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what is the function of the congressional research service

by Blaze Bernhard Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The Congressional Research Service serves the Congress throughout the legislative process by providing comprehensive and reliable legislative research and analysis that are timely, objective, authoritative, and confidential, thereby contributing to an informed national legislature.

Where can I find Congressional Research Service reports?

Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports are available online from the following sources: ProQuest Congressional (1916-present) (Yale only) Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports on Archive-It; You can request a copy of a CRS report from your Congressional representative.

How do you cite Congressional Research Service?

  • The issuing agency: U.S. Congressional Research Service.
  • The title.
  • Report number and date.
  • Name of the personal author, if provided.
  • Database name (Text from: Congressional Research Digital Collection)
  • Web service name (Available from: LexisNexis® Congressional)

How to cite CRS report?

Cite a CRS Report in APA Author, A. A. (Year). Title of report in sentence case and italics (CRS Report No. xxxxxxx). Retrieved from Congressional Research Service website: URL. Example: Erwin, M. C. (2011). Intelligence issues for Congress ...

Are CRS reports peer reviewed?

Publisher of more than 170 peer-reviewed open access journals. Congressional Research Service Reports Congressional Research Service reports can be the best way to quickly get up to speed on major political issues. CRS is Congress’ think tank, and its reports are relied upon by policymakers and others for accurate, timely and nonpartisan ...

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What type of source is the Congressional Research Service?

What are CRS reports? CRS reports provide Congress with both anticipatory and on-demand research and analysis to support their legislative, oversight, and representational duties. All reports adhere to the core values of CRS; they are authoritative, objective and nonpartisan.

Who funds the Congressional Research Service?

CongressIn the 2016 fiscal year, it was appropriated a budget of roughly $106.9 million by Congress. CRS was founded during the height of the Progressive Era as part of a broader effort to professionalize the government by providing independent research and information to public officials.

When was the Congressional Research Service established?

July 16, 1914Congressional Research Service / Founded

Is the Congressional Research Service a database?

CRS offers a variety of written products to Congress, including its well-known reports that provide in-depth research and analysis. Included in this database is the ability to search Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports from 1916-2018.

What is Congressional Research Service legal sidebar?

This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past week that may be of particular interest to federal lawmakers, focusing on orders and decisions of the Supreme Court and precedential decisions of the courts of appeals for the thirteen federal circuits.

Is CRS peer reviewed?

At CRS, she noted, any member of Congress can request a confidential report, so it's only the numbered reports—usually requested by multiple lawmakers—that prompt the debate over public release, though all CRS products are peer-reviewed.

How do you cite a Congressional Research Service?

Citing CRS ReportsThe issuing agency: U.S. Congressional Research Service.The title.Report number and date.Name of the personal author, if provided.Database name (Text from: Congressional Research Digital Collection )Web service name (Available from: ProQuest® Congressional)Date accessed by the user (Accessed: date)

What is a research service?

Research Service means the provision of analytical, evaluative or research, as a business or a part of a business, for the purposes of distilling information in respect of or assessing the desirability or unfeasibility of a particular financial investment, financial product, financial instrument, foreign exchange or ...

How do you cite a Congressional Research Service MLA?

Include:Congressional Research Service.Title.(Publication/Report Number)Prepared by Personal Author.Date.Publishing information.Source information and date accessed.

Whats the definition of congressional?

adjective. of or relating to a congress. (usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the Congress of the U.S.: a Congressional committee.

Is the Congressional Research Service partisan?

CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective, and non-partisan.

How do you cite a Congressional Research Service report Bluebook?

The Bluebook states that when citing United States legislative material (except debates), you should include the title, if relevant, the abbreviated name of the chamber, the number of the Congress, the number assigned to the material, and the year of publication. State materials are typically cited the same way.

Who is in the congressional Budget Office?

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress....Director.DirectorTermKeith HallApril 1, 2015 – May 31, 2019Phillip SwagelJune 3, 2019 – present14 more rows

Who is the longest serving member of the House of Representatives?

Longest-serving Representative to serve in the House: With more than 59 years of service, Representative John Dingell, Jr., of Michigan, holds the record for longest consecutive service.

What is the function of the government accountability Office?

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is known as "the investigative arm of Congress" and "the congressional watchdog." GAO supports the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and helps improve the performance and accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people.

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

There are currently 435 voting representatives. Five delegates and one resident commissioner serve as non-voting members of the House, although they can vote in committee. Representatives must be 25 years old and must have been U.S. citizens for at least 7 years.

Is the Congressional Research Service partisan?

CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective, and non-partisan.

WHO publishes congressional research Reports?

Every CRS Report - EveryCRSReport.com. We're publishing reports by Congress's think tank, the Congressional Research Service, which provides valuable insight and non-partisan analysis of issues of public debate. These reports are already available to the well-connected — we're making them available to everyone for free ...

Who is in the congressional Budget Office?

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress....Director.DirectorTermKeith HallApril 1, 2015 – May 31, 2019Phillip SwagelJune 3, 2019 – present14 more rows

What is the job of the government Accountability Office?

