(1969). President's Task Force on Communications Policy. Staff Paper Five. Part II. The second part of a staff paper to the President's Task Force on Communications Policy dealing with the domestic telecommunications carrier industry consists of the final two appendices. In the first, the history, structure, present services, and future plans of the Western Union Telegraph Company are discussed. Evidence is given that by allowing continual rate increases, the FCC has effectively countenanced a Western Union-administered destruction of the public message telegraph service. Western Union now believes that the telegram is destined to become a high cost, distress service. Hence it is trying to enter new markets, especially computer-based communication service. The solution recommended is transfer to the U.S. Post Office of handling and delivery of telegrams, with tariff revision. The final appendix is a systems analysis of the vertical integration pattern of the Bell Telephone System, with an explanation of the technological and economic pressures which have shaped it….
(1995). Commercial Farmers As 1995 Farm Bill Stakeholders. When delivering educational programs for commercial farmers, public policy educators should include some major points related to upcoming deliberations on the 1995 farm bill. This paper provides background material for public policy educators on the following questions. When do farm program benefits become so low that farmers decide not to participate? What is an effective response to economists that advocate free market alternatives to the farm program? How does the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreement (URA) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) affect the 1995 farm bill? What are points of conflict and areas of agreement between farmers and environmentalists in the 1995 farm bill deliberations? What bases exist for developing the coalition required to enact the 1995 farm bill? The case for farm programs is as strong as it has been in the past. However, with fewer farmers, that case must be made more clearly, more convincingly, and with a realization of the… [PDF]
(1991). Taxes in U.S. History. This instructional series is designed to enhance the teaching of U.S. history in middle and junior high school classes. This particular school resource package is comprised of three instructional videos, a teacher utilization video, a poster, and other related print materials. Each 20-minute instructional program focuses on an important issue typically taught in U.S. history courses. The video programs include: (1) "The Whiskey Rebellion: First Test of the Federal Power to Tax, 1794"; (2) "The Protective Tariff Issue, 1832"; and (3) "Fairness and the Income Tax, 1909." The programs feature characters of similar age and spirit to middle school students who explore the roles that taxation played in each of the three issues, specifically: (1) the government's need to raise revenues; (2) tax policy's influence on economic behavior; and (3) the issue of fairness in taxes. Lesson activities, discussion suggestions, and the instructional poster reinforce those… [PDF]
(1978). Trade Policies toward Developing Countries: The Multilateral Trade Negotiations. Proceedings are presented of a 1977 conference about aspects of international trade negotiations of importance to developing countries. Participants included staff from Washington-based international organizations, various United States departments, Congressional staff, and students of the Foreign Service Institute. Transcripts of three addresses are presented, including comments by two respondents for each paper. The first paper considers special and differential (S&D) treatment measures for exports of developing countries to provide opportunities for improved market-access in developed countries' sectors where quantitative restrictions constitute an important obstacle to trade. The second paper discusses the international experience with safeguard actions under existing rules of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. It also makes recommendations to improve the functioning of the safeguard system including provisions of S&D treatment for developing countries. The… [PDF]
(1982). China under the Four Modernizations: Part 2. Selected Papers Submitted to the Joint Economic Committee. Congress of the United States, Ninety-Seventh Congress, Second Session. The politics and performance of the post-Mao Chinese government (1976 to the present) in the areas of foreign economic relations and Sino-American normalization are examined. Realizing that the four modernizations program for bringing up to date agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense, initiated by Mao's successors in 1977, was too ambitious, China's current leadership is in the process of adjusting, reorienting, and retrenching the program into something more pragmatic, realistic, and attainable. Included among the topics discussed in this publication are: China's international trade and finance; China's capital construction and the prospects for foreign participation; China's hard currency export potential and import capacity through 1985; Sino-Japanese economic relations; China's grain imports; Chinese general agreement on tariff and trade; normalization of U.S. commercial relations with China; recent developments in China's trade practices; emerging functions… [PDF]
