Describes the function of and services offered by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress, which is charged with meeting the research and information needs of the U.S. Congress. The interaction of research analysts and librarians within the service is discussed. (CLB)

Discusses Senate passage of the ABC bill and House of Representatives activity concerning the Child Development and Education Act. Describes research studies of the day care industry, including the National Child Care Staffing Study, the National Child Care Survey, 1989, and the Profile of Child Care Settings Study. (RJC)

Describes 10 bulletin board systems available via dial-up access for federal government information, including National Technical Information Service, Consumer Information Center, Department of Agriculture, Economic Bulletin Board, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, Department of State, Department of Labor, and Department of…

Research is presented that suggests three possible factors that hinder the career mobility of deaf federal employees: communication problems, lack of comparable education, and unawareness of appropriate behavior. Practical steps that employees may take to improve their situation are outlined. (Author/JDD)

Case studies of six high-level federal government administrators examined their political skills, management/leadership abilities, technical expertise, and personality. Among the ingredients of effective performance were good planning, organizational communication, goal orientation, good interpersonal skills, honesty, and high ethical standards.…

According to a case study of the Tri-Council for Nursing's political strategies during the 1991-1992 reauthorization of the Nurse Education Act, government participants had different perceptions of organized nursing's political strategies than did council participants. Strengths and limitations of organized nursing in national policymaking were…

Congress substituted direct federal loans for federal guarantee of private loans for postsecondary education. Budget savings were overestimated because credit risks, recognition of administrative costs, and increases in administrative and borrowing costs were ignored. Savings could have been achieved by reducing returns to private lenders and…

Presents an interview with Emerson J. Elliott, Commissioner of Education Statistics, on the subject of leadership, government service, and the relationship between research and statistics. Some principles of leadership that are distinctive to the federal bureaucracy are addressed. (GR)

The contributions of Senator J. William Fulbright to public policy in the United States are examined, focusing on a lifetime of public service and the global view that he brought to American policy formation. Cultural tolerance and international cooperation are seen as the major themes dominating his public life. Excerpts of personal comments of a…

Explores why the United States Nuclear Waste Program has been unable to find a volunteer state to host either a nuclear waste repository or monitored retrieval storage facility. Discusses the Department of Energy's plans for Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a repository and state and tribal responses to the plan. (21 references) (MCO)

How policy is developed and how evaluators can participate in the process are discussed, focusing on federal evaluators. The strongest weapon of an evaluator is a short, easy-to-read report with a simple, compelling message. Federal policy evaluators must learn to be content with slow gains. (SLD)

The Washington-based America 2000 system may be as close to a genuine national network as education in the 1990s will get. Riddled with inconsistencies, the network is becoming a nationwide "meeting-place" for reformers supporting the general concept of educational reform without the financial obligations. America 2000 is a top-down…

Instead of espousing early intervention, schoolwide models, or general classroom aid, educators must develop more specialized programs treating the real problems of Chapter 1 students at different stages. Chapter 1 should not be used as general aid to replace local and state responsibility to improve schools, but should focus on helping…

The use of focus groups by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a tool of internal evaluation is described. Focus groups are used in an environment where credibility is key to achieving meaningful cooperation. Issues for consideration by other evaluators interested in the approach are summarized. (SLD)

Discussed is the way in which a limited number of astronomy research initiatives were chosen and prioritized based on a consensus of members from the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee. A list of recommended equipment initiatives and estimated costs is provided. (KR)