The Congressional Research Service departed from its usual focus on current policy and legislative issues to produce a new disquisition on the separation of powers in the U.S. government. The separation of powers doctrine “is rooted in a political philosophy that aims to keep power from consolidating in any single person or entity, and a […]
By Charles D. Ferguson North Korea’s boast on January 5 about having detonated a “hydrogen bomb,” the colloquial name for a thermonuclear explosive, seems highly hyperbolic due to the relatively low estimated explosive yield, as inferred from the reported seismic magnitude of about 4.8 (a small- to moderately-sized event). More important, I think the Korean Central […]
The Department of Defense “is moving forward with the development of its insider threat and personnel security reform efforts,” wrote Michael G. Vickers, then-Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence) in an April 2015 report to Congress that was released last month under the Freedom of Information Act. “The Department recognizes the magnitude and complexity of these […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have been withheld from online public distribution include the following. Independent Bids for President, CRS Legal Sidebar, January 6, 2016 The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions, updated December 30, 2015 H.R. 1927: Congress Proposes Additional Prerequisite for Class-Action […]
The role of armed forces in an open society may be likened to a potent medicine that is life-saving in the proper dosage but lethal beyond a certain proportion. Military forces have proved to be indispensable for securing the political space in which free institutions can flourish, but they may also trample or destroy those […]
The Department of Defense proposed a new exemption from the Freedom of Information Act last year for information on unclassified “military tactics, techniques and procedures.” The measure was not adopted by Congress in the FY 2016 defense authorization act, but DoD is preparing to pursue it again this year. The proposal that was submitted to […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have been withheld from online public distribution include the following. The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions, updated December 30, 2015 Need-Tested Benefits: Estimated Eligibility and Benefit Receipt by Families and Individuals, December 30, 2015 Federal Reserve: Oversight and […]
To the eyes of a military planner, a city presents “an elaborate combination of horizontal, vertical, interior, and exterior forms superimposed on a landscape’s natural relief, drainage, and vegetation.” A newly reissued U.S. Army manual contemplates the difficulties facing military action in the urban environment with a focus on intelligence collection. See Intelligence Support to […]
New and updated reports that were issued by the Congressional Research Service last week include the following. Data Security and Breach Notification Legislation: Selected Legal Issues, December 28, 2015 Sex Discrimination and the United States Supreme Court: Developments in the Law, December 30, 2015 The Budget Control Act of 2011 as Amended: Budgetary Effects, December […]
Last year, the United States led the world in arms sales, tallying up $36.2 billion in worldwide arms transfer agreements. Russia took second place with $10.2 billion in arms transfer agreements, out of a global total of $71.8 billion in 2014. This information, and much more on the subject, was presented in a new report […]
The notion that the U.S. should strengthen the military capabilities of foreign partners so that they could assume increased responsibility for regional security is critically examined in a major new report from the Congressional Research Service. The approach known as Building Partner Capacity (BPC) “has increased in prominence within U.S. strategy, arguably becoming a central […]
The Congressional Research Service has updated several of its reports on Navy ship and submarine programs: Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, December 17, 2015 Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)/Frigate Program: Background and Issues for Congress, December 17, 2015 Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for […]