Recent publications of the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf).
“Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990,” updated November 9, 2006.
“Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations,” updated November 16, 2006.
“Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations,” updated October 2, 2006.
“Iraqi Police and Security Forces Casualty Estimates,” November 16, 2006.
While it seems that the current political climate may not incentivize the use of evidence-based data sources for decision making, those of us who are passionate about ensuring results for the American people will continue to firmly stand on the belief that learning agendas are a crucial component to successfully navigate a changing future.
In recent months, we’ve seen much of these decades’ worth of progress erased. Contracts for evaluations of government programs were canceled, FFRDCs have been forced to lay off staff, and federal advisory committees have been disbanded.
This report outlines a framework relying on “Cooperative Technical Means” for effective arms control verification based on remote sensing, avoiding on-site inspections but maintaining a level of transparency that allows for immediate detection of changes in nuclear posture or a significant build-up above agreed limits.
At a recent workshop, we explored the nature of trust in specific government functions, the risk and implications of breaking trust in those systems, and how we’d known we were getting close to specific trust breaking points.