, and Reconstruction
Congressional
Research Service report, updated March 12, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82492.pdf
Deconstructing
Reconstruction: Problems, Challenges, and the Way Forward in Iraq and
Afghanistan
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
March 22, 2007
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=428
Post Operation Iraqi
Freedom
A
bibliography with hyperlinks by the Air University Library, March 2007
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/postoif.htm
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy
Options
Congressional
Research Service report, updated April 2, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82983.pdf
United States Policy Toward
Iran
Testimony
by U.S. Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns before the U.S. Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations, March 29, 2007
http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2007/82374.htm
Iran Nuclear Program: U.S.
Options
A
bibliography with hyperlinks by the Air University Library, March 2007
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/irannuclear2007.htm
U.S. Foreign Aid to
Lebanon: Issues for Congress
Congressional
Research Service report, March 21, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82501.pdf
The Arab World
Competitiveness Report 2007
World
Economic Forum, April 2007
http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Arab%20World%20Competitiveness%20Report/index.htm
There
is a news release at http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/AWCReportPR
Middle East and North
Africa: 2007 Economic Developments and Prospects
“Job
Creation in an Era of High Growth”
World
Bank, April 2007
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTMENA/Resources/EDP_2007_REPORT_APRIL13.pdf
U.S.-European Relations and
the 2007 Summit
Congressional
Research Service report, April 13, 2007
http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RS22645_20070413.pdf
The
annual U.S.-European Summit will be held in Washington DC on April 30,
2007
The Outlook for the
Independence of Kosovo
Statement
by U.S. Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns to the U.S. House Committee
on Foreign Affairs, April 17, 2007
http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2007/83120.htm
African Opinion on U.S.
Policies, Values, and People
Hearing
before subcommittees of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 28,
2007
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=798
Darfur: A “Plan B” to Stop
Genocide?
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 11, 2007
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2007/hrg070411a.html
Current Situation in
Darfur
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, April 19, 2007
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=807
For
transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp?subnav=close
and scroll down.
Nigeria: Current
Issues
Congressional
Research Service report, April 12, 2007
http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RL33964_20070412.pdf
The U.S. Economic
Outlook
Remarks
by Frederic S. Mishkin, a governor of the Federal Reserve Board, April 20,
2007
http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2007/20070420/default.htm
Inflation Dynamics
Remarks
by Frederic S. Mishkin, a governor of the Federal Reserve Board, March 23,
2007
http://www.federalreserve.gov/BoardDocs/Speeches/2007/20070323/default.htm
Optimal Inflation for the
U.S.
Roberto
M. Billi, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, April 2007
http://www.kansascityfed.org/Publicat/Reswkpap/PDF/RWP07-03.pdf
Financial Regulation and
the Invisible Hand
Remarks
by Ben S. Bernanke, chairman, Federal Reserve Board, April 11, 2007
http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2007/20070411/default.htm
Credit Markets Innovations
and Their Implications
Remarks
by Timothy Geithner, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve
Bank of New York, March 23, 2007
http://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2007/gei070323.html
Mortgage Market Turmoil:
Causes and Consequences
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, March
22, 2007
http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=254
Subprime and Predatory
Mortgage Lending: New Regulatory Guidance, Current Market Conditions, and Effects on Regulated Financial Institutions
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, U.S.
House Committee on Financial Services, March 27, 2007
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht032707.shtml
Venture Capital Investment
in Secondary Cities: Issues and Opportunities for Impact
Discussion
paper, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, April 2007
http://www.bos.frb.org/commdev/pcadp/2007/pcadp0703.pdf
Role of Public Investment
in Promoting Economic Growth
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, March 23, 2007
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht032307.shtml
Industrial Competitiveness
and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy
Congressional
Research Service report, updated March 19, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82967.pdf
The Small Business Share of
GDP, 1998-2004
Katherine
Kobe, Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration, April 2007
http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs299tot.pdf
Entrepreneurship in Silicon
Valley During the Boom and Bust
Robert
Fairlie, Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration, March 2007
http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs296tot.pdf
Global Economic
Integration: The Opportunities and the Challenges
Remarks
by Timothy Geithner, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve Bank
of New York, April 17, 2007
http://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2007/gei070417.html
Summary Estimates for
Multinational Companies: Employment, Sales, and Capital Expenditures for 2005
Bureau
of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept of Commerce, April 19, 2007
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/international/mnc/2007/mnc2005.htm
Globalizing the Knowledge
Economy
Remarks
by Richard W. Fisher, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve
Bank of Dallas, April 13, 2007
http://dallasfed.org/news/speeches/fisher/2007/fs070413.cfm
Global Imbalances: Time for
Action
Policy
brief, Peterson Institute for International Economics, March 2007
http://www.petersoninstitute.org/publications/pb/pb07-4.pdf
Risks and Reform: The Role
of Currency in the U.S.-China Relationship
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, March 28, 2007
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing032807.htm
What’s the Difference? –
Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data
Congressional
Research Service report, April 10, 2007
http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RS22640_20070410.pdf
The U.S.-Korea Free Trade
Agreement Negotiations
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, March 20, 2007
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=542
2007 National Trade
Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
Office
of the U.S. Trade Representative, April 2, 2007
http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2007/2007_NTE_Report/Section_Index.html
NAFTA at 13: Implementation
Nears Completion
Economic
Research Service, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, March 2007
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/wrs0701/wrs0701.pdf
Is “Free Trade” Working?
