| May 2006
Politics & Government: Bush Administration | Federal Government | State Government |
Government Initiatives: Healthcare | Homeland Security |Tax Reform |
Politics & Government:
C1 - Isolationism REDUX
Starobin, Paul
National Journal, v38 #13, pp20-26
Is isolationism becoming popular again in today’s U.S. political debate? Not as
such, the author argues, since the term isolationist is rather tainted in a
negative way. But Starobin finds traces of isolationist arguments in its
successor ideologies multi- and unilateralism. He argues that the challenge in
the future will be to marry the two for the benefit of U.S. Foreign Policy. Paul Starobin is a National Journal's staff writer. Fulltext
C2 - Warrantless Government Surveillance: Presidential Authority in Times of War
Pro & Con, April 2006, Vol. 85 #4,various pagings
The April edition of the Congressional Digest is dedicated to the question
whether the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program is legal.
The debate was sparked by media reports in December 2005 exposing that “the
President authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to collect signals
intelligence from communications involving U.S. persons within the United
States, without obtaining a warrant or court order.” Included are pro and con
testimonies by members of Congress, the Administration’s position on the issue,
a timeline of the events as well as a Congressional Research Service analysis on
the “constitutional and statutory framework for NSA activities” Order article
C3 - State and Local Government Public Pension Forum: A Conference Summary
Mattoon, Richard H.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Essays on Issues, May 2006, No. 226a, 4p.
“As growing numbers of their work force approach retirement age, state and local governments are taking a hard look at their pension funds to see if they are prepared for this exodus.” This paper summarizes the discussion of a one-day conference which “brought together policymakers and experts to weigh the state of these funds.” Rick Mattoon is a senior economist and economic advisor in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Fulltext
Government Initiatives:
C4 - The Never-Ending Dilemma Over Medicare and Social Security
Weidenbaum, Murray
USA Today, May 2006, v134, # 2732, 4p
“Medicare and Social Security has generated lots of debate, but no viable solutions, as a basic question continues to remain unanswered of how long the working population will agree that a rising share of its taxes should go to the people no longer working. Here, Weidenbaum tackles the dilemmas over Medicare and Social Security.” Murray Weidenbaum, a former member of the President’s Economic Policy Advisory Board, is Economics Editor of USA Today and University Professor at Washington University. Fulltext
C5 - The First National Report Card on Quality of Health Care in America
McGlynn, Elizabeth et al.
RAND Research Brief, 2006, RB-9053-2, 7p
“This research brief summarizes the largest and most comprehensive examination ever conducted of health care quality in the United States. Called the Community Quality Index Study, it assessed the extent to which recommended care was provided to a representative sample of the U.S. population for a broad range of conditions in 12 metropolitan areas.” Elizabeth A. McGlynn is director of the Center for Research on Quality in Health Care at RAND. Fulltext
C6 - Port Security
Prah, Pamela M. Prah
CQ Researcher, April 21, 2006 Vol.16, #15
The controversy over an Arab company's plan to operate terminals at six U.S. seaports put port security at the top of lawmakers' agenda. But some security experts say the firestorm over the ill-fated Dubai Ports World deal masks a bigger problem: the failure of the United States to invest enough on security -- including infrastructure upgrades, advanced radiation-detection equipment and manpower -- to prevent terrorists from smuggling radioactive bombs or other dangerous materials into one of the more than 360 U.S. seaports. Only 5 percent of the 11.3 million shipping containers arriving at U.S. seaports last year were examined, leading some members of Congress to call for inspections of all U.S.-bound containers. The Bush administration defends its port security strategy and vows to install more radiation-detection devices at U.S. and overseas ports and to expand programs that ask U.S. businesses and foreign governments to voluntarily heighten security overseas. Pamela M. Prah is a veteran reporter who recently joined CQ Researcher after several years reporting in Washington for Stateline.org, Kiplingers Washington Letter and the Bureau of National Affairs. Order Article
Tax Reform
C7 - We Are All Post-Reaganites Now
Moore, Stephen
American Spectator, Apr2006, v39 #3, pp30-33
"The article compares the presidency of former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and U.S. President George W. Bush. Under Bush Senior the budget ballooned, regulations proliferated, and the final sucker punch to the conservative movement was the infamous betrayal of the Read My Lips, No New Taxes pledge. Reagan's themes of conservative governance, that government is too big and it costs too much, carried the Republicans to the breakthrough election in 1994." Stephen Moore is senior economics writer for the Wall Street Journal editorial board. Fulltext
C8 - Spec tax ular.
Feldman, Amy
Inc.; Mar2006, #28 Issue 3, pp100-107
"The article presents 10 ways on how small businesses in the U.S. can cut their taxes now, without raising the ire of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The last major tax bill, the U.S. Jobs Creation Act, was passed at the end of 2004, and several key provisions are taking effect for the first time in 2006. The qualified production activities income deduction allows businesses to deduct 3 percent of the income from certain domestic manufacturing activities in 2005." Amy Feldman writes for Inc. & Money Magazine. Fulltext
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