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Article Alert Online: April 2012

IN22 - NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS: TECHNICAL ISSUES (Congressional Research Service Reports, February 29, 2012, 32 pages) 북한 핵무기: 기술적인 이슈 - Contact American Center for print copy
This report summarizes what is known from open sources about the North Korean nuclear weapons program-including weapons-usable fissile material and warhead estimates-and assesses current developments in achieving denuclearization. Little detailed open-source information is available about the DPRK's nuclear weapons production capabilities, warhead sophistication, the scope and success of its uranium enrichment program, or extent of its proliferation activities.

IN23 - Fukuyama, Francis. THE PATTERNS OF HISTORY (Journal of Democracy, January 2012, 13 pages) 역사의 패턴 - Contact American Center for print copy
The precocious consolidation of a modern state allowed Chinese governments over the centuries to prevent the spontaneous emergence of new social actors that would challenge its power, such as a blood aristocracy, a commercial bourgeoisie, independent cities, religious institutions, or an organized peasantry. First and most important, almost all the recent examples of successful authoritarian modernization cluster in East Asia rather than other parts of the world.

IN24 – Lindsay, James M. THE ROLE OF FOREIGN POLICY IN THE 2012 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS (Council on Foreign Relations, December 16, 2011, 8 pages) 2012 미국 대선에서 대외정책의 역할 - Click here for available text on the Internet
Briefing by James M. Lindsay, fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Department of State, December 16, 2011.

IN25 – FOREIGN ASSISTANCE TO NORTH KOREA (Congressional Research Service Reports, March 7, 2012, 25 pages) 북한에 대한 해외 원조 - Contact American Center for print copy
In 2012, Congress is likely to confront the issue of whether to support or reject proposals for resuming food, energy, and/or denuclearization assistance programs to North Korea. In late February 2012, the Obama Administration and North Korea announced they had reached two related agreements. In the first, North Korea announced it would abide by a moratorium on testing and allow international monitoring of key parts of its nuclear program. The second was a U.S. announcement that it would resume large-scale U.S. food aid-termed 'nutritional assistance'-with guarantees for enhanced monitoring to increase the likelihood that deliveries reach their intended recipients. The two steps appear to have been largely worked out in bilateral meetings in 2011. However, the December 19, 2011, announcement of the death of Kim Jong-il, North Korea's former supreme leader, halted the talks for a few months.

IN26 – Beckley, Michael. CHINA'S CENTURY? WHY AMERICA'S EDGE WILL ENDURE (International Security, Vol. 36, No. 3, Winter 2011/12, 38 pages) 중국의 세기? 미국의 파워가 지속되는 이유 - Click here for available text on the Internet
Two assumptions dominate current foreign policy debates in the United States and China. First, the United States is in decline relative to China. Second, much of this decline is the result of globalization and the hegemonic burdens the United States bears to sustain globalization. Both of these assumptions are wrong. The United States is not in decline; in fact, it is now wealthier, more innovative, and more militarily powerful compared to China than it was in 1991. Moreover, globalization and hegemony do not erode U.S. power; they reinforce it. The United States derives competitive advantages from its hegemonic position, and globalization allows it to exploit these advantages, attracting economic activity and manipulating the international system to its benefit. The United States should therefore continue to prop up the global economy and maintain a robust diplomatic and military presence abroad.

IN27 - IRAN: U.S. CONCERNS AND POLICY RESPONSES (Congressional Research Service Reports, March 2, 2012, 82 pages) 이란: 미국의 우려와 정책 대응 - Contact American Center for print copy
The Obama Administration identifies Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests. This perception is generated by suspicions of Iran's intentions for its nuclear program—heightened by a November 8, 2011, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report—as well as by Iran's support for militant groups in the Middle East and in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. officials also accuse Iran of helping Syria's leadership try to defeat a growing popular opposition movement, and of taking advantage of Shiite majority unrest against the Sunni-led, pro-U.S. government of Bahrain. Tensions have been particularly elevated since Iran's late December 2011 threat to try to choke off much of the world's oil supplies by attempting to close the Strait of Hormuz—a reaction to the imposition of significant sanctions against Iran's vital exports of oil.