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade and Tourism, U.S. Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, April 18, 2007
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1852
We Are Still Losing the
Competitive Advantage: Now is the Time to Act
American
Electronics Association, March 2007
http://www.aeanet.org/publications/AeA_Competitiveness_2007.asp
Resource Guide on the
Informal Economy
International
Labor Organization, revised March 2007
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib/resource/subject/informal.htm
DEVELOPMENT and INTERNATIONAL
ASSISTANCE
World Development
Indicators, 2007
World
Bank, April 2007
Examining the Performance
of U.S. Trade and Food Aid Programs for the 2007 Farm Bill
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, March
21, 2007
http://agriculture.senate.gov/Hearings/hearings.cfm?hearingId=2637
Economic Challenges and
Opportunities Facing American Agricultural Producers Today
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, April
18, 2007
http://agriculture.senate.gov/Hearings/hearings.cfm?hearingId=2699
Farm Bill Issues: ERS
Research and Analysis
Links
to papers and issue briefs. Economic Research Service, U.S. Dept of
Agriculture
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Features/farmbill2007/
Feed Grains
Backgrounder
Economic
Research Service, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, March 2007
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/FDS/2007/03Mar/FDS07C01/fds07C01.pdf
Cotton Backgrounder
Economic
Research Service, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, March 2007
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/CWS/2007/03Mar/CWS07B01/cws07B01.pdf
The U.S. Navy Beyond Iraq:
Sea Power for a New Era
Remarks
by Vice Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy, to the
Brookings Institution, April 3, 2007
http://www3.brookings.edu/comm/events/20070403.pdf
Nuclear and Strategic
Policy Options
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, March 21, 2007
http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=2636
Nuclear Proliferation: Some
Context and Consequences
Remarks
by Christopher A. Ford, U.S. Special Representative for Nuclear
Nonproliferation, to NATO Seminar on Proliferation Issues, in Vilnius, April
18, 2007
http://www.state.gov/t/isn/rls/rm/83206.htm
Irregular Warfare
A
bibliography with hyperlinks by the Air University Library, March 2007
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/irregular.htm
National Security and the
Threat of Climate Change
CNA
Corporation, April 2007
http://securityandclimate.cna.org/
Short-Term and Long-Term
Effects of United Nations Peace Operations
Nicholas
Sambanis, World Bank policy research working paper, April 2007
Pakistan and Terrorism: A
Summary
Congressional
Research Service report, March 27, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82600.pdf
Pakistan: Karachi’s
Madrasas and Violent Extremism
International
Crisis Group, March 29, 2007
Remarks to the Institute of
Nuclear Materials Management
Andrew
Grant, Acting Office Director, Office of WMD Terrorism, U.S. Dept of State,
March 21, 2007
http://www.state.gov/t/isn/rls/rm/83182.htm
The National Strategy for
Aviation Security
The
White House, March 26, 2007
http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/aviation-security.html
The
document in PDF format is at http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nstrategy_asecurity.pdf
Aviation Security
Policy
Links
to key documents compiled by U.S. Dept of Homeland Security
http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/laws/gc_1173113497603.shtm
Airport Security: The
Necessary Improvements to Secure America’s Airports
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure
Protection,
U.S.
House Committee on Homeland Security, April 18, 2007
http://hsc.house.gov/hearings/index.asp?ID=35
Chemical Facility
Anti-Terrorism Standards
U.S.
Dept of Homeland Security, April 2007
http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/laws/gc_1166796969417.shtm
Chemical Plant
Security
A
compilation of links by Bureau of National Affairs Inc., April 2007
http://www.bna.com/webwatch/chemicalplant07.html
Supporting Human Rights and
Democracy: The U.S. Record 2006
U.S.
