In this brief, authors Michael Ettlinger, Jordan Hensley, and Julia Vieira analyze how much the governments of different countries spend, and on what, to illuminate the range of fiscal policy options available and provide a basis for determining which approaches work best. They report that the United States ranks twenty-fourth in government…

The development of world-class universities is high on the policy agenda of governments across the globe. China's 985 Project is among the earliest national initiatives to concentrate research funding to build world-class universities. Ten years after it was initiated, the project has enabled selected institutions to improve their research and…

At the heart of progressivism is the belief that government--not big government, or small government, but effective government--has a critical role to play in ensuring the well being of its citizens. Public spending serves an important function in pursuing economic growth objectives while ensuring that gains are widely distributed to promote…

Background: Statistics are critical in holding governments accountable for the well-being of citizens with disability. International initiatives are underway to improve the quality of disability statistics, but meaningful ID data is exceptionally rare. Method: The status of ID data was evaluated in a review of 12 national statistical systems.…

This report develops a conceptual framework for considering policy options to improve access to Japanese and other foreign scientific and technical information. The rationales for and against a role for the federal government in accessing foreign technical information are detailed, and the stages in the process of information access are described.…

Discusses the government policy issues that led to the decision to actively involve the Department of Commerce in the acquisition and dissemination of foreign scientific and technical information (particularly Japanese information), and describes the department's efforts to fulfill this mission. (nine references) (CLB)

Several topics related to the provision of preschool education in Japan are discussed. First detailed are the history and present situation of the preschool education system; both kindergartens as well as nursery schools are described. The second section focuses on the teaching content of kindergartens and nursery schools, specifying goals related…

The United States has no systematic procedure to help secondary students transition from school to employment. That lack most adversely affects poor and minority students. The article examines successful school to work transitioning in Japan and Germany and notes that businesses and governments must recognize their responsibilities in preparing…

Because of revisions made in the content of history textbooks, Japan has been accused of attempting to rewrite history as part of a larger conspiracy to brainwash students and to rearm the nation. Discussed are the legal authority of the national government to screen and approve textbooks and international reactions. (RM)

The U.S. must have the patience and courage to continue to build its research and development infrastructure and to reward innovation in a time of tight federal budgets, pressing international problems, and uncertainty in the private sector about the near-term economic outlook. Trade barriers must be removed also. (MLW)

In recent years, concern in the United States over continuing competitive advances by Japan in science and technology has increased. To respond to these concerns, several federal agencies and private sector organizations have increased efforts to monitor Japanese science and technology developments. This report describes and analyzes some of these…

A study examined how the cross-national differences in the social contract among managers, unions, and government influenced adjustment strategies in steel. The restructuring process in eight major steel-producing countries was studied to determine who bore the costs of restructuring--employers, employees, or government--and which industrial…

This report is a primer on the multifaceted issues that state legislators are likely to confront under the rubric of human resource development. Chapter 1 proposes a philosophy: enabling every citizen to become a productive member of the 21st century economy is in a state's best interest both socially and fiscally. Chapter 2 focuses on the premium…

Between 1980 and 1986 federal support for education fell by 11 percent and number of disadvantaged students grew to 20 percent. In 1986 federal support for children had fallen to its lowest level in 20 years. Evaluates congressional turnaround that began to increase federal support. U.S. business leaders expressed concern over U.S. educational…

Articles in this theme issue of the journal, devoted to the subject of languages in the workplace, include: "Language Use in International Research" (Eugene Garfield, Alfred Welljams-Dorof); "The Foreign Language Needs of U.S.-Based Corporations" (Carol S. Fixman); "Foreign Language Use Among International Business…