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is known as "the investigative arm of Congress" and "the congressional watchdog." GAO supports the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and helps improve the performance and accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people.

What is the Congressional Research Service?

The Congressional Research Service ( CRS ), known as Congress's think tank, is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works primarily and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, ...

Why is the Congressional Research Service confidential?

The confidentiality status of Congressional Research Service reports, until September 18, 2018, was a matter of contention due to the lack of public access to research that was paid for by taxpayer money.

What is the purpose of the CRS bill summaries?

Bill Summaries. Since 1935 the Legislative Analysis and Information Section (formerly "Bill Digest") of CRS has had statutory responsibility for preparation of authoritative, objective, nonpartisan summaries of introduced public bills and resolutions and maintenance of historical legislative information.

What are the three categories of CRS written work products?

CRS written work products fall into three major categories: (1) Congressionally Distributed Products Providing Research and Analysis on Legislative Issues, (2) Responses to Individual Members and Committees, and (3) Legislative Summaries, Digests, and Compilations.

What was the CRS in the 1940s?

The Library of Congress, the home of CRS, had experimented during the 1940s with unrestricted publication Public Affairs Bulletins, which were produced by staff of the Legislative Reference Service, and devoted to various public policy issues.

What is a CRS report?

Reports by the Congressional Research Service, usually referred to as CRS Reports, are the encyclopedic research reports written to clearly define issues in a legislative context. Over 700 new CRS reports are produced each year; 566 new products were prepared in Fiscal Year 2011.

What is the mission of CRS?

Mission. CRS offers Congress research and analysis on all current and emerging issues of national policy. CRS offers timely and confidential assistance to all Members and committees that request it, limited only by CRS's resources and the requirements for balance, nonpartisanship and accuracy.

What is the Congressional Research Service?

As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for more than a century. CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, ...

What do members of Congress and their staff consult with Division attorneys on?

Members of Congress and their staff consult with Division attorneys on all facets of law in the United States, including administrative, business, civil rights, cybersecurity, energy, environmental, immigration, intellectual property, international, labor, military, national security, procurement, tax and trade law.

What is an attorney in CRS?

Attorneys in the American Law Division (ALD) of CRS provide objective, authoritative, and non-partisan legal analysis on the Constitution and its interpretation to Members of Congress and their staff. They also advise on issues of national importance that arise as part of the legislative process or that are otherwise of interest to Congress.

Who to ask about the Constitution annotated?

If you have questions about the Constitution Annotated, please Ask a Law Librarian.

What is CRS in Congress?

By law, CRS works exclusively for Congress, providing timely, objective, and authoritative research and analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of political party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill ...

Why is CRS important?

Congress relies on CRS to marshal interdisciplinary resources, encourage critical thinking and create innovative frameworks to help legislators form sound policies, reach decisions on a host of difficult issues and address their constituents’ concerns and needs. These decisions will guide and shape the nation today and for generations to come.

What is the CRS?

The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a federal legislative branch agency located within the Library of Congress, serves as shared staff exclusively to congressional committees and Members of Congress.

Can a CRS report be reproduced?

Any CRS report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

Which branch of government delegates authority to Congress?

In practice, Congress often delegates substantial amount of its authority to the executive branch, by writing very broad laws and asking executive branch agencies to write regulations that fill in the details. The reasons for this type of delegation of authority are two-fold: 1.

Why was the recess appointment rule created?

The recess appointment rule was created at a time when people expected Congress to meet for only a few months each year, and travel time to get to the capital could be days or even a week or more. If an executive branch official resigned or died, getting all the Senators to the capital to vote on a replacement would be not worth the effort, so the Framers gave the President authority to act on his own, but only as a temporary measure. Today, Congress meets almost year-round—with breaks in August, at holidays, and for time to run for re-election—and even the most distant senators in Hawai’i can get to the capital in less than a day. Consequently, the recess appointment power has become less of a tool for maintaining effective governance and a tool for bypassing Congressional control.

Why did Eisenhower say "I am part of the legislative process"?

President Dwight Eisenhower was known to say “I am part of the legislative process,” because he had the power of the veto. And presidential scholars agree that one of the President’s political roles is that of “Chief Legislator.” In addition to the veto, presidents can submit legislation to Congress, and can pressure congressmembers to support the President’s proposals, whether by talking to them directly or by “going public” and trying to rally citizen support for his proposals.

What is the shift of power from Congress to the President?

Of course agenda-setting is a political act, an exertion of power and control, and so the shift of agenda-setting power to the President is a shift of political power from Congress to the President, something of an upset to the Framer’s vision of the proper relationship between Congress and President.

How many senators are needed to pass the filibuster?

This was done via a simple, but momentous, parliamentary maneuver. Senate rules require that changes to rules require a 2/3 majority, or 67 senators—an impossible number to reach, given that Democrats had only 55 members in the Senate and could not even reach the 60 to end a filibuster.

What does it mean when the parties unite on an issue?

When the parties do unite on an issue, it is generally in response to what lawmakers perceive as a national crisis.

