Policy Library

7,020 documents

Accountability for Value: Smarter Risk and Better Results in Higher Education
Third Way · 2025-09-11 · Memo · 2,077 words
Third Way is a center-left think tank that champions modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US public policy, including the economy, climate and energy, national security, social policy,...
The Army’s M-1E3 Abrams Tank Modernization Program
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,190 words · PDF available
Background The M-1 Abrams Tank (Figure 1) is designed to maneuver under fire and destroy enemy armored forces on the battlefield. The M-1 is named for General Creighton Abrams, a noted World War II ar...
The Void-for-Vagueness Doctrine in Criminal Law
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,761 words · PDF available
Vagueness as Constitutional Violation Defendants in federal criminal cases often challenge their prosecutions by arguing that the laws they allegedly violated are unconstitutionally vague. The Fifth A...
Defense Primer: Naval Forces
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,675 words · PDF available
“Naval Forces” Refers to Both the Navy and Marine Corps Although the term naval forces is often used to refer specifically to Navy forces, it more properly refers to both Navy and Marine Corps forces,...
U.S.–Papua New Guinea Relations: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,503 words · PDF available
Overview The Independent State of Papua New Guinea (PNG) lies in a region of the southwest Pacific known as Melanesia on the eastern side of the island of New Guinea. It is the most populous Pacific I...
Debt Limit Suspensions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Posts · 1,267 words · PDF available
A debt limit suspension defines a minimum interval before Congress is compelled to address the debt limit again. Once the suspension ends, the debt limit is reset to accommodate the increase in federa...
Tonga: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,529 words · PDF available
Overview The Kingdom of Tonga is one of the United States’ oldest diplomatic partners in the Pacific Islands region. U.S. policymakers, including some Members of Congress, have identified U.S. nationa...
Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS): Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,372 words · PDF available
The U.S. Army is developing the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) as part of an effort to improve the combat effectiveness and training of soldiers. IVAS includes a “ruggedized” (i.e., stre...
Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,783 words · PDF available
World Geography and U.S. Strategy World geography is an influence on U.S. strategy, which in turn helps shape the design of U.S. military forces. Most of the world’s people, resources, and economic ac...
Connecting Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities to Health Services: Resources for Congressional Offices
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-11 · Resources · 1,337 words · PDF available
Overview Navigating the U.S. health and long-term care systems can be confusing and complex for some constituents. Older adults and individuals with disabilities may face additional challenges in iden...
Democrats: Use Funding Fight to Stop the Republican Assault on Health Care
Third Way · 2025-09-10 · Memo · 968 words
This is the rare shutdown fight in which the policy, politics, and leverage all align. Democrats should make health care costs their non-negotiable demand. They should refuse to participate in a bipar...
Congress Repeals CFPB’s Overdraft Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Posts · 975 words · PDF available
Overdraft refers to when the money in a consumer account cannot cover a given transaction, but a financial institution pays the transaction. While some financial institutions do not offer overdraft co...
Mexico’s Migration Control Efforts
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Resources · 1,387 words · PDF available
For more than a decade, consecutive U.S. Administrations have sought to coordinate with Mexico to reduce unauthorized migration to the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported ...
Overdraft: Payment Service or Small-Dollar Credit?
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Resources · 1,575 words · PDF available
Funding Gaps in Consumer Finances One of the earliest documented cases of bank overdraft dates back to 1728, when a Royal Bank of Scotland customer requested a cash credit to allow him to withdraw mor...
The 340B Drug Discount Program: Litigation Topics and Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Reports · 25,690 words · PDF available
Congress created the 340B Drug Discount Program in 1992 in the Veterans Health Care Act (Pub. L. No. 102-585) to enable certain health care safety net providers to purchase drugs at lower costs. The p...
The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act’s Expropriation Exception
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Posts · 2,707 words · PDF available
The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA, codified as amended at 28 U.S.C. § 1330 & §§ 160211) addresses the immunity of foreign states from the jurisdiction of U.S. federal and state courts. In Feb...
