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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Top incomes and the measurement of inequality in Egypt

World Bank Policy Research Working Paper by Vladimir Hlasny and Paolo Verme: “By all accounts, income inequality in Egypt is low and had been declining during the decade that preceded the 2011 revolution. As the Egyptian revolution was partly motivated by claims of social injustice and inequalities, this seems at odds with a low level… Continue Reading

NBC Reports – “How Snowden did it”

Richard Esposito and Matthew Cole, NBC News: “When Edward Snowden stole the crown jewels of the National Security Agency, he didn’t need to use any sophisticated devices or software or go around any computer firewall. All he needed, said multiple intelligence community sources, was a few thumb drives and the willingness to exploit a gaping… Continue Reading

Facebook Global Government Requests Report

“Transparency and trust are core values at Facebook. We strive to embody them in all aspects of our services, including our approach to responding to government data requests. We want to make sure that the people who use our service understand the nature and extent of the requests we receive and the strict policies and… Continue Reading

Annual Survey of Public Pensions

Annual Survey of Public Pensions: State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Data Summary Report: 2011 “This report provides statistics on revenues, expenditures, financial assets and membership information for public employee retirement systems. Statistics are shown for retirement systems at the national, state and local government level. This publication presents data on public pension systems based on… Continue Reading

Commuter-Adjusted Population Estimates

Commuter-Adjusted Population Estimates: American Community Survey 2006-2010: “Knowing how a community’s population changes during the day is crucial to emergency preparedness officials and other local planners. This report and series of tables show the population totals for places, minor civil divisions, counties and states, accounting for the flow of commuters on a typical workday. In… Continue Reading

Visualizing Health Policy: A Short Look At Long-Term Care for Seniors

Kaiser Family Foundation: “The August 2013 Visualizing Health Policy infographic provides an informational snapshot of long-term services and support (LTSS) for seniors in the United States. This includes information about the number and proportion of seniors who will need LTSS because of physical and cognitive impairment, the role of unpaid family caregivers in providing the… Continue Reading

ACLU to Court: Government Spying Invades Privacy of Each and Every American

ACLU: “[On August 26, 2013], we filed the opening brief in our lawsuit challenging the NSA’s ongoing collection of the call records of virtually everyone in the United States, including the ACLU’s. We’re asking the court for a preliminary injunction ordering the government to stop collecting our data and to bar any use of the… Continue Reading

The U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce

CRS – The U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce: Recent, Current, and Projected Employment, Wages, and Unemployment. John F. Sargent Jr., Specialist in Science and Technology Policy. May 6, 2013 “The adequacy of the U.S. science and engineering workforce has been an ongoing concern of Congress for more than 60 years. Scientists and engineers are widely… Continue Reading

Financing Natural Catastrophe Exposure: Issues and Options for Improving Risk Transfer Markets

Financing Natural Catastrophe Exposure: Issues and Options for Improving Risk Transfer Markets, Rawle O. King, Specialist in Financial Economics and Risk Assessment. August 15, 2013 “The federal government has an established institutional framework for disaster preparedness, reduction, prevention, and response—mainly disaster assistance. However, concerns have been expressed about the nation’s increasing exposure and vulnerability to… Continue Reading

Changing the Federal Reserve’s Mandate: An Economic Analysis

CRS – Changing the Federal Reserve’s Mandate: An Economic Analysis. Marc Labonte, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy. August 12, 2013 “The Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) current statutory mandate calls for it to “promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.” Some economists have argued that this mandate should be replaced with… Continue Reading