Article Alert

July 2006

ALERT, a monthly publication of the Information Resource Center at the American Center for Educational Exchange, offers abstracts of current articles in major areas of U.S. domestic or international affairs. Full-text articles are available to you upon request. To request articles, please contact the Information Resource Center by telephone , fax, e-mail ircacee@state.gov, or by mail. To request by mail, please circle the articles you wish to receive, include your name, address, and telephone number and return this list to us.  DISCLAIMER: articles and links to non-U.S. government Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

The Rule of Law

1.    HOW TO MINIMIZE MONEY'S ROLE IN POLITICS

       Hill, Steven

       National Civic Review, Summer 2006, pp. 17-28

The author, who successfully spearheaded efforts to publicly finance political campaigns in Northern California, argues that public financing is the most promising form of campaign finance reform because it levels the playing field and gives candidates an incentive to accept spending limits. With public financing poorer candidates can challenge well-funded ones, enlivening the debate and opening up the system. It also removes the burden of fundraising. But while Hill believes public financing is currently the best solution, he argues that it is not enough. He points to the example of Arizona, which had a 97 percent incumbency rate in 2004 elections, despite public financing. Hill concludes that money alone does not control the outcome of elections --residential patterns and electing legislators by electoral map are also factors. The solution is to use proportional representation, free media space and public financing.

 

2. NAVIGATING THE MAZE: CORPORATE INFLUENCE OVER FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RULEMAKING

       Kamieniecki, Sheldon

       Environment, vol. 48, no. 5, June 2006, pp. 8-20

The author, dean of social sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz, notes that because of the stalemate in Congress over environmental and natural resource policy in recent years, business interests and environmental groups have made increasing efforts to influence the rulemaking process at federal agencies as a way to change existing policy. Kamieniecki provides an overview of the rulemaking process at several federal agencies, and describes a study of the treatment of several important environmental laws during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. He notes that the study's results do not suggest that business or environmental groups had undue influence over the rulemaking process; better indicators would be the type of rules initially proposed, the ideological and partisan makeup of appointees in federal agencies, and pressure to alter scientific findings. Kamieniecki believes that a stronger effort must be made not to inject politics into scientific data, which would unduly influence public policy.

 

3.    NEW ORDER

       Harris, Shane

       Government Enterprise, vol. 38, no. 13, August 1, 2006, pp. 31-38

Harris describes Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's views on transformational diplomacy. Secretary Rice states, "we have a view: the world is going to be better off if the world is a network of well-governed democratic states." The article describes management efforts to achieve that stated goal, moving the State Department from an information-processing institution to supporting diplomats who must become "first-rate administrators of programs," encouraging engagement with NGOs and foreign citizens to strengthen the rule of law, start businesses, improve health, and reform education.

 

4.    U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY IN THE POST-COLD WAR ERA

       Dietrich, John W.

       Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 121, No. 2, Summer 2006, pp. 269-294

In the United States since the end of the Cold War, there has been more rhetorical support for human rights, more proactive measures to spread democracy and rights, new targeted legislation and new acceptance of international human rights treaties. However, despite these improvements there have been some steps backward, as evidence by the U.S. refusing to sign treaties or placing limits on ratified treaties, the author notes. U.S. power to bring about human rights changes has been limited by the spread of the global economy, the fact that the U.S. can no longer automatically count on support from its allies, the ineffectiveness of sanctions, and weakening power to enforce human rights policies. Human rights issues will never likely play a dominant role in shaping policy, Dietrich writes, due to competing priorities, particularly the pursuit of global trade and antiterrorism.

 

5.    WARNING: E-VOTING AHEAD

       Perlman, Ellen

       Governing, July 2006, pp. 44-46

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires doing away with the old voting equipment and replacing them with electronic voting machines. Perlman discusses the security of electronic ballots, noting that, as long as voting has beenin existence, "security of ballot boxes has been an issue." The author looks at the pros and cons of several electronic voting machines, including the touch-screen type, that has generated controversy due to its potential vulnerability, to optical-scan system, that has a backup disk. In order to insure reliability and usability, the election officials need to check and secure the voting machines diligently.

