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The Congressional Research Service (CRS), known as Congress's think tank, is a public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works primarily and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis. Its staff of approximately 600 employees includes lawyers, economists, reference librarians, and social, natural, and physical scientists.〔 In fiscal year 2012, CRS was appropriated a budget of roughly $106.8 million by Congress.〔(Congressional Research Service Report on FY 2013 Appropriations ), (PDF), p. 13〕 CRS is joined by two major congressional support agencies. The Congressional Budget Office provides Congress with budget-related information, reports on fiscal, budgetary, and programmatic issues, and analyses of budget policy options, costs, and effects. The Government Accountability Office assists Congress in reviewing and monitoring the activities of government by conducting independent audits, investigations, and evaluations of federal programs. Collectively, the three agencies employ more than 4,000 people.〔 CRS reports are widely regarded as in depth, accurate, objective, and timely, but as a matter of policy they are not made available to members of the public by CRS, except in certain circumstances.〔("CRS Memo on Distribution of Reports to Non-Congressionals" )〕 There have been numerous attempts to pass legislation requiring all reports to be made available online, most recently in 2012,〔("Congressional Research Service Electronic Accessibility Resolution of 2012" (H. Res 727) )〕 but none have been enacted. Instead, the public must request individual reports from their Senators and Representatives in Congress, purchase them from private vendors, or search for them in various web archives of previously released documents. ==History== In 1914, Senator Robert LaFollette and Representative John M. Nelson, both of Wisconsin, promoted the inclusion in the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriations act of a provision directing the establishment of a special reference unit within the Library of Congress.〔The 1914 legislative, executive, and judicial appropriations act -- ch. 141, July 16, 1914. (or possibly 38 STAT 962, 1005). A Google search for these terms reveals "July 16, 1914, ch. 141, Sec. 5(a), (b), (e), 38 Stat. 508; restated Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 744, Sec. 16(a), 60 Stat. 810, 811." The appropriations language read; "Legislative Reference: To enable the Librarian of Congress to employ competent persons to gather, classify, and make available, in translations, indexes, digests, compilations, and bulletins, and otherwise, data for or bearing upon legislation, and to render such data serviceable to Congress and committees and Members thereof, $25,000."〕 Building upon a concept developed by the New York State Library in 1890, and the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library in 1901, they were motivated by Progressive era ideas about the importance of the acquisition of knowledge for an informed and independent legislature. The move also reflected the expanding role of the librarian and the professionalization of the profession.〔 The new department was charged with responding to congressional requests for information.〔 The legislation authorized the Librarian of Congress, Herbert Putnam, to “employ competent persons to prepare such indexes, digests, and compilations of laws as may be required for Congress and other official use...” (The intent behind the creation of the agency can be derived from U.S. Senate, Committee on the Library, Legislative Drafting Bureau and Reference Division, 62d Cong., 3d sess., 1913, S. Rept.1271.) Renamed the Legislative Reference Service and given a permanent authorization with the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946,〔ch. 753, title II, sec. 203, August 2, 1946, 60 Stat. 812, 836〕 it assisted Congress primarily by providing facts and publications and by transmitting research and analysis done largely by other government agencies, private organizations, and individual scholars.〔 The Library of Congress, the home of CRS, had experimented during the 1940s with unrestricted publication ''Public Affairs Bulletins'', which were produced by staff of the Legislative Reference Service, and devoted to various public policy issues. They were promoted by Archibald MacLeish, the Librarian of Congress, and, among other topics, addressed timely policy issues, such as American national defense. About 100 ''Public Affairs Bulletins'' were generated〔Government Information Quarterly Volume 26, Issue 3, July 2009, Pages 437-440〕 before congressional appropriators ended their production in 1951.〔See 65 Stat. 398.〕 The renaming under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 reflected the service's changing mission:〔 This legislation directed CRS to devote more of its efforts and increased resources to doing research and analysis that assists Congress in direct support of the legislative process.〔P.L. 91-510, title III, sec. 321(a), October 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 1181; 2 U.S.C. 166.〕 When the ''Congressional Research Service Review'' was launched in 1980, it continued for a little more than a decade before congressional appropriators, once again, invoked fiscal closure. The Review, which was published ten times a year and available to the public by subscription, offered original analytical articles, summaries highlighting CRS research products, and other kinds of assistance to the congressional community.〔 As inquiries increased from 400,000 questions per year in 1980 to 598,000 in 2000, CRS sought to prepare itself for future challenges, initiating an organizational realignment in 1999. The realignment, which has required extensive relocation of staff and the design of more efficient workstations, was intended to promote improved communication within CRS and increase the service's ability to focus on legislative deliberations of Congress by applying its multidisciplinary expertise to public policy issues in user-friendly, accessible formats when Congress needs assistance. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Congressional Research Service」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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