Many in U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform

Many in U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform. Pew Research Center.  Richard Wike et al. March 31, 2021

Americans are especially likely to say politicians are corrupt

As they continue to struggle with a public health crisis and ongoing economic challenges, many people in the United States and Western Europe are also frustrated with politics.

A four-nation Pew Research Center survey conducted in November and December of 2020 finds that roughly two-thirds of adults in France and the U.S., as well as about half in the United Kingdom, believe their political system needs major changes or needs to be completely reformed. Calls for significant reform are less common in Germany, where about four-in-ten express this view. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 39 pages].

Congressional Oversight Manual

Congressional Oversight Manual. Congressional Research Service. Ben Wilhelm et al. Updated March 29, 2021

Today’s lawmakers and congressional aides, as well as commentators and scholars, recognize that Congress’s lawmaking role does not end when it passes legislation. Oversight is considered fundamental to making sure that laws work and are being administered in an effective, efficient, and economical manner. This function is seen as one of Congress’s principal roles as it grapples with the complexities of American government.

Writing in 1993, the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress defined congressional oversight as the “review, monitoring, and supervision of the executive and the implementation of public policy.” This definition captures the functional core of Congress’s oversight of the executive branch. Nonetheless it is the beginning, rather than an end, of understanding oversight as it has been practiced since the 1st Congress. As outlined in this manual, the purposes, tools, and practice of congressional oversight extend far beyond the confines of a simple definition.

[PDF format, 121 pages].

Federal-Aid Highway Program (FAHP): In Brief

Federal-Aid Highway Program (FAHP): In Brief. Congressional Research Service. Robert S. Kirk. Updated March 1, 2021

The federal government has provided some form of highway funding to the states for more than 100 years. The major characteristics of the federal highway program have been constant since the early 1920s. First, most funds are apportioned to the states by formula and implementation is left primarily to state departments of transportation (state DOTs). Second, the states are required to provide matching funds. Until the 1950s, each federal dollar had to be matched by an identical amount of state and local money. The federal share is now 80% for non-Interstate System road projects and 90% for Interstate System projects. Third, generally, federal money can be spent only on designated federal-aid highways, which make up roughly a quarter of U.S. public roads.

[PDF format, 16 pages].

Biden Nears 100-Day Mark with Strong Approval, Positive Rating for Vaccine Rollout

Biden Nears 100-Day Mark with Strong Approval, Positive Rating for Vaccine Rollout. Pew Research Center. April 15, 2021

Share of Americans viewing illegal immigration as a ‘very big’ problem grows

Joe Biden approaches the 100-day mark of his presidency with a relatively strong job approval rating and the public continuing to express positive views of the coronavirus aid package passed by Congress last month. Moreover, nearly three-quarters of Americans (72%) say the Biden administration has done an excellent or good job managing the manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to Americans.

Currently, 59% approve of the way Biden is handling his job as president, while 39% disapprove. Biden’s job approval rating has increased modestly from 54% in March. Biden’s job approval is comparable to several of his predecessors – including Barack Obama and George H. W. Bush – and much higher than Donald Trump’s in April 2017. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 51 pages].

Manufacturing USA: Advanced Manufacturing Institutes and Network

Manufacturing USA: Advanced Manufacturing Institutes and Network. Congressional Research Service.  John F. Sargent Jr. March 3, 2021.

Congress maintains a strong interest in the health of U.S. manufacturing due to its central role in the U.S. economy and national defense. Manufacturing USA is a network of institutes focused on facilitating the development and commercialization of emerging manufacturing technologies. The existing network consists of 16 institutes sponsored by the Departments of Commerce (DOC), Defense (DOD), and Energy (DOE) and co-funded with private sector partners.

The program traces its roots to President Obama’s FY2013 budget proposal to create a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) to help accelerate innovation by investing in industrially relevant manufacturing technologies with broad applications, and to support manufacturing technology commercialization by bridging the gap between the laboratory and the market. The proposal sought $1 billion in mandatory funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the DOC to establish up to 15 NNMI institutes. Congress did not act on the proposal in the 112th Congress.

[PDF format, 32 pages].