 

Economics and Trade

6.    ADDICTED TO OIL: STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF AMERICAN OIL POLICY

       Kraemer, Thomas D.

       Strategic Studies Institute Carlisle Papers in Security Strategy, May 2006, 13 pp.

In his 2006 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush proclaimed that "America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world" and that it was time for the United States to "move beyond a petroleum-based economy and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past." To do this, Kraemer says, Bush established a goal "to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025." However, the author notes, only 18 percent of oil imports are projected to come from the Middle East in 2025. In reality, he states, the Bush goal only results in a decrease of American oil consumption by 14 percent overall. Oil is a fungible, globally traded commodity with rising demand, explains Kraemer, so this initiative will have minimal impact on influencing America's national interests in the Middle East. However, he continues, most rehabilitation programs follow a 12-step process. The Bush plan should be considered the first stage of the process in weaning America from its addiction. It is a necessary, if not fully sufficient, step to ensuring our future energy security, he concludes.

 

7.    CARTAGENA [BIOSAFETY] PROTOCOL: A NEW TRADE BARRIER?

       Kalaitzandonakes, Nicholas

       Regulation, vol. 29, No. 2, Summer 2006, p. 18-25

Kalaitzandonakes, Director of the Economics and Management of Agrobiotechnology Center, analyzes the implications of the Biosafety Protocol (BSP) -- an international agreement for regulating the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms. He focuses particularly on approaches to mandatory labeling, the details of which have yet to be agreed upon. Seemingly small changes in labeling requirements can lead to significantly different trade impacts and compliance costs, he notes. The logistics of agricultural trade, he explains, efficiently move grains worldwide, from producer to consumer, through practices such as commingling, blending and strict grading standards which allow for anonymous exchanges and free flow of crops. This system provides no immediate mechanism for easy identification of a cargo's origin or its DNA makeup, says Kalaitzandonakes. So, the current system will have to change to comply with whatever labeling provisions come to pass. He estimates costs for sample crops using alternative labeling requirements and finds compliance costs change markedly depending on approaches. He recommends costs be fully analyzed -- both for total cost and distribution of costs -- before finalizing the details of mandatory labeling for the BSP.

 

8.    THE IMMIGRATION EQUATION

       Lowenstein, Roger

       New York Times Magazine, July 9, 2006, pp. 36-43, 69-71

The author discusses the question of whether the economy expands if illegal immigrants take jobs, and do they drag down wages, or create opportunity. Lowenstein notes that economists are also debating over immigration; the latest estimate is that the U.S. has 11.5 million undocumented foreigners and it is these illegals who have galvanized the U.S. Congress to take action on immigration reform measures. As Mexican and Central American arrivals take on lower-paying jobs involving manual labor that Americans don't want to do, writes Lowenstein, jobs which otherwise would be more expensive or unavailable. Because of this, unskilled Americans must compete with a disproportionate number of immigrants. However, economists have found that in cities where immigrants have clustered, like New York, wages tend to be higher, not lower. Also, he notes, illegal immigration labor should not be the only source of blame. Other factors he considers important include the failure of Congress to raise the minimum wage, globalization (such as cheap Chinese labor), computer technology, and the decline of unions.

 

9.    OPEC'S GROWING CALL ON ITSELF

       Rubin, Jeff; Buchanan, Peter

       CIBC World Markets Monthly Indicators, June 7, 2006, pp. 6-9

The authors note that the domestic oil consumption of OPEC member countries is soaring, as it is in other major oil-exporting countries such as Russia and Mexico. This growing "call", or difference between production and consumption, along with OPEC's inability to increase production, may mean that OPEC's exports may drop by as much as three million barrels per day by the end of the decade. Rubin and Buchanan note that heavily-subsidized gasoline in most major exporting countries gives no reason for domestic consumers to conserve; additionally, the flood of petro-dollars has spurred rapid economic growth, which has caused oil demand to jump. They note that Mexico may no longer be an oil-exporting country by the end of the decade, due to growing domestic oil consumption and a fifteen-percent annual decline in production of its largest oil field.