Federal Court Endorses Behavioral Remedies, Rejects Structural Relief, in Google Search Antitrust Litigation
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Posts · 2,295 words · PDF available
On September 2, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia released its remedies decision in United States v. Google, an antitrust case involving Google’s conduct in certain markets re...
Indigenous Peoples in Latin America: Statistical Information
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Reports · 10,300 words · PDF available
This report provides statistical information on Indigenous peoples in Latin America. Data and findings on the people vary, sometimes greatly, including on populations and languages, socioeconomics, la...
Federally Supported Projects and Programs for Wastewater, Drinking Water, and Water Supply Infrastructure
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-10 · Reports · 28,916 words · PDF available
For decades, Congress has authorized, modified, and funded federal programs to help communities address water supply and water infrastructure needs. Departments and agencies that administer these assi...
Productivity Growth: Trends and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-09 · Reports · 13,117 words · PDF available
Productivity is broadly defined as the ratio of output to inputs. With respect to the economy, productivity measures how efficiently goods and services can be produced by comparing the amount of econo...
Middle Class Millionaires: A Revolution in Wealth Attainment for Working America
Third Way · 2025-09-09 · Memo · 1,064 words
Third Way is a center-left think tank that champions modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US public policy, including the economy, climate and energy, national security, social policy,...
America First, Small Business Last: The Cost of Trump’s Chaotic Policies
Third Way · 2025-09-09 · Blog · 492 words
Third Way is a center-left think tank that champions modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US public policy, including the economy, climate and energy, national security, social policy,...
FY2025 Military Construction Appropriations: A Summary
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-09 · Posts · 1,000 words · PDF available
Department of Defense (DOD) military construction and family housing programs fund infrastructure to support military operations and servicemembers around the world. The Biden Administration’s fiscal ...
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2026 Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-09 · Reports · 11,445 words · PDF available
Through appropriations legislation, Congress provides not only budget authority for federal agencies and departments to operate, but also legally binding direction on how that budget authority can (or...
Middle East Oil
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-09 · Infographics · 277 words · PDF available
/ Middle East Oil Oil production, trade, and refining in the Middle East are important for global oil markets. Three maritime transit points for crude oil and petroleum products are in or near the reg...
U.S.-China Trade Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-09 · Resources · 1,698 words · PDF available
The People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) is the second-largest global economy and has been a top U.S. trading partner since joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. China is a key expo...
The U.S. Army’s Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) System
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-09 · Resources · 1,318 words · PDF available
What Is the Army’s Mid-Range Capability (MRC) System? Improved Chinese and Russian long-ranged artillery systems, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), and the proliferation of special munitions (such as p...
Nuclear Cooperation with Other Countries: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-09 · Reports · 7,117 words · PDF available
In order for the United States to engage in significant civilian nuclear cooperation with other states, it must conclude a framework agreement that meets specific requirements under Section 123 of the...
Asia must prioritize regional cooperation for economic resilience amid tariff uncertainty
Brookings Institution · 2025-09-08 · Article · 1,787 words
This shift in U.S. trade policy has crucial implications for the resilience of East Asian economies, especially Japan and Taiwan.
National Park Service: Fee Increases for International Visitors
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Resources · 1,817 words · PDF available
Congress has debated various measures to generate additional funds for the National Park System in light of a large backlog of deferred maintenance on system lands. One option under discussion has bee...
Public Broadcasting: Background Information and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Reports · 11,459 words · PDF available
Discussion of public interest in educational or noncommercial programming dates to the early days of broadcasting. In 1938, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set aside a portion of available...
The Islamic State and Its Affiliates
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Resources · 1,892 words · PDF available
The Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Da’esh) is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group. At its 2015 height, the group controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria from...
U.S. Tariff Actions and U.S.-South Korea Trade
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Posts · 1,052 words · PDF available
Since January 2025, the Trump Administration has imposed tariffs affecting most exports from South Korea. In 2024, South Korea was the sixth-largest U.S. goods trading partner, with bilateral trade in...
