The period of transition between presidential administrations can be turbulent, with potentially accelerated decision-making, diminished oversight, executive appointments, acts of clemency, “midnight rulemaking,” records management decisions, and heightened national security vulnerabilities, among other factors.
Many of these areas are considered in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service. See Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations, September 29, 2016.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response, updated September 28, 2016
Military Construction: FY2017 Appropriations, October 4, 2016
U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts, updated September 29, 2016
Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, updated September 29, 2016
Navy Columbia Class (Ohio Replacement) Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, October 3, 2016
An Abridged Sketch of Extradition To and From the United States, updated October 4, 2016
Patents and Prescription Drug Importation, October 4, 2016
Poverty in the United States in 2015: In Brief, October 4, 2016
Counting Regulations: An Overview of Rulemaking, Types of Federal Regulations, and Pages in the Federal Register, updated October 4, 2016
Zika Response Funding: Request and Congressional Action, updated September 30, 2016
Energy Policy: 114th Congress Issues, updated September 30, 2016
Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview, updated September 30, 2016
Statutorily Required Federal Advisory Committees that Began Operations in FY2015, CRS Insight, September 30, 2016
Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government, September 30, 2016
Encryption: Frequently Asked Questions, September 28, 2016
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