 

10.    REASONS TO WORRY

         Ferguson, Niall

         New York Times Magazine, June 11, 2006, pp. 46-48, 50

The author asks whether the United States is capable of evolving out of its present excessive indebtedness, or could a drastic change in the global economic environment threaten, if not a collapse, at least a decline relative to smaller, more dynamic economies. Ferguson analyzes a chain effect from the collapse of household savings, the rise in home mortgage debt, a large and growing trade deficit, and the fact that Asian countries hold so many U.S. treasuries. He notes that one analyst has half-seriously calculated that the last U.S. treasury held by an American will be purchased by the People's Bank of China on February 9, 2012. Since becoming president, George W. Bush has presided over one of the steepest peacetime rises ever in the federal debt, which now exceeds $8.3 trillion. Projections from the Congressional Budget Office expect this to be $12.8 trillion within a decade. American consumption has been the principle source of global economic growth over the past decade, says Ferguson. However, this same readiness of American households and politicians to borrow has led to another corollary: the United States has become the world's biggest debtor. This has further resulted in a widening annual gap between American exports and imports and a remarkable accumulation of foreign debt, with foreigners making large claims on the future output of the United States.

 

11.    TOWARD A LONG-RANGE ENERGY SECURITY POLICY

         Elhefnawy, Nader

         Parameters, vol. 36, no. 1, Spring 2006, pp. 101-114

According to the author, debate on U.S. energy policy has usually been limited to arguments that the United States must preserve its access to the oil reserves of the Middle East and of Central Asia -- with a limited sense that domestic energy supplies would be highly desirable. A linear projection has oil supplies running out around 2030, he says. In the event of a new energy crisis, there may be more state failures, weapons proliferation, and resource conflict. Overall, he states, there are three major problems: first, substitutes for oil are too expensive or too unwieldy to support desired levels of economic productivity and living standards. Secondly, future improvements and relevant technologies cannot be taken for granted, particularly given the prolonged drop in the price of solar- and wind-generated energy since the 1970s. Finally, partial solutions can only provide a cushion until a more complete transition can happen. The prospect exists for an economy based on renewable energy, he asserts, because the security problems likely to result from tightening oil supplies are a basis for making the transition to alternatives -- which is widely acknowledged as inevitable in the long run, anyway.

 

Global Issues

12.    ATOMIC BALM?

         Gertner, Jon

         New York Times Magazine, July 16, 2006, pp. 36//49

"For the first time in decades," the article begins, "increasing the role of nuclear power in the United States may be starting to make political, environmental and even economic sense." Today 103 reactors in the U.S. provide 20% of its electricity; some plants provide much higher percentages of electricity for their particular regions. No new plant has been approved for construction in the U.S. since 1978, the newest plant came online in 1996. It is unlikely that the plants will operate for much more than 60 years each. This presents a significant long-term problem for utility companies -- whether they should begin replacing the nuclear plants now, or whether coal will continue to be plentiful or cheap. Industry experts anticipate caps on carbon emissions that will significantly raise the cost of producing electricity from coal, and are skeptical about alternative fuels as major sources of electricity. Natural gas prices are high already. The author runs through the long list of pros and cons to building new nuclear power plants, including arguments that utilities, instead of increasing electricity, should be encouraging consumers to reduce their needs. Still, the author concludes that building new plants may indeed be reasonable. "The fact is," one nuclear expert is quoted as saying, "there is no perfect way of generating electricity. There are byproducts of every type."