Why is the government forward looking?

It is common to think of the government as forward looking, able to take a long-term view because—unlike business corporations—it does not have to worry about quarterly reports, its stock price (because unlike businesses it doesn’t issue any stock), or profits. This forward-looking perspective may be true of the executive branch agencies, where many officials have civil service protection that ensures their jobs until they retire. But Representatives must run for re-election every two years, and Senators every 6 years, so many political scientists argue that rather than looking far ahead, politicians can usually only look to the next election.

What is a CRS graduate recruit?

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) Graduate Recruit Program is designed to attract a diverse pool of highly qualified applicants for a variety of positions that provide an opportunity to support the CRS mission of serving the Congress throughout the legislative process.

What is a CRS?

CRS is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.

What is the eligibility for the Library of Congress?

The program is open to: (1) students enrolled in, or graduating with an appropriate advanced degree from, accredited graduate institutions, and (2) Library of Congress staff who already possess a graduate degree.

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Overview

Copyright status

The New York Times has written that the reports contain
• neither classified information
• nor copyrighted information.
However, in a passage analyzing its own liability under United States copyright law, the CRS has written:

History

In 1914, Senator Robert La Follette Sr. and Representative John M. Nelson, both of Wisconsin, promoted the inclusion in the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriations act of a provision directing the establishment of a special reference unit within the Library of Congress. Building upon a concept developed by the New York State Library in 1890, and the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library in 1901, they were motivated by Progressive era ideas about the importance of …

Mission

CRS offers Congress research and analysis on all current and emerging issues of national policy. CRS offers timely and confidential assistance to all Members and committees that request it, limited only by CRS's resources and the requirements for balance, nonpartisanship and accuracy.
CRS makes no legislative or other policy recommendations to Congress; its responsibility is to ensure that Members of the House and Senate have available the best possible information and …

Organization

CRS is now divided into six interdisciplinary research divisions, each of which is further divided into subject specialist sections. The six divisions are: American Law; Domestic Social Policy; Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade; Government and Finance; Knowledge Services; and Resources, Science and Industry.
The six research divisions are supported in their work by five “infrastructure” offices: Finance an…

Overview of services

Responses to Congressional requests take the form of reports, memoranda, customized briefings, seminars, videotaped presentations, information obtained from automated databases, and consultations in person and by telephone.
CRS "supports the Members, committees, and leaders of the House and Senate at all stages of the legislative process":

Congressional Research Service reports

Reports by the Congressional Research Service, usually referred to as CRS Reports, are the encyclopedic research reports written to clearly define issues in a legislative context.
Over 700 new CRS reports are produced each year; 566 new products were prepared in Fiscal Year 2011. Nearly 7,800 were in existence as of the end of 2011.
The types of CRS reports include Issue Briefs (IB), Research Memos (RM), and Reports, which a…

Access to CRS reports

As of September 18, 2018, most CRS reports are available to the public through the official US Congress website crsreports.congress.gov. Older CRS reports versions may be accessed from community supported sources. Since as of September 18, 2018, the official US government website "makes non-confidential reports available on its website" alternative access sites are less needed.

1.Congressional Research Service (Library of Congress)

Url:https://loc.gov/crsinfo/

34 hours ago The Congressional Research Service (CRS) works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, …

2.Congressional Research Service - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Research_Service

31 hours ago The Congressional Research Service As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for more than a …

3.About the Congressional Research Service | About

Url:https://constitution.congress.gov/about/congressional-research-service/

24 hours ago The Congressional Research Service serves the Congress throughout the legislative process by providing comprehensive and reliable legislative research and analysis that are timely, …

4.Congressional Research Service | USAGov

Url:https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/congressional-research-service

11 hours ago The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a federal legislative branch agency located within the Library of Congress, serves as shared staff exclusively to congressional committees and …

5.About CRS - Congress

Url:https://crsreports.congress.gov/Home/About

15 hours ago A Congressional Research Service report notes that casework is seen by some as an evaluative stage of the legislative process. Some observers suggest that casework inquiries can provide …

6.The Functions of Congress - College American Government

Url:http://collegeamericangovernment.org/the-functions-of-congress.html

12 hours ago What is the function of the Congressional Research Service? The Congressional Research Service serves the Congress throughout the legislative process by providing comprehensive and …

7.Graduate Recruit Program - Congressional Research …

Url:https://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/opportunities/graduate-recruit.html

13 hours ago  · The Congressional Research Service (CRS) Graduate Recruit Program is designed to attract a diverse pool of highly qualified applicants for a variety of positions that provide an …

8.Definitions of 'Inherently Governmental Function' in …

Url:https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42325.pdf

6 hours ago Congressional Research Service 1 unctions that federal law and policy require to be performed by government personnel, not contractor employees, are known as “inherently governmental …

9.Policing the Police: Qualified Immunity and …

Url:https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10492

13 hours ago  · Congressional Research Service 3 damages remedy to protect the rights of citizens” with “the need to protect officials who are required to exercise their discretion and the …

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