| August 2005
Special Report: Hurricane Katrina
Politics & Government: Constitution | Elections | State Government | Supreme Court |
Government Initiatives: Corporate Governance | Health Care | Homeland Security | Social Security & Welfare |
Hurricane Katrina
C1 - Hurricane Katrina: Where Do We Go from Here?
A Brookings Briefing, September 8, 2005, 72p
”A panel discussion aimed at analyzing the federal, state and local response to Hurricane Katrina and identifying next steps to speed the recovery of the Gulf Coast and its people. Experts on homeland security, the armed services, federalism and cities discusses the questions that will be most important to policymakers moving forward at all level of government: How should disaster relief be organized? How can we better prepare for a natural disaster or a terrorist attack—including coordinating the national guard and active duty military? How can we address the long term recovery of New Orleans and the rest of the region? And what does Hurricane Karina mean for the congressional agenda and the Bush Administration's agenda?” Moderated by James Steinberg, Vice President and Director, Foreign Policy Studies, Brookings Institution. Fulltext
C2 - Hurricane Katrina
The Cato Institute, September 12, 2005, online edition
Cato experts comment on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The special section includes comment on spending, the organization of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the role of private charities. Fulltext
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After the Storm: Working Through the Implications of Hurricane Katrina
Public Agenda, Special Edition
For days, the nation has been riveted by Hurricane Katrina The destruction of the storm, the sluggish government response and the violence and desperation facing those waiting for help have Even now, as the nation tries to bury the dead, tend to the injured and find homes for the displaced, the aftermath of Katrina raises questions about poverty, race, energy policy, the federal budget, in fact just about every corner of American society and the purpose of government itself. Fulltext
Politics & Government:
C4 - The Court, the Constitution, and the Culture of Freedom
Berkowitz, Peter
Policy Review, August-September 2005, #132, pp3-26
"To recognize the role of constitutional law in establishing a culture of freedom takes nothing away from the formative role played by economic life, popular entertainment and the arts, friendship and family, love and war, religious faith and faith in reason. Our opinions about freedom, as well as our capacities to enjoy its blessings and maintain its material and moral preconditions, are formed by many forces. The supreme law of the land, however, is of special interest. By establishing authoritative limits, by proclaiming, with the backing of the coercive power of the state, what is forbidden, what is permitted, and what is required, it creates comprehensive background conditions for, and sets a tone that reverberates throughout, all spheres of our lives." Peter Berkowitz teaches at George Mason University School of Law and is a fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. Fulltext
C5 - Foreign Law and the U.S. Constitution
Anderson, Kenneth
Policy Review, June-July 2005, #131, pp33-61
The Supreme Court majority opinion in Roper v. Simmons endorsed the use of foreign and international law in US constitutional adjudication, inviting the deployment of a sweeping body of legal materials from outside U.S. domestic law into the process of interpreting the U.S. Constitution. Kenneth Anderson is a professor of law at the Washington College of Law, American University, and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
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C6 - What We Should Know About the Effectiveness of Campaigns But Don't
Levine, Peter; Lopez, Mark Hugo
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, September 2005, v601, #1, pp180-191
How do people decide to vote? Surveys, comparisons of states with differing laws and electoral processes, and randomized field studies of GOTV ("get out the vote") efforts suggest that voters weigh the costs and benefits of voting as well as the moral obligation to participate. This article provides an overview of some of the major research interests in the analysis of how to reach categories of voters grouped by age, ethnicity and level of political interest. It also serves as an introduction to the special compilation of articles on voter mobilization in this issue of the "Annals." Peter Levinel and Mark Hugo Lopez, CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), University of Maryland's School of Public Affairs. Order Article
C7 - The Democrat Armed
Kurt M Campbell, Michael O'Hanlon
The National Interest, Summer 2005, #80; pp93-10
"The recent election made clear that there is a profound anxiety over how Democrats generally manage issues of war and peace. This is because especially in the post-9/11 context, the voters want to know that Democrats will have the backbone to attack America's enemies before they can strike the nation, but unfortunately the party never showed the urgency of the conviction. Though the said prognosis is negative, it nevertheless is encouraging for Democrats, provided they develop big ideas and good national security instincts that avoid defaulting to criticisms of Republicans as the essence of their own foreign policy." Kurt M. Campbell, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Aspen Strategy Group. Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings Institution. Fulltext
C8 - Taking On The World: The International Activities Of State Legislatures
Conlan, Timothy; Dudley, Robert ; Clark, Joel
Publius, Summer 2004, v34, #3, pp183-199
The authors, with George Mason and Michigan State Universities, note that state legislatures around the U.S. are enacting increasing amounts of legislation that have international implications. In a survey of the 2001-2002 legislative season, they counted 886 bills and resolutions with significant international ramifications, of which 306 were adopted. The subject matter of the legislation covered a range of issues, including immigration, international trade, environmental protection, border relations and national defense. The authors note that increased international trade among the states in the last two decades has been mirrored in a commensurate increase in states' international legislative activity, as well as visits by foreign delegations. Many states have enacted laws regarding specific countries or regions, based on the presence of large immigrant groups living in those states. Timothy J. Conlan is Professor of Government at George Mason University. Robert Dudley is Professor of Government and Chair of the Department of Public & International Affairs at George Mason University. Joel Clark directs Michigan State University's Washington Semester program.
