Reference Update

March 2007

ECONOMIC AND TRADE

1. Toward a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific
C. Fred Bergsten
Policy Brief in International Economics, February 2007, 13 pages.
At their latest annual summit in Vietnam in November 2006, the leaders of the 21 members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum agreed to seriously consider negotiating a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP). The author examines the benefits of the FTAAP initiative, pointing out that it may well turn out to be the best, or perhaps only, way to catalyze a substantively successful Doha Round.

2. Trade Promotion Authority Delivers Jobs, Growth Prosperity and Security at Home
Office of the United States Trade Representative
January 31, 2007, 2 pages.
The United States continues to open markets through free trade agreements in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Over the past six years, ten countries have signed free trade agreements with the United State. This fact sheet illustrates how these agreements have benefited FTA partners by creating jobs; growing the economies; and building international partnerships for security.

3. Vietnam: Country outlook
Economist Intelligence Unit - ViewsWire,
1 March 2007, 2 pages
The article provides brief and updated information on Vietnam's development including economic growth, international relations, domestic politics and policy trends.

4. Making Trade Agreements Relevant for Poor Countries: Why Dispute Settlement is Not Enough
Chad P. Bown and Bernard M. Hoekman
Brookings Global Economy and Development Working Paper #5, February 2007, 29 pages.
Poor countries are rarely challenged in formal WTO trade disputes for failing to live up to commitments, reducing the benefits of their participation in international trade agreements. This paper examines the political-economic causes of the failure to challenge poor countries and discusses the static and dynamic costs and externality implications of this failure.

5. Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in Chinese Courts: An Analysis of Recent Patent Judgments
Mei Y. Gechlik
Carnegie Paper No. 78, January 2007, 28 pages.
Current violations of intellectual property rights in China have cost foreign companies billions of dollars. What can be done now to address such violations? In this paper, the author analyzes the trends of successful and failed patent lawsuits and suggests steps foreign companies can take to better protect their intellectual property in China.

6. Are Trade Deficits a Drag on U.S. Economic Growth?
Daniel Griswold
Free Trade Bulletin No. 27, March 12, 2007, 4 pages.
An almost universal consensus prevails that the record U.S. trade deficit for 2006 was a drag on U.S. economic growth. The author argues that the consensus on trade deficits and growth ignores the actual record of the U.S. economy in recent decades and the positive correlation of imports to domestic production.

REGIONAL SECURITY

7. The New New World Order
Daniel W. Drezner
Foreign Affairs, March-April 2007, 13 pages.
Controversies over the war in Iraq and U.S. unilateralism have overshadowed a more pragmatic and multilateral component of the Bush administration’s grand strategy: its attempt to reconfigure U.S. foreign policy and international institutions in order to account for shifts in the global distribution of power and the emergence of states such as China and India. This unheralded move is well intentioned and well advised, and Washington should redouble its efforts.

8. Religion, Culture and 21st-Century Foreign Policy
Madeleine Albright
New Perspectives Quarterly, Summer 2006, 6 pages.
In this interview, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright confirms that the global spread of information ties religion, culture and international relations together. Foreign policy decisionmakers today should appreciate different beliefs and motivations even if they conflict with American perspectives.

9. How Globalization Went Bad
Steven Weber
Foreign Policy, January/February 2007, 7 pages.
From terrorism to global warming, the evils of globalization are more dangerous than ever before. What went wrong?

GLOBAL ISSUES AND ENVIRONMENT

10. Ending Oil Dependence
David Sandalow
The Brookings Institution, January 22, 2007, 26 pages.
The author looks at the United States’ oil dependence and offers several policy proposals to solve this dependency. He stresses that there are no simple or short-term solutions to this crisis.

11. The 17 Great Challenges of the Twenty-First Century
James Martin
The Futurist, January-February 2007, 5 pages.
By some estimates, humanity has only a 50% chance of surviving the next hundred years. This article focuses on 17 challenges to the human population brought about by the 21st century that must be addressed to ensure the survival of mankind.

12. Foreign Countries’ Response to the Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus: Current Status
Emma Chanlett-Avery
CRS Report for Congress, February 5, 2007, 14 pages.
This report highlights recent efforts by affected countries to control the spread of the avian influenza (H5N1) virus. Included is statistical information on confirmed human cases and deaths through January 2007.

MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

13. The New Media Age: End of the Written Word?
Patrick Tucker
The Futurist, March-April 2007, 8 pages.
People in the developed world are spending less time reading books and more time interacting with visual media—television, podcasts, and video games—than ever before. What do these evolving trends mean for the future? The authors explore what our emerging visual culture means for the written word and the future of civilization.

14. Olympic Trial
Kathleen E. McLaughlin
American Journalism Review, December 2006/January 2007, 3 pages.
China has a government-controlled domestic press and is known to be somewhat heavy-handed in dealing with foreign reporters who break its often ill-defined and ambiguous regulations. This article focuses on how China will cope with an invasion of 20,000 foreign journalists for the 2008 Olympics.

15. A Digital Life
Gordon Bell and Jim Gemmell
Scientific American, March 2007, 8 pages.
The article discusses the idea of digital memories that can store everything you sense, as well as some things you cannot. In detecting data you cannot sense, such as the amount of oxygen in your blood, these digital memories can alert you to any medical symptoms you may have, but not notice. By storing data you can sense, they will allow you record a more detailed personal history. Details on this new technology, with focus given to its capabilities, are included.

