Government Documents for You

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, tasked by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate with using state-of-the-art theories, methods, and data from the social and behavioral sciences to improve understanding of the origins, dynamics, and social and psychological impacts of terrorism. START, based at the University of Maryland, College Park, aims to provide timely guidance on how to disrupt terrorist networks, reduce the incidence of terrorism, and enhance the resilience of U.S. society in the face of the terrorist threat.

START published a research report entitled "Public Response to Terrorism: Findings from the National Survey of Disaster Experiences and Preparedness." A national survey was conducted to study people’s experiences with, preparedness and mitigation actions for, and perceptions related to terrorism and other disasters. The report examines fifteen different questions, with some listed below:

How prepared is the public for future disasters?
What have people done to prepare for terrorism?
What are people avoiding because of terrorism?
What do people know about terrorism and other related topics?
What do people think about the possibility of a future terrorist attack?
How Prepared is the Nation?

"Public Response to Terrorism: Findings from the National Survey of Disaster Experiences and Preparedness" can be found at: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/sciprc/pdf/NC+START+Descriptive+Report.pdf

Other START publications can be found here: http://www.start.umd.edu/start/publications/

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) is an independent, non-partisan policy research institute established to promote innovative thinking and debate about national security strategy and investment options. CSBA’s goal is to enable policymakers to make informed decisions in matters of strategy, security policy and resource allocation.

The CSBA released a report entitled "Cost of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other Military Operations Through 2008 and Beyond." In this report, CSBA offers a comprehensive picture of the direct budgetary costs of US military operations conducted since 2001. The report also discusses the means used to budget for and finance these operations, and includes projections of how much more these operations might cost over the coming decade.

In their report "Impact of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the US Military’s Plans, Programs, and Budgets," the CSBA assesses the effect that the operations in these two theaters have had on the plans, programs, and budgets of the US military, specifically those of the US Army. It makes projections for the future costs of the operations in these two theaters.

To see these reports, click on the following links or go to CSBA's publications page: http://www.csbaonline.org/2006-1/3.Publications/Publications_List.shtml?

Cost of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other Military Operations Through 2008 and Beyond
Impact of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the US Military’s Plans, Programs, and Budgets

Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience is a publication of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), a temporary federal agency serving the American public as a watchdog for fraud, waste, and abuse of funds intended for Iraq reconstruction programs.

The description below was taken from the SIGIR website.

Since the March 2003 invasion, the Congress appropriated about $50 billion in taxpayer dollars for Iraq's relief and reconstruction. This generous provision funded a continuously evolving rebuilding program that sought, among other things, to restore Iraq's essential services, establish new security forces, create a free-market economy, and put the country on the path to achieving an effective democracy. Some of the initiatives succeeded but others did not. Hard Lessons, the first comprehensive account of the Iraqi reconstruction effort, reviews in detail the United States' rebuilding program, shedding light on why certain programs worked while others fell short of goals.

Beginning with the prewar planning process, Hard Lessons traces the development of reconstruction policy from its modest initial scope to is rapid expansion during the summer of 2003 under the Coalition Provisional Authority's aegis. The report chronicles the difficult challenges that confronted the reconstruction program as Iraq slipped into the grip of a deadly insurgency during 2005 and 2006. Reconstruction officials responded by moving large sums of money into security programs, which ultimately consumed over half of the $50 billion in U.S. appropriations. Increasing conflict in Iraq required a new military strategy - counterinsurgency - and a new plan - the surge - the success of which, seen in 2007, brought violence down to levels not seen since the March 2003 invasion. This salutary development finally allowed reconstruction projects to proceed relatively unimpeded. But by 2008, most of the $50 billion was spent. U.S. efforts now focused on helping Iraq better expend its own resources on the country's continuing national recovery. Hard Lessons concludes with 13 lessons draw from 6 difficult years of Iraq reconstruction.

Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience can be found at the following website: http://www.sigir.mil/hardlessons/pdfs/Hard_Lessons_Report.pdf

The Center for Strategic & International Studies Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency has released its final report, "Securing Cyberspace for the 44th Presidency." The Commission’s three major findings are:

1. Cybersecurity is now one of the major national security problems facing the United States;
2. Decisions and actions must respect American values related to privacy and civil liberties; and
3. Only a comprehensive national security strategy that embraces both the domestic and international aspects of cybersecurity will improve the situation.

The "Securing Cyberspace for the 44th Presidency" report can be found at: http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/081208_securingcyberspace_44.pdf

U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) is one of the combat commands of the Department of Defense. It is responsible for: Joint Concept Development and Experimentation, Joint Training, Joint Capabilities Development, and Joint Force Provider. The Joint Forces Command released their Joint Operating Environment 2008 Report, which provides a perspective on future trends, shocks, contexts, and implications for future joint force commanders and other leaders and professionals in the national security field. This document is speculative in nature and does not suppose to predict what will happen in the next twenty-five years. Rather, it is intended to serve as a starting point for discussions about the future security environment at the operational level of war.

The Joint Operating Environment 2008 Report can be found at: http://www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2008/JOE2008.pdf

Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers is the final report from the Genocide Prevention Task Force of the United States Institute of Peace. This report outlines potential plans for the United States, along with international partners, to take preventive action in future cases of genocide and mass atrocities. The fundamental goal of this report is to identify practical steps to enhance the capacity of the U.S. government to prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities.

Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers can be found at: http://media.usip.org/reports/genocide_taskforce_report.pdf

The Reference Department at the Mitchell Memorial Library has recently experienced a surge of questions from our patrons about the current economic crisis. Christine Fletcher, Judy Li, and I have created a LibGuide of resources about the crisis
http://guides.library.msstate.edu/economic_crisis

It is a collection of government, scholarly, and online resources providing the latest information about the crisis and how the government is responding to it.

We will continue updating the LibGuide over the next few weeks and months as more information becomes available.

Please feel free to send us any comments or suggestions you have!