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C9 -
Church and State
Greenblatt, Alan
Governing, July 2005, v18, #10, pp34-38
"The Christian Right has had limited success on the national level. But in many states, social conservatives are growing in sophistication and strength." This article takes a closer look at Kansas where "the Christian Right doesn't pressure the establishment anymore. It is the establishment." Greenblatt outlines how the agenda is shaped with a push to preserve or reimpose traditional values. But he also questions whether conservatives can push forward with their programs and candidates without offending the moderates who are still in office and whose votes they need to win general election battles. Alan Greenblatt is a Governing staff writer. Order Article
C10 - You Say You Want a Revolution?
Jonathan Rauch
National Journal, July 30, 2005, v37, #31,pp2438-2444
"Political partisans of the Right and Left alike view the retirement of Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as a turning point for the Supreme Court. After all, she was often the swing vote in 5-4 decisions, and as conservatives go, she was both moderate and unpredictable. In John G. Roberts Jr., Bush has nominated a judge about whom little is firmly known, but many observers expect him to be at least somewhat more reliably conservative than O'Connor.... A closer examination reveals a more complicated story. Legally, incremental change seems more likely than revolution, continuity more likely than reversal. Politically, conservatives may be in for a surprise: The more conservative the Court, the more divided the conservatives." Jonathan Rauch is a columnist for National Journal, a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, and a writer in residence at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
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Government Initiatives:
C11 - SOX: Not So Bad After All?
Stone, Amey
Business Week Online, August 1, 2005, News Analysis, online edition Three years ago, President George W. Bush signed, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) into law. From day one, businesses complained that the sweeping corporate-governance overhaul was hastily drafted and a huge overreach. But with most of the work for Sarbanes-Oxley done, finance execs are starting to acknowledge that the law may be beneficial. Amey Stone is a senior writer for Business Week Online in New York. Fulltext
C12 - Medicaid's Unseen Costs
Cannon, Michael F.
Cato Institute, August 18, 2005, Policy Analysis # 548
"Congress and many states are ignoring the most important costs imposed by Medicaid a new study by the Cato Institute finds... Reforms such as health savings accounts, vouchers, and small reductions in outlays are unlikely to reduce the overall cost of the program. Instead, Cannon argues that Congress should reform Medicaid, the federal program subsidizing health care for low-income Americans, the same way it reformed Aid to Families with Dependent Children in 1996." Michael F. Cannon is director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute. Fulltext
C13 - Medicare at 40: Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges
AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), July 2005, Research Report, 14p
"In commemoration of Medicare's 40th anniversary, this AARP report reviews the major achievements of the program since 1965 and identifies improvements that would ensure that Medicare remains a viable, affordable, beneficiary-focused program. . . . Specific Medicare accomplishments that are reviewed include improving access to health coverage and services, providing greater financial security to beneficiaries, controlling program spending, and emerging as a leader in quality improvement activities. Specific challenges that are identified for the future include ensuring Medicare affordability for program beneficiaries, addressing the chronic care needs of an aging population, improving the quality of care in Medicare, ensuring the financial strength of the program, and ensuring fair competition among all Medicare coverage options." Fulltext
C14 - Revision Time
McIntire Peters, Katherine; Gruber, Amelia
Government Executive, August 1, 2005, v37, #13
Just five months into his tenure as secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff is remaking the department in ways large and small. His avowed commitment to setting priorities based on risk is at the root of a fundamental shift in Homeland Security's approach to its mission. The authors take a look at his range of new initiatives and policy changes and how the new organizational blueprint might (or might not) improve operations. The authors are both writers for Government Executive magazine. Fulltext
C15 - Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy and Implementation
Congressional Research Service, Updated July 12, 2005, 36p
The national security community has been concerned for sometime about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to both physical and cyber attack. Issues in critical infrastructure protection include how to integrate cyber and physical protection; mechanisms for sharing information between the government, the private sector, and the public; the need to set priorities; and, whether or not the federal government will need to employ more direct incentives to achieve an adequate level of protection by the private sector and states. This report provides an historical background and tracks the evolution of such an overall policy and its implementation. John D. Moteff is a Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, at the Congressional Research Service. Fulltext
C16 - USA Patriot Act Reauthorization in Brief
Doyle, Charles
CRS Report for Congress, August 10, 2005, 6p
Both Houses have approved proposals to reauthorize USA PATRIOT ACT sections scheduled to expire at the end of the year. The House passed H.R. 3199 on July 21, 2005, the Senate S. 1389 on July 29, 2005. This is a sketch of those bills and how they differ. Charles Doyle is Senior Specialist at the American Law Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington DC. Fulltext
C17 - Social Security 70th Anniversary Survey Report: Trends Over Time
AARP Knowledge Management, August 11, 2005, 27 p
"The latest assessment of Social Security by the American public continues to reflect the strong support that has also characterized two earlier assessments. All three AARP surveys-conducted to celebrate the 50th (1985), 60th (1995) and 70th (2005) anniversaries of Social Security's founding-have demonstrated the high regard that the American public has for Social Security as an important American institution, not only for America's retired citizens, but for the entire American adult population." Fulltext
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