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Public affairs -- issues & debates

POLICY RESOURCES & THINK TANKS

Economic Report of the President -- Description & analysis of economic challenges facing the US, from the president's Council of Economic Advisers. (Search by key word.)

Opinion Columns -- Opinion/editorial columns from leading newspapers & magazines.

Economic Policy Columns -- Economic columns from The Atlantic monthly.

C-SPAN -- Home page for C-SPAN, the public policy cable network. (C-SPAN occupies cable channels 10 & 11 in Springfield, MO. Click here for C-SPAN's viewing SCHEDULE.) In-depth interviews with authors -- many concerned with policy issues -- are available at C-SPAN's Booknotes site.

StateLine.org -- News on public policy in all 50 states.  Missouri (note the SEARCH feature for past articles).

Rand Institute -- Public policy papers from a respected think tank.

Economics Think Tanks -- Links to think tanks focusing on economic & social policy issues.

CATO Research -- Policy research produced by the CATO Institute.

National Center for Policy Analysis -- NCPA is a public policy think tank. The Daily Policy Digest covers hot topics of the day.

Free-Market Search -- Search for articles on economic & social policy.

Capitol Link -- Research materials from the National Center for Public Policy Research.

Reason Foundation -- Public policy research organization and publisher of Reason magazine.

Think Tank -- Televised public policy program, from PBS television. (Transcripts available for browsing.)

Labour Left -- The world as seen by British socialists. (Click: CURRENT ISSUE in the left-hand frame.)

Skeptical Information -- Website for social critics and non-mainstream views.

National Review -- Public policy magazine from conservative William F. Buckley.

Thomas -- Links to legislation & the legislative process. Site sponsored by the Library of Congress. (The site is named after the 3rd US president.)

Governing -- Magazine of state & local government affairs. (Click HIGHLIGHTS FROM CURRENT ISSUE in the left frame; for links to other policy-related sites, click WONK HEAVEN.)

Burrelle's Transcripts -- Print transcripts and/or videotapes for televised public policy programs.

Policy Pundits -- Social & economic commentators with opinions on almost everything.

Influence Peddlers -- Washington's most active lobbyists, interest groups, etc.  Campaign finance (FEC).

Jane's Defense Weekly -- Newspaper specializing on world military activities & related issues.

 

Missouri Legislative Hearings -- Schedule and televised hearings for Missouri State Government.

SPECIFIC PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES

Bills to Watch -- Read about key legislative bills on important issues.

Social Security Privatization -- Information about Social Security and proposals to privatize it. A related site is from the International Center for Pension Reform. This Fortune article describes Social Security as a pyramid scheme.

Citizen's Guide to the Federal Budget (FY99) -- Information about the federal budget, from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), for fiscal year 1999. Once you understand the issues, play this simulation game where you control fiscal policy. Go to: PLAYING THE GAME. For information on the current size of the public debt, visit the National Debt Clock.

Corporate Welfare -- In recent years, government has replaced welfare for the poor with welfare for the rich.

National Performance Review is a government panel (headed by VP Al Gore) that studies ways of streamlining the government. Review this list of big-spending members of the House and Senate.

Minimum Wage -- Articles & other information about the minimum wage. History of the minimum wage. The proposal to increase the minimum wage to $6.15.

International Trade & Finance -- Should the US limit or tax trade, or adopt a free-trade approach?  Alan Greenspan warns against protectionist trade policies.  NAFTA has transformed the Mexican economy.  Do flexible exchange rates create instability for the world economy? Milton Friedman warns against rates pegged by central banks.

EMU -- Factors that will influence the success of the European Monetary Union.

Income and Poverty -- Income & poverty data from the Census Bureau. The working poor often lack the education needed to rise above minimum-wage jobs. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a think-tank which focuses on policies affecting low-income persons. The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 forced many people off the welfare rolls.

Zero Population Growth -- The low birth rate of recent years will not provide enough workers to support retirement and other old-age programs in the 21st century. The situation is even worse in many European nations and Japan. For a long-term perspective, check U.S. population data for 1790-1980 (see the CBR series). See what they're doing in Japan.

Housing NYC -- Rent controls in New York City.

Russian Economic Trends -- Evaluate Russia's efforts to rebuild its economy by looking at its inflation, employment, financial markets, foreign trade, and government finance. Russia's experiment with money.

Health Care Policy -- Federal health care policies. Check this site for health care costs. This site looks at HMOs and other managed-care providers. The status of doctors has declined under managed care. Other health care economics links.

Drug Policy Library -- Information about drugs & prohibition. A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) finds that alcohol & tobacco are more harmful to humans than marijuana. Another study looks at the issue of medical marijuana. More. Currently, legislators are considering how to restrict access to alcohol.

Environmental Economics -- The economics of environmental protection, including benefit-cost analysis. Here is a critical look at the Green Movement by an economist. What's the cost of policies aimed at reducing global warming? The ice-cap panic.

Cash for Babies -- Should adopted children go to the highest bidder?  How about selling body organs? More organ sales. More.

A New Energy Crisis?-- US oil imports are at all-time highs, and some people are worried. Click here for more on petroleum markets. Virtual oil wells may offer a solution.  Read the Dawn of the Hydrogen Age.

Agricultural Policy -- Information about the 1996 Farm Bill, which changed the way farm subsidies are calculated. Or click here for other links on farming and farm policy. In 1998 Congress contemplates bailing out farmers affected by El Nino.

El Nino Home Page -- Will this weather-maker cause havoc in food markets? Read about El Nino in Scientific American. For an economic analysis of El Nino see "Whither the Weather." More weather issues in economics.

Deregulation of the Electric Power Industry -- How a deregulated electricity market will operate.

NY City Taxi Medallions -- The system of taxi licenses in New York.

Anti-trust Research & Policy -- The US Justice Department's Antitrust Division enforces laws against monopoly & collusion in the marketplace, including the Sherman Act. The Antitrust Division has guidelines which, if followed, allow companies to avoid prosecution. Here are the FTC's 1992 Horizontal Merger Guidelines. Here are speeches by top officials of the Antitrust Division. Some economists believe that increasing returns ("network economies") are the source of monopoly power for software manufacturers (i.e., MicroSoft).  For additional coverage of anti-trust, visit the Federal Trade Commission and FindLaw.  Read about cartel behavior.

The Information Economy -- This article describes how the network economy of the 21st century will operate. This series of articles explores the effect new technologies will have on daily life & work.

Top 10 Predictions -- Predictions about the future of society, technology, and business. From the World Future Society.

Economic Policy Studies

CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, SENATOR, OR PRESIDENT

US Congressional Directory -- Information about House & Senate members, including their e-mail addresses.

House of Representatives -- Contact House members by e-mail.

U.S. Senators -- Contact Senators by e-mail.

The President -- Contact President Clinton by e-mail.

Missouri State Government -- Home page of Missouri government.

 
 
Updated: September 11, 2001