 

13.    POINTS OF LIGHT

         --

         E: The Environmental Magazine, Vol. 17, No. 4, July-August 2006, Pp. 26-39, 62-63

Subtitled "The World Wakes Up to Climate Change", this series takes a regional look at successful country-level efforts to combat climate change. For example, the town of Hull, Massachusetts is investing in wind power while in Africa, Nigeria is ending gas flaring in the Niger Delta. Other countries include Domenica, Germany, Iceland, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic, Estonia, Russia, China, India, Philippines, Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi. Each story comes with a contact for further information. Sidebars cover the trend at U.S. universities to switch to "green" power, a list of the ten "greenest" cities in the U.S. (with Chicago at the top), and a profile of the University of California-Davis Energy Efficiency Center, which tries to commercialize new energy technologies.

 

14.    LIFE AFTER OIL

         Mandelbaum, Robb

         Discover, Vol. 27, No. 8, August 2006, pp. 54-61

Will ethanol (ethyl alcohol) replace gasoline as vehicle fuel in the United States? The author examines the development of the ethanol industry since the early 1970s and the prospects for reaching President Bush's goal of replacing "more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025." Refining plants produced four billion gallons of ethanol from corn in 2005, and additional plants are under construction. Research focuses on using other raw materials such as switchgrass, wood chips, and corn stalks, husks and cobs, and increasing the efficiency of refining processes. Improvements in distribution facilities will be necessary to reach more customers, also. Currently three percent of gasoline used in the United States is ethanol, some in blends up to 85 percent ethanol, but most as an additive to lower polluting emissions. Researchers say that ethanol could replace 30 percent of gasoline consumption in the U.S. within 25 years.

 

15.    WADING IN WASTE

         Mallin, Michael A.

         Scientific American, Vol. 294, No. 6, June 2006, pp. 52-59

Rapid and poorly-planned development in recent years along coastal areas of the southeastern United States has resulted in increased pollution advisories and closures affecting beaches and shellfish beds. Most resulted from high counts of fecal bacteria from animal and human waste washed into the water; such pollution can cause liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and infections of the eyes, ears, skin and lungs. The author, an aquatic ecologist at the University of North Carolina, studies the effect of impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots and rooftops on the health of tidal creeks. Reducing impervious surfaces to reduce storm water runoff, creating vegetation buffers along streams, preserving and restoring wetlands, and constructing appropriate sewage and storm water treatment systems are methods that can be used to reduce fecal bacterial contamination of coastal waters.

 

Regional Security

16.    AMERICA'S NEW STRATEGIC PARTNER?

         Carter, Ashton B.

         Foreign Affairs, vol. 85, no. 4, July/August 2006, pp. 33-44

The U.S.-India deal, in which the U.S. acknowledges India as a legitimate nuclear power, has inspired much debate focused on nuclear issues. Opponents claim that Bush's concessions to India could seriously injure the integrity of the international nonproliferation regime. Ashton Carter, a Harvard professor, admits that while the deal is not balanced, damage done to nonproliferation is limited and overstated. The U.S. government insists the deal is a broader strategic agreement, not an arms treaty. Washington gave way on the nuclear front in order to "gain much more on other fronts," in particular, gains in security down the road in dealing with Iran, Pakistan, and potentially China. Many of the benefits, however, are contingent on India's future, with "no guarantees," as India will have its "own opinions about how best to live up to the deal -- or not."

 

17.    CHINA AND THE COMMONS: ANGELL OR MAHAN?

         Holmes, James R.; Yoshihara, Toshi

         World Affairs, vol. 168, no. 4, Spring 2006, pp. 172-191

While acknowledging the difficulty in seeing clearly into China's top military policy circles, the authors argue that Chinese strategists seem increasingly inured to the early-twentieth-century paradigms of geopolitics, particularly in regard to reforming its naval forces. If this is the case, the question is whether they will adopt the approach of U.S. Admiral Thayer Mahan, who advocated the aggressive use of sea power to ensure security of shipping lanes or English academic Norman Angell, who believed that military force was in nobody's best economic interest. The authors consider scenarios involving Taiwan, Korean unification, and the pursuit of energy security and how they may influence the influence of geopolitics on the country's approach to maritime issues. How China ultimately chooses to address control of the "commons" -- sea, air, and space -- will determine the regional security situation in the coming decades.