The Shifting Roles of Monetary and Fiscal Policy in Light of Covid-19

The Shifting Roles of Monetary and Fiscal Policy in Light of Covid-19. Center for Strategic & International Studies. Jack Caporal, Victoria Meyer. February 23, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has drastically affected both the U.S. and the global economy. In February 2020, the U.S. unemployment rate was at near lows of 3.8 percent. By April, it reached 14.7 percent—nearly five percentage points higher than the peak of the Great Recession. While many of these unemployment claims were temporary, the economy is still in distress. In October 2020, 40 U.S. states either added fewer jobs than in August or lost jobs. The U.S. national rate of job growth in September and October was less than half its August rate. By January 2021, the economy had over 9 million fewer jobs than prior to the pandemic. Permanent job losses remained elevated in January at 3.5 million, 2.2 million more than the previous February. The labor force participation level was 1.9 percent lower than February 2020, indicating that individuals who left the workforce have not rejoined it. In terms of the global economy, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) October 2020 World Economic Outlook predicted that the world real GDP would fall by 4.4 percent from 2019. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 15 pages].

Executive Actions to Reduce Poverty: A Menu of Options

Executive Actions to Reduce Poverty: A Menu of Options. Brookings Institution. Megan Curran and Christopher Wimer. February 10, 2021

The COVID-19 crisis has led to increases in joblessness, business failure, and threatened the financial security of millions of American families. The crisis increased the average number of people with monthly “market incomes” (pre-tax and transfer income) below the poverty line by over 16 million between the first two, pre-pandemic months of 2020 and the second quarter of 2020. The total had fallen only slightly by the fourth quarter. At the same time, the Congressional response to the pandemic in the CARES Act showed the power of safety-net policies to prevent people from falling into poverty. Direct $1,200 payments to families, dramatic increases in unemployment insurance benefits, and other policies reduced poverty in the early stages of the pandemic even as jobless claims soared. In total, CARES Act policies lifted an average of 17.8 million individuals from poverty in April and May 2020, and prevented nearly 80 million “person-months” of poverty from the onset of the crisis in March through December 2020. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 18 pages].

USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Congressional Research Service. Randy Alison Aussenberg, Kara Clifford Billings. February 12, 2021

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs are often part of emergency response efforts, providing foods for distribution, additional benefits for redemption, and program flexibilities. During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, access to food—particularly in light of increased unemployment and closures of institutions that households rely on for food, such as schools—has been a concern for many people. Some observers also view the programs, particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as a means of economic stimulus.

This report discusses related provisions of four laws enacted in the 116th Congress that supplement FNS’s prior response to the COVID-19 pandemic with new funds and authorities:

• Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127, enacted March 18, 2020);
• Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136, enacted March 27, 2020);
• Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act (P.L. 116-159, enacted October 1, 2020) (“FY2021 Continuing Appropriations Act”); and
• Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N, Title VII (P.L. 116-260, enacted December 27, 2020) (“FY2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act”).

This report also includes the Biden Administration announcement that, under an executive order, USDA will change the implementation of some of these laws’ provisions.

[PDF format, 26 pages].

Federal Resources for State and Local Economic Development

Federal Resources for State and Local Economic Development. Congressional Research Service. Julie M. Lawhorn. February 12, 2021

Congress has authorized over 130 economic development programs administered by over 20 departments and agencies. These programs support efforts to improve job opportunities, tax bases, individual or community wealth, and quality of life measures; contribute to economic growth; create reinforcing industrial clusters; and reduce economic inequality. In contrast to centrally-planned approaches, most federal programs in the United States are designed to strengthen the national economy by supporting the plans and strategies established by state and local stakeholders.

The range of economic development programs approved by Congress reflects shifting priorities, changing global market trends, and a variety of theories about what drives local and regional economies. Before World War II, federal investment in economic development programs focused on expanding infrastructure, access to public services, and industrial development. Over time Congress has authorized additional, flexible programs that support a wider array of strategies—including strategies designed to respond to structural changes in the U.S. and regional economies. State and local stakeholders also have responded to shifting priorities and markets by implementing entrepreneurial initiatives to improve competitiveness, foster innovation, and reduce capital, market, and other barriers.

[PDF format, 43 pages].

Federal Crop Insurance: A Primer

Federal Crop Insurance: A Primer. Congressional Research Service. Stephanie Rosch. February 18, 2021

The federal crop insurance program (FCIP) offers farmers the opportunity to purchase insurance coverage against financial losses caused by a wide variety of perils, including certain adverse growing and market conditions. The federal government subsidizes the premiums that farmers pay for these insurance policies to encourage farmer participation. Farmers can choose among many types of policies and policy options to customize the coverage to their farm businesses’ specific needs. Private-sector companies sell and service the policies; the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plays critical roles in subsidizing, regulating, and reinsuring the policies.

[PDF format, 49 pages].