Dept of State, April 2007
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/shrd/2006/
The
report in PDF format is at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/80699.pdf
Advancing Human Rights and
Democracy as a Foreign Policy Priority
Remarks
by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Barry F. Lowenkron, March 26, 2007
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/rm/2007/82378.htm
IMMIGRATION
and BORDER SECURITY
Past,
Present, and Future: A Historic and Personal Reflection on American
Immigration
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, March 30,
2007
http://judiciary.house.gov/Oversight.aspx?ID=292
Shortfalls of the 1986
Immigration Reform Legislation
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, April 19,
2007
http://judiciary.house.gov/Oversight.aspx?ID=299
The Economic Logic of
Illegal Immigration
Gordon
G. Hanson, Council on Foreign Relations, April 2007
http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/ImmigrationCSR26.pdf
U.S. Competitiveness Through
Basic Research
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Innovation, U.S. Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, April 19, 2007
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1844
Highlights in Space
2006
United
Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, 2007
http://www.unoosa.org/pdf/publications/st_space_34E.pdf
U.S. Leadership in Space
Commerce: Strategic Plan
Office
of Space Commercialization, U.S. Dept of Commerce, March 2007
http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/space/library/reports/2007-03-strategic-plan.pdf
Transitioning to a Next
Generation Human Space Flight System
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics and Related Sciences, U.S. Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, March 28, 2007
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1826
Energy Innovation
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Innovation, U.S. Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, March 20, 2007
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1832
Clean Energy: From the
Margins to the Mainstream
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, March 29, 2007
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing032907.htm
Nuclear Power: Outlook for
New U.S. Reactors
Congressional
Research Service report, updated March 9, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82975.pdf
The Future of Coal
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, March 22,
2007
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1617
Alternative Transportation
Fuels: An Overview
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, U.S. House Committee on
Energy and Commerce, April 18, 2007
http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.041807.Alt_fuels.shtml
Ethanol and Biofuels:
Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Market Constraints Related to Expanded Production
Congressional
Research Service report, March 16, 2007
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/82500.pdf
Grains, Cane, and
Automobiles: Tax Incentives for Alternative Fuels and Vehicles
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, April 19, 2007
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing041907.htm
Creating Markets for Green
Biofuels: Measuring and Improving Environmental Performance
Research
report, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California
at Berkeley, April 2007
http://docs.nrdc.org/air/air_07041601A.pdf
Energy Trends in Selected
Manufacturing Sectors: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmentally Preferable Energy Outcomes
[U.S.]
Environmental Protection Agency, April 2007
http://www.epa.gov/sectors/energy/index.html
There
is a press release at
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/E16719FFF61CBD7B852572B9005AD42F
Report to Congress on
Wholesale and Retail Markets for Electric Energy
Electric
Energy Market Competition Task Force, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
April 2007
http://www.ferc.gov/legal/maj-ord-reg/fed-sta/ene-pol-act/epact-final-rpt.pdf
Refinery Outages:
Description and Potential Impact on Petroleum Product Prices
Energy
Information Administration, U.S. Dept of Energy, March 2007
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/refinery_outages/SROOG200701.pdf
Fueling Asia’s Growth:
Collaboration in Energy Security
Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu, April 2007
http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/0,1002,sid%253D106179%2526cid%253D153759,00.html?link=rss
This
introductory web page links to the report’s text in English and in
Chinese.
Climate Change
Remarks
by Alejandro D. Wolff, Acting Permanent U.S. Representative, in the UN Security
Council Open Debate on Energy, Security and Climate, April 17, 2007
http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/07_087.htm
Vice President Al Gore’s
Perspective on Global Warming
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, March 21,
2007
The
witness at this hearing was former U.S. Vice President Albert Gore Jr.
Can Congress Govern the
Climate?
Research
brief by Barry Rabe, John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress, March
2007
http://www3.brookings.edu/views/papers/rabe/20070330.pdf
Climate Change 2007:
Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
Working
Group II Contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth
Assessment Report: Summary for Policymakers
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, April 2007
http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM6avr07.pdf
The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is under the auspices of the
World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Documents related to this study are on the IPCC web site at http://www.ipcc.ch/
Climate Change Science
2006: Major New Discoveries
World
Resources Institute, 2007
http://www.wri.org/climate/pubs_description.cfm?pid=4261
The
report in PDF format (20 pages) is at http://pdf.wri.org/climatescience_2006.pdf
Climate Change: Lessons
Learned from Existing Cap and Trade Programs
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, U.S. House Committee on
Energy and Commerce, March 29, 2007
http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.032907.cap-trade.lessons.shtml
Inventory of U.S.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, 1990-2005
[U.S.]
Environmental Protection Agency, April 15, 2007
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads06/07CR.pdf
This
report can also be downloaded by chapter at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
Carbon Sequestration
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, April 16,
2007
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1619
Climate Change:
International Issues, Engaging Developing Countries
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, U.S. House Committee on
Energy and Commerce, March 27, 2007
http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.032707.developing_countries.shtml
Energy and Emissions: The
Local and Global Effects of the Rise of China and India
Zmarak
Shalizi, World Bank policy research working paper, April 2007
Climate Change: Financial
Risks to Federal and Private Insurers in Coming Decades are Potentially Significant
Government
Accountability Office report, March 2007
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07285.pdf
Dangerous Exposure: The
Impact of Global Warming on Private and Federal Insurance
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
April 19, 2007
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=433
Wildlife and Oceans in a
Changing Climate
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, U.S. House Committee
on Natural Resources, April 17, 2007
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=52
Ocean Policy Priorities in
the United States
Oversight
hearing before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, U.S. House
Committee on Natural Resources, March 29, 2007
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=41