16. How to Podcast Campus Lectures
Brock Read
The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 26, 2007, 4 pages.
The article looks at how a growing number of professors are recording their lectures and making them available as podcasts, which are regularly updated sets of audio files that students can download to their computers or MP3 players. More and more colleges are trying to help professors who want to try podcasting lectures, also known as coursecasting. The author also presents advice from college officials who have started extensive podcasting services, which includes making the technology easy for professors, asking students what they want, reading the fine print in the contract with Apple, and thinking seriously about intellectual property.

17. Philanthropy - Not Just for Rock Stars: ‘Real People’ and Digital Donations
Cecelia Hogan
Searcher, February 2007, 11 pages.
The author points out that even though we will never amass the amount of money Bill Gates probably carries around in his wallet, that doesn't mean we can't be digital donors. The author tells readers how - and how not - to do it.

U.S. SOCIETY AND CULTURE

18. An Education Strategy to Promote Opportunity, Prosperity, and Growth
Joshua Bendor
The Hamilton Project Strategy Paper, February 2007, 25 pages.
The paper presents evidence suggesting that America's educational system is neither in crisis nor reaching its full potential. To better secure the benefits of a strong education system, it outlines an evidence-based strategy that calls for new investments in some areas and structural reforms in others.

19. College Goes Global
William R. Brody
Foreign Affairs, March/April 2007, 12 pages.
The market of higher education, like other, is becoming increasingly globalized and dominated by U.S. institutions. But despite predictions that U.S.-based global universities will surge as geographic and disciplinary barriers come down, the era of the global megaversity may not quite be at hand. The role of college campuses in the global marketplace is discussed.

20. Teaching Policy to Improve Student Learning: Lessons from Abroad
Lynn Olson
Education Week, February 14, 2007, 8 pages.
The author argues that a critical issue for any country that hopes to keep its education system internationally competitive is how to recruit, retain, develop, and nurture a high-quality teaching force. She describes eight nations’ approaches to strengthening teaching and the implications for the United States.

21. Do Gender and Ethnicity Affect Civic Engagement and Academic Progress?
Alberto Davila and Marie T. Mora
CIRCLE Working Paper 53, January 2007, 25 pages.
Part II of an Assessment of Civic Engagement and High School Academic Progress (Article Alert January-February 2007#33) investigates whether civic engagement differently affects scholastic progress in four academic disciplines and subsequent educational attainment along racial/ethnic and gender lines.

22. Gender Gap at the Ballot Box
David Nather and John Cochran
CQ Weekly, January 29, 2007, 8 pages.
With Nancy Pelosi running the House and Hillary Clinton running for president, more women than ever might be drawn to the 2008 campaigns. That could give the Democratic Party a start toward dominating the election, but it will have to work to win these new votes.

23. Connecting Kids and Lawmakers
Jan Goehring and Stephanie Walton
State Legislatures, February 2007, 2 pages.
The increasing interest of the younger generation in politics during the November 2006 elections suggests that programs to get students involved in the legislative process and to appreciate democracy may be working. The authors say young people's voices are being heard through legislative youth advisory councils that are popping up in states across the country.

24. Domestic Violence and Human Rights: Local Challenges to a Universal Framework
Karen Morgaine
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, March 2007, 21 pages.
This paper summarizes the rise of the international women’s movement in relation to human rights and violence against women, citing a number of examples from the global domestic violence movement to illustrate how the tendency towards using universal frameworks may be problematic.

25. The Perpetual Crises of Democracy
Guillermo A. O'Donnell
Journal of Democracy, January 2007, 7 pages.
In a world haunted by wars, domestic and international violence, social inequality, and environmental damage, deep concerns about what democracy is and can be are in order. The author discusses the political system of democracy, trying to see if there is a crisis of democracy, and if there is such a crisis, how is it manifesting itself in different countries and regions. He also examines the capacities of democracy to meet and resolve crises.

TRANSLATED DOCUMENTS

26. From Foe to Friend: Furthering U.S. Engagement in Vietnam
Remarks by Ambassador Michael W. Marine at Chicago Club
81 East Van Buren Street
March 27, 2007, 5:30 p.m.

From “Disability and Ability” - An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State, November 2006:

27. U.S. Society and Laws Protect the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Peter Blanck
5 pages
An expert on the Americans with Disabilities Act discusses the implementation of the law, including important court cases.

28. Securing Access for People with Disabilities: A Community Affair
Michael Jay Friedman
3 pages
Cities and towns have responded to the Americans with Disabilities Act by providing a variety of services and resources for citizens with disabilities.

29. Hiring People with Disabilities: Good for Business
Elizabeth Kelleher
3 pages
The Americans with Disabilities Act places a number of requirements on businesses. This article discusses how companies have responded and benefited.

From “Handbook of Independent Journalism” – A publication of U.S. Department of State’s International Information Program, July 2006:

30. Telling the Story
8 pages

31. Editing the Story
7 pages

32. Broadcast and Online
6 pages

33. Specialized Journalism
6 pages

34. Ethics and Law
6 pages