 

18.    EXCERCISING WARTIME POWERS: THE NEED FOR A STRONG EXECUTIVE

         Yoo, John

         Harvard International Review, vol. 28, no. 1, Spring 2006, pp. 14-17

The author, a law professor at the University of California, Berkley, and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice from 2001-2003, argues that the Constitution clearly gives the executive branch the authority to initiate military actions without first seeking the legislative branch's authorization. "Declaring" a war is markedly different than initiating, conducting, or waging one, says the author. Based upon close analysis of the Constitution, British law, and the usage of language in the 18th Century, the author finds this to be a crucial difference that was purposely written into the Constitution be the Founding Fathers. As the United States confronts an increasingly complex international security environment, the author calls upon readers to reject contentions of Congressional prerogative in favor of the Constitution's intent: a presidency structured to act independently to repel threats with a flexible and supportive political process allowing legislators to subsequently control war through their appropriations authority.

 

19.  RELIGION AND THE STATE: WHY MODERATE RELIGIOUS TEACHING SHOULD BE PROMOTED

          Etzioni, Amitai

          Harvard International Review, vol. 28, no. 1, Spring 2006, pp. 14-17

The author, a professor at George Washington University, argues that the United States should promote religious schools in the Muslim world that teach a moderate version of Islam, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq. Etzioni acknowledges that this would be a marked departure from U.S. support of secular public schools abroad -- but this secularism is not winning support from parents in the Middle East and South Asia, where fundamentalist-themed madrasas are currently the leading form of primary education. In post-totalitarian societies, religion can provide a common sense of values for the new generation and a moderate, inclusive religious message as part of the educational curriculum will bring children into schools and better prepare them for their country's future.

 

20.  TO A BAGHDAD VICTORY VIA SAIGON: HOW THE WRONG NATION-BUILDING STRATEGY THAT FAILED IN VIETNAM CAN BE RIGHTED TO SUCCEED IN IRAQ

          Lomperis, Timothy J.

          World Affairs, vol. 168, no. 4, Spring 2006, pp. 147-156

Among the numerous observers quick to draw parallels between conflicts in Iraq and Vietnam, Lomperis draws a unique conclusion. Insurgencies are ultimately struggles for political legitimacy among the population, he argues, and the United States must avoid the mistake it made in Vietnam by forcibly excluding the Communists from civilian politics, which contributed to its legitimacy in the eyes of the Vietnamese. For a truly capable government to emerge in Iraq, the United States must resist the temptation to politically shut out Sunni parties expressing extremist views, and instead must "embrace the difficult but courageous strategy of inclusion -- the path not taken in Saigon -- to victory in Baghdad."

 

21.    TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND U.S. GRAND STRATEGY

         Nye, Joseph S.

         Foreign Affairs, vol. 85, no. 4, July/August 2006, pp. 123-148

Through changes he made to U.S. grand strategy after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, George W. Bush hopes to be remembered as a "transformational president," leaving a lasting mark on U.S. foreign policy. Nye points out that while senior administration officials believe "Bush's aggressive democratization will prove successful," evidence offered by history is less optimistic. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the only durable shifts in grand strategy were those of Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. A president hoping for transformational policy to succeed usually requires a crisis and particular leadership skills, some of which Bush lack. Bush's legacy depends largely on the outcome in the war in Iraq; as of now, the jury is still out.

