For this week's look at the federal executive:
- The looming sequester - which will lead to across the board cuts to federal spending - will affect the federal work force in a variety of ways including furloughs and pay cuts. Here's detail on how it will affect the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (wikipedia), and here's some regarding the National Parks Service (wikipedia). As commentary, I'd anticipate additional stories regarding cuts that will affect things that people tend to like that government does. in the mid 1990's when the federal government was forced to shut down following a budgetary battle opinions about the need for these services shifted dramatically from con to pro. There may be anticipation that something similar will happen again.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (wikipedia) continue to research childhood obesity and recently released evidence that kids are consuming fewer calories now than they have a decade ago.
- The Obama Administration - and more precisely the Department of Health and Human Services - issued rules requiring health insurance plans to cover mental health care as well as behavioral disorder like drug and alcohol abuse. These fall under the authority established in the Affordable Health Care Act. You'll note information in the slides about the rule making process, we don't cover it in-depth in class, but here's an example of it in action.
- The Federal Communications Commission (wikipedia) is proposing rules that would open additional high-frequency airwaves for use by wireless devices. These rules are needed to allow the commission to catch up with the increased number of devices that are produced and purchased and the increased burdens they impose on the existing spectrum.The FCC is one of a handful of agencies that are commonly accused of being "captured" by the industry they supposed to regulate. With that in mind, it might be useful to consider how these proposed rules benefit the wireless industry, and what process drove the FCC to consider these specific rules.
This is brief, but it mentions rule-making and agency capture so it should make some of this week's material more tangible.