 

 
Economics

EC14 – Morse, Gardiner. THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SMILE (Harvard Business Review, Jan/Feb 2012, 7 pages) 업무생산성과 행복감과의 관계 – Contact American Center for print copy
Only recently have we been able to apply science to one of the world's oldest questions: "What is the nature of happiness?" In this edited interview, the author of the 2006 best seller Stumbling on Happiness surveys the field. Gilbert explores the sudden emergence of happiness as a discipline, reviews the major findings (including the mistakes we all make in predicting how happy or miserable we'll be), and examines the role of happiness in productivity on the job. He describes what makes us truly happy--it's not a promotion or a new house--and sketches out a "happiness diet" that emphasizes small, routine efforts. Looking forward, Gilbert discusses the breakthrough work of his colleague Matthew Killingsworth, whose iPhone-enabled real-time surveys of people's moods are providing an ultra-high-resolution picture of how our emotional states shift from minute to minute. A sidebar by Killingsworth offers a preliminary look at his findings and their implications for our personal and workplace lives.

EC15 – Molinsky, Andrew L.; Davenport, Thomas H.; Iyer, Bala; Davidson, Cathy. 3 SKILLS EVERY 21ST-CENTURY MANAGER NEEDS (Harvard Business Review, Jan/Feb 2012, 5 pages) 21세기 관리자가 갖춰야 할 세가지 역량 – Contact American Center for print copy
Over the past decade companies have become more global and employee groups more diverse than ever before. Organizations are less hierarchical and more collaborative. And today's offices are full of once unimaginable technological distractions. We asked experts in cross-cultural communication, information networks, and the science of attention what skills executives should cultivate to tackle these new challenges. Molinsky thinks that managers must overcome psychological barriers in order to act in ways that other cultures find appropriate. Davenport and Iyer explain why the devolution of hierarchy has increased the value of building and wielding influence through digital networks and offer tips for how to do it. And Davidson tells managers to get over their fears about distraction and embrace the brain's natural tendency to divide attention.

EC16 – Zoellick, Robert B. WHY WE STILL NEED THE WORLD BANK (Foreign Affairs, March/April 2012, various pages) 왜 아직도 세계은행이 필요한가 – Contact American Center for print copy
More than 60 years after the World Bank was founded, developing countries still turn to it for financing and expertise. But the world is changing, and so much the bank, argues its president.

EC17 – Kharas, Homi. THE CHALLENGE OF HIGH AND RISING FOOD PRICES (The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Fall/Winter 2011, 10 pages) 높은 식량가격의 도전 – Contact American Center for print copy
The author, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, discusses the shift of the effects of high food prices on hunger and food access to problems associated with commodity price volatility and market imperfections.

 
US Politics

US15 – Mead, Walter Russell. THE ONCE AND FUTURE LIBERALISM (The American Interest, March/April 2012, 17 pages) 과거와 미래의 자유주의 - Click here for available text on the Internet
We need to get beyond the dysfunctional and outdated ideas of 20th-century liberalism.

US16 – SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND POLITICS (Pew Internet & American Life Project, March 12, 2012, 16 pages) 쇼셜 네트워킹 사이트와 정치 - Click here for available text on the Internet 
It turns out that birds of a feather don't always flock together on social networking sites when it comes to politics. As a rule, the most active and engaged political participants on SNS sit at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, yet their experiences around political material on SNS are quite similar. Very liberal users and very conservative users are often the most likely to have acted for and against others on SNS. They are also more likely than others to have been surprised by their friends' political views and to be in networks where they agree with what their friends post. Still, even with them, there is as much frequency of disagreement as there is of agreement.

US17 – Lane, Jason; Kinser, Kevin. WHAT IS HIGHER EDUCATION'S ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS? (The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 12, 2012, 4 pages) 국제관계에서 고등교육의 역할은 무엇인가? - Click here for available text on the Internet 
As more colleges and universities work abroad, they undoubtedly will have an effect on diplomacy, say Kevin Kinser and Jason Lane.

US18 - CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS (CRS Report for Congress, January 9, 2012, 54 pages) 대통령 선거에 관한 최근의 발전 - Contact American Center for Print Copy
This report considers contemporary developments in presidential elections. It emphasizes three topics chosen for their recurring importance and notable recent developments: (1) nominating procedures; (2) campaign finance; and (3) the electoral college. The report highlights significant developments in these areas, particularly for the 2008 and 2012 elections. It also provides background information about the presidential election process in general.