(1996). Internet in the Indian Context. This paper presents briefly the concept of the Internet and lists the Internet service providers in India (Education and Research Network from Department of Electronics, National Informatics Network from National Informatics Center, Gateway Internet Access Service from Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, and SOFTNET from Software Technology Parks India) with their objectives, services and tariff. It discusses the preparedness of India to join the information superhighway by mentioning the activities of various organizations, grouping them broadly under business, directories, investment, newspapers, online information, religious, tourism, exhibitions/conferences, software products and campaign. Discussion then moves to the limitations to Internet access in India by way of infrastructure with limitations on leased lines, expensive hourly usage costs due to lack of tie-ups with Internet companies and gauging the popularity of World Wide Web sites. The paper concludes that the booming Indian… [PDF]
(1995). The United States Service Industry in the Global Economy: Maintaining the Comparative Advantage. Recent developments making more urgent the need for second language skills among the United States' population are examined. Specifically, a meeting of representatives of service professions and U.S. trade representatives concerning the ramifications of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) for U.S. citizens is discussed. A major shift from provision of goods to provision of services is forecast, with substantial implications for language skills requirements on the part of U.S. citizens. It is suggested that currently, the effect of the trade agreements is to encourage importation of skills from abroad rather than exportation of skills overseas, because of imbalance in language skills; professionals from other countries commonly have English language skills, while American professionals do not have adequate foreign language skills. Advancement in information technology is seen to render this situation even more urgent…. [PDF]
(1996). Trade Is Everybody's Business [and] Teacher's Guide. Trade has been an important factor in United States from the 17th century to the present day. The United States was born out of a trade dispute with Great Britain. From the moment the founders first set pen to paper, trade has helped spur U.S. economic growth. This booklet covers trade topics such as policy, perspectives, difference in nations trading, workers rights, barriers, equity issues, consumers outlook, governments involvement, trade disputes, trade impact on the environment, and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)/World Trade Organization (WTO) sovereignty. Concluding the booklet is a glossary and a 22-item list of further readings on trade and related topics. The teacher's guide presents ideas for classroom activities along with a pretest, posttest, and classroom handouts with accompanying answer keys. Goals for students to attain are to understand how trade affects individual daily lives; define concepts relating to trade and economic interdependence; know the…
(1974). A Thematic Analysis of Edwin L. Godkin's Editorials in the "Nation," 1865-1899. This thematic analysis of Edward L. Godkin's editorials appearing in the "Nation" seeks to reveal the major themes on which he wrote and then, by quantitative analysis, to provide some order to the themes and to study the interaction of the themes. Five hundred and twelve editorials, written over a period of 35 years and representing one-third of the editorials Godkin wrote for the "Nation," were selected for this study. The factor analysis identified four strong sets of themes in Godkin editorials: affairs of foreign nations; corruption at local, state, and national levels of government–and civil services reform; American business, tariff, and fiscal policy; and American expansionism. Missing is strong presence of themes that marked a changing nation–urbanization, immigration, agriculture, the West, and race relations. Half of the editorials Godkin wrote commented in some form on the affairs of foreign nations. Godkin questioned morality in politics, in… [PDF]
(1969). Design, Study and Simulation of Space-Divided Output Buffer for PLATO. This thesis describes the requirements for a buffer storage device, with respect to other system components and its own limitations, which is designed to aid in the economic transmission of processed data from a central computer to distant terminals. Proceeding from the fact that tariff rates on wide band educational television channels are attractive, but that the data format must be compatible with television images and must flow at a rate of 1200 bits per second (BPS), it deals with the major problem of converting sporadic bursts of computer output data into a serial rate of 1200 BPS through the utilization of a buffer storage device. An analytic study of input and output properties, a discussion of feasible assumptions, and descriptions of various models are presented, leading to suggestions for a suitable design of a buffer storage mechanism for the PLATO IV system. Actual data are employed in the determination of design alternatives. A brief outline of the PLATO system as it… [PDF]
