Presidential Elections and National Security, More from CRS
Presidential elections and the possible transition to a new Administration are potentially a period of heightened national security vulnerability, a new report from the Congressional Research Service says.
The report distinguishes five phases of the presidential election period, and proposes concerns relevant to each. Thre report provides tabulated listings of US military operations during presidential transition period, and terrorist incident that have occurred during such transitions. See 2012-2013 Presidential Election Period: National Security Considerations and Options, October 5, 2012.
Some other noteworthy CRS products that Congress has not made publicly available include the following.
Sudan and South Sudan: Current Issues for Congress and U.S. Policy, October 5, 2012
U.S. Textile Manufacturing and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations, October 5, 2012
Presidential Appointments, the Senate’s Confirmation Process, and Changes Made in the 112th Congress, October 9, 2012
Unemployment: Issues in the 112th Congress, October 5, 2012
Antipoverty Effects of Unemployment Insurance, October 4, 2012
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.