Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency: “The World Investment and Political Risk report examines the overall trends in political risk perceptions, foreign investment intentions, and longer-term demand for political risk insurance (PRI), especially in emerging economies. The research conducted for the report includes an Economist Intelligence Unit survey of multinational investors that addresses their risk perceptions for …

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China’s Holdings of U.S. Securities: Implications for the U.S. Economy, December 6, 2012 “Given its relatively low savings rate, the U.S. economy depends heavily on foreign capital inflows from countries with high savings rates (such as China) to meet its domestic investment needs and to fund the federal budget deficit. The willingness of foreigners to …

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“A new report issued by the Bread for the World Institute reveals the extraordinary progress many countries around the world have made in achieving the development goals they agreed to 12 years ago. However, programs that support these efforts could be derailed, depending on the outcome of ongoing U.S. negotiations to avert the “fiscal cliff.” …

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National Indicators and Social Wealth, Erwin de Leon. December 4, 2012 “In The State of Society, measures of national well-being that go beyond gross domestic product (GDP) are identified. Existing indicators and systems are found lacking in assessing the full economic value of caregiving and the contributions of women. This report presents the results of …

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Arctic Report Card – Update for 2012: “The Arctic region continued to break records in 2012—among them the loss of summer sea ice, spring snow cover, and melting of the Greenland ice sheet. This was true even though air temperatures in the Arctic were unremarkable relative to the last decade, according to a new report …

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“EIA has just issued its Annual Energy Outlook 2013 (AEO2013) Reference case, which highlights a growth in total U.S. energy production that exceeds growth in total U.S. energy consumption through 2040. “EIA’s updated Reference case shows how evolving consumer preferences, improved technology, and economic changes are pushing the nation toward more domestic energy production, greater …

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China’s Economic Conditions, Wayne M. Morrison, Specialist in Asian Trade and Finance. December 4, 2012 Prior to the initiation of economic reforms and trade liberalization 33 years ago, China maintained policies that kept the economy very poor, stagnant, centrally controlled, vastly inefficient, and relatively isolated from the global economy. Since opening up to foreign trade …

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Technology Transfer: Use of Federally Funded Research and Development, Wendy H. Schacht. Specialist in Science and Technology Policy. December 3, 2012 “The federal government spends approximately one-third of its annual research and development (R&D) budget for intramural work to meet mission requirements in over 700 government laboratories (including Federally Funded Research and Development Centers). The …

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State Government Fiscal Stress and Federal Assistance, Robert Jay Dilger, Senior Specialist in American National Government. December 3, 2012 “No two state budgets are alike. States have different budget cycles, different ways of preparing revenue estimates and forecasts, different requirements concerning their operating and capital budgets, different roles for their governors in the budget process, …

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