 
Environment

EN11WATER WRANGLERS (Discover, December 2011, various pages) ‘물‘에 대한 토론자들 - Click here for available text on the Internet
Four experts on water policy discuss about water scarcity, climate change, and water as a commodity. They debate how to keep the taps flowing in the face of drought, population growth, and conflict over the world’s most precious resource.

EN12 – Lovins, Amory B. A FAREWELL TO FOSSIL FUELS (Foreign Affairs, March/April 2012, various pages) 화석연료와의 작별 - Click here for available text on the Internet (DRS only)
With the costs of oil and coal rising, the United States needs to wean itself off fossil fuels, a goal best accomplished by making buildings and vehicles more efficient and switching to renewable power. The task might seem quixotic, but it actually will not require miracles – just the widespread applications of existing technology.

EN13 – Schlütter, Jana. VACCINE FOR ALL SEASONS (Nature, December 8, 2011, 3 pages) 사계절용 백신 - Click here for available text on the Internet
The author, a science writer, examines the progress of a human vaccine against the universal avian influenza after influenza researchers have tracked flu viruses and developed vaccines to prevent the disease. d

EN14 – Greene, Kate. OUR DATA, OURSELVES (Discover, December 2011, various pages) 스스로의 ‘건강‘ 데이타 추적 - Click here for available text on the Internet
The author, a Nashville-based journalist, discusses the popularity increase of self-tracking electronics in the United States, and how self-tracking can help to predict illnesses, improve treatment for disease, and help analyze behavior.


 

AR11 – Anderson, J.M. WHY COMMUNITY-COLLEGE STUDENTS NEED GREAT BOOKS (The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 18, 2012, various pages) 왜 지역대학 학생들에게는 훌륭한 책이 필요한가 – Click here for available text on the Internet
No president in recent memory seems to have paid as much attention to community colleges as Barack Obama has. In his 2013 budget proposal, the president allocated $8-billion for partnerships between states and community colleges to train an estimated two million workers in high-growth and high-demand job areas. And last fall, the U.S. Departments of Labor and of Education paid out to community colleges the first $500-million installment of a $2-billion plan to improve career-development programs and train dislocated workers or those with obsolete skills.

AR12 – Krystal, Arthur. SHOULD WRITERS REPLY TO REVIEWERS? (The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 18, 2012, various pages) 작가들은 비평가들에게 답해야 하는가? – Click here for available text on the Internet
Fifteen years ago, I made a decision to stop reviewing books. I stopped because my inner préfet was always looking for an excuse to emerge. Given a book to review, I'd snap on my pince-nez, straighten my waistcoat, and get down to business. I was worse than officious: I was clever. If a sentence lost its way, if a character stepped out of line, if a fact failed to meet its obligation, I would, with a buttery phrase or sly allusion, put the author on notice. I was fair, of course (what reviewer isn't fair?), but I can't say that I minded scoring points off another writer's mistakes.

AR13 – Grotke, Abbie. WEB ARCHIVING AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (Computers in Libraries, December 2011, 5 pages) 의회도서관의 웹아카이빙 – Contact American Center for print copy
The author, one of the web archiving team leaders in the Office of Strategic Initiatives, Library of Congress, explores the challenges of a web archiving project of the Library of Congress which collects, preserves, and makes available significant digital content for current and future generations.

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

   
Women's History Month & International Women's Day 2012

Women's History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as "Women's History Week." In 1987 Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as "Women's History Month." [Full Text]

 
     
     
 
 
 
   
 
     

 

 


   

Jazz Appreciation Month 2012

2012 marks the 11th Anniversary of Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), which serves to draw attention to the historical and ongoing significance of Jazz in American culture. JAM is also intended to generate greater interest in what's currently happening in the world of jazz, both in the United States and abroad... [Full Text]

 

 
 
   

2012 Earth Day

Earth Day, April 22, is the annual celebration of the environment and a time to assess the work still needed to protect the natural gifts of our planet. Earth Day has no central organizing force behind it though several nongovernmental organizations work to keep track of the ... [Full Text]

 

 
     
 
 
 
     
   
 
     
 
 

Digital Window on America

“Digital Window on America”, an online library on the Embassy website. While “WoA, Window on America” physically serves as an information outreach project, “D-WoA” maintains the information on the web for a greater audience with internet access. Currently, about 200 electronic English and Korean full-text government publications is available on the Embassy website. [Digital WoA]