Department of Veterans Affairs FY2025 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Reports · 23,969 words · PDF available
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers numerous programs that provide benefits and services to eligible veterans and their families. These benefits include medical care, disability compen...
Defense Primer: U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Resources · 1,524 words · PDF available
U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM or STRATCOM) is a Department of Defense (DOD) functional (as opposed to geographic) combatant command (CCMD) responsible for deterring “strategic attack through a sa...
China Primer: China’s Global Development Initiative
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Resources · 1,649 words · PDF available
Shifts in the U.S. approach to foreign assistance under the Trump Administration have prompted increased interest from Congress in the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s, or China’s) overseas develop...
Marginal Effective Tax Rates: Changes in P.L. 119-21, the 2025 Reconciliation Act
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Reports · 5,524 words · PDF available
The 2025 reconciliation act, P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), made a number of changes that affect marginal effective tax rates (METRs) on investment. These chang...
Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-08 · Resources · 1,804 words · PDF available
Over the past several Congresses, some Members have expressed concerns about authoritarian rule under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (2013-present). Maduro took office after a narrow electoral vi...
U.S. Agency for International Development: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Resources · 1,646 words · PDF available
Background The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) served as the lead international humanitarian and development arm of the U.S. government. It was established in 1961, pursuant to Execu...
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY2026 Budget Request and Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Resources · 1,361 words · PDF available
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency in the Department of Commerce. NOAA’s mission, as defined by the agency, is to understand and predict changes in climate, weathe...
Syria: Transition and U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Reports · 21,895 words · PDF available
Since the December 2024 collapse of the government of Bashar Al Asad, Syrians have pursued political and economic opportunities created by the end of the country’s twelve-year civil war. Internal tens...
Ahead of the Pack: Explaining Top Earning Non-College Workers
Third Way · 2025-09-05 · Report · 1,216 words
Third Way is a center-left think tank that champions modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US public policy, including the economy, climate and energy, national security, social policy,...
Free Exercise of Religion at School: The Supreme Court’s Mahmoud v. Taylor Ruling
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Posts · 3,381 words · PDF available
On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case addressing the application of the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause in public schools. In Mahmoud, parents chal...
Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Diplomatic Talks and U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Posts · 1,056 words · PDF available
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. More than three-and-a-half years later, Russia and Ukraine remain engaged in Europe’s largest war in scope and scale since World War ...
Section 232 Automotive Tariffs: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Posts · 1,044 words · PDF available
In 2025, President Donald Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on U.S. imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. §1862, as amended). ...
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods: Mendenhall Glacier Case Study and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Posts · 1,065 words · PDF available
On August, 13, 2025, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgage on the Mendenhall River north of Juneau, AK, passed its 2024 record level of 15.99 feet, cresting at 16.65 feet. The river’s rise was du...
Understanding the FY2026 DHS Budget Request
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-05 · Reports · 7,867 words · PDF available
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the third largest agency in the federal government in terms of civilian personnel. In FY2024, the annual appropriations bill that funded it was the si...
Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Bessent: D.C. Circuit Considers IRS-ICE Information-Sharing Agreement
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-04 · Posts · 2,787 words · PDF available
On April 7, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU or information-sharing agreement) to establish proced...
Proxy Advisor Regulation: Recent Litigation, State Law Developments, and Federal Legislation
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-04 · Reports · 9,589 words · PDF available
Shareholders of public companies have the right to vote on certain matters—such as director elections, executive compensation plans, and shareholder proposals—at annual and special meetings. Today, mo...
The Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause’s Substantive Limits on Criminal Laws
Congressional Research Service · 2025-09-04 · Reports · 9,638 words · PDF available
Criminal law marks a boundary between conduct that society deems permissible and behavior that it deems worthy of punishment. Courts have expressed that those who cross the line may be subject to pena...