 

U.S. Society and Values

22.    THE 2006 JEFFERSON LECTURE

         Cole, Bruce; Weingarten, Marc; Wolfe, Tom

         Humanities, vol. 27, no. 3, May/June 2006, pp. 6-13, 28-37

The Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities is the highest honor bestowed by the federal government in the field of the humanities. In the first article in this three-part series, "Not Just Another Ice-Cream-Suit Wearing, Pen-Wielding, Master of the Statusphere: A Conversation with Tom Wolfe," the 2006 honoree is inteviewed by National Endowment for the Humanities chairman, Bruce Cole, where he touches upon everything from his PhD. dissertation ("Communist Activity Among American Writers, 1927 to '42") to his tailor. Mark Weingarten writes about how Wolfe broke the rules of journalism to become a better writer in "The New Journalism: Capturing the 'Mad, Hulking Carnival of American Life." Finally, "Tom Wolfe in His Own Words" provides excerpts from some of his most famous works, including THE RIGHT STUFF, THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, and THE ELECTRIC KOOL-AID ACID TEST.

 

23.    ALEXANDER HAMILTON: THE MAN WHO MODERNIZED MONEY

          Scanlan, Laura Wolff

          Humanities, vol. 27, no. 1, January/February 2006, pp. 16-19

An exhibit currently traveling around the U.S. focuses on the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers and the first Secretary of the Treasury. While Hamilton is usually remembered as the one who died in a duel with Aaron Burr, the author notes that Hamilton had some of the most modern ideas of the founders -- the need for an independent press, a strong central government and treasury, a national banking system and a mixed economy. As the primary author of THE FEDERALIST essays, Hamilton persuaded a reluctant American public to adopt the Constitution. Growing up on St. Croix in the West Indies, he witnessed the brutality of slavery; he also realized the necessity of an economy based on manufacturing, not just farming, because on the islands, everything had to be imported. Notes the author, Hamilton "left an imprint on American institutions still present two centuries after his death."

 

24.    CULTURAL RENAISSANCE OR CULTURAL DIVIDE?

          Ivey, Bill; Tepper, Steven J.

          Chronicle of Higher Education, 19 May 2006, pp. B6-B8

Contending that America is on the threshold of a significant transformation in cultural life equal to the changes brought about by Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, the authors distinguish between those who increasingly are becoming producers of their own art and cultural experiences (using such products as iPods or TiVos) and those with less time, money, and knowledge who are left to the mercy of a few mass-media giants. With technology and economic change conspiring to create a new cultural elite and a new underclass, the former chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts and his colleague at Vanderbilt University challenge educators, artists, and arts leaders to create a cultural life that embraces all Americans.

 

25.    DOES AMERICA HAVE AN ARTS POLICY?

         Cowen, Tyler

         Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 52, no. 41, June 16, 2006, p. B13

In this article, Cowen debunks several myths about arts in the U.S., contending that "the United States has arts policies as active as those of Europe, and more effective." While many European arts institutions receive 80 percent of more of their budgets from governments and the U.S. government provides just five percent, these numbers do not reflect the total picture. The U.S. government supports the arts through philanthropy and the tax system, which encourages individuals and corporations to donate to the arts. For example, in 2003 Americans donated over $29.4 billion to nonprofit arts groups, or nearly $100 per capita. Support to American higher education is another way the government indirectly funds the arts, where nearly four-fifths of all students attend state-supported schools. Subsidized by tuition and donations, colleges and universities play a major role in educating, employing, and otherwise supporting painters, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and other artists.

 

26.    FREEDOM IS A WONDERFUL THING

         Relin, David Oliver

         Parade, July 2, 2006, pp. 4-6

"Freedom is wonderful -- I can't describe how wonderful," says Ngawang Sangdrol, a 27-year-old Tibetan now living in New Jersey and studying English. In a series of essays timed to the recent American Independence Day celebrations, a university professor who is a native of Rwanda, the India-born editor-in-chief of Yahoo! and a Harvard University Medical School graduate who came to the United States from Mexico join Sangdrol in describing their personal journeys to freedom and security. "Everyone who comes to America knows about the opportunity here," says Mexico native Dr. Erick Miranda. "No matter where you come from or how poor you are, there is a path open to you here [in the United States] if you can navigate poverty's obstacle course."

 

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