(1999). How Reliable Are Michigan High School Economics Textbooks? Sixteen Commonly Used Michigan High School Textbooks Are Graded for Balance, Accuracy, Clarity, and Instruction in the "Economic Way of Thinking." A Mackinac Center Report. This study examined 16 high school economics textbooks commonly used in Michigan. The textbooks were graded for 12 criteria that form the basis for the sound study of economics: (1) the price system and production; (2) competition and monopoly; (3) comparative economic systems; (4) the distribution of income and poverty; (5) the role of government; (6) the role of the entrepreneur; (7) public choice; (8) taxation; (9) the business cycle; (10) wages and unions; (11) trade and tariffs; and (12) money and banking. Of the 16 textbooks examined, three received A's and three received B's; however, three received C's, five received D's, and two received F's. Assessment findings revealed that most texts do a decent job of describing trade, the failure of communism, and the impact of entrepreneurs; however, most are deficient in three areas: competition and monopoly, the economics of taxation, and the lesson of the Great Depression. The report describes the methodology and evaluation… [PDF]
(1995). A Copyright Guide for Authors. This book provides a commentary on the current copyright law as it affects authors of creative works, intended for authors as well as for business people who need to know more than just the fundamentals. The book has application for novelists, playwrights, poets, biographers, journalists, historians, educators, artists, designers, musicians, composers, performers, choreographers, photographers, architects, engineers, and computer programmers. The book's chapters include: (1) subject matter; (2) copyright ownership; (3) exclusive rights; (4) copyright notices; (5) termination of grants; (6) renewals; (7) copyright transfers; (8) deposit and registration; (9) copyright duration; (10) copyright infringements; and (11) international aspects. The first chapter gives an overview of copyright law as well as subject matter. The second chapter shows the evolution of copyright from its origin in Great Britain until the present. Other chapters include information on wills and inheritance and…
(1995). Education, Training, and Research in the Information Society: A National Strategy. This report is a written synthesis of opinions and observations on the role of emerging information technology in Finnish society. It surmises that such technology will benefit the educational system and increase research activity, thereby creating new channels of information access for the public, as long as national policymakers commit themselves to strategies for building education programs that are flexible enough to adapt to changing definitions of information literacy and technological expertise. These programs must not only train students and teachers but extend to citizens at large, providing opportunities for their continuing education. Finland needs to participate in the global electronic library by making more information available in digital format, guaranteeing education and research facilities high-performance computing capacity and reliable network connections, and continuing development of Internet links between schools, businesses, and their communities. Policy… [PDF]
(1978). The Impact of International Trade and Investment on Employment. A Conference on the Department of Labor Research Results (Washington, D.C., December 2-3, 1976). Taken from a December 1976, conference sponsored by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, these proceedings present research reports on the impact of international trade and investment on U.S. employment. The research, produced or in some instances contracted and monitored by the Department of Labor, is intended to be of use to economists and policymakers. Generally, introductory remarks precede each session part and comments and replies follow the paper's presentation. In the first of seven parts, a sample of industry studies is concerned with the steel and auto industries. Proceedings in part 2 involve labor market adjustments and the issue of displacement. Part 3 introduces a paper evaluating direct labor market effects of the old trade adjustment assistance program before its reformulation under the 1974 Trade Act. The fourth part examines foreign investment and employment. In part 5 a paper is presented on international productivity comparisons. Part 6 is concerned with… [PDF]
(1983). Transborder Data Flow, Informatics and National Policies: A Comparison among 22 Nations. The product of advanced information technology and digital transmission capabilities, transborder data flow (TDF)–the flow of information across national borders via computer and other electronic communications systems–has considerable political, social, economic, and legal implications. Important issues in TDF include (1) the regulation of telecommunication planning and development among various nations without stifling innovations; (2) the protection of personal privacy; (3) the impact of TDF on the cultural identity of information receiving nations; (4) the expatriation of national information; (5) the treatment of information as a commodity; (6) the impact of TDF on developing nations' balance of trade, employment, and infant information services; and (7) the restriction of competition and market entry of transnational corporations through such legislated and nonlegislated barriers as tariffs and prohibitive pricing. While current international legislation on TDF may appear…