Seventeen in a series of annual reports comparing business regulation in 190 economies, Doing Business 2020 measures aspects of regulation affecting 10 areas of everyday business activity.

The federal government is running huge budget deficits, spending too much, and heading toward a financial crisis. Federal spending soared under President George W. Bush, and the costs of programs for the elderly are set to balloon in coming years. Hurricane Katrina has made the federal budget situation even more desperate. In Downsizing the Federal Government Cato Institute budget expert Chris Edwards provides policymakers with solutions to the growing federal budget mess. Edwards identifies more than 100 federal programs that should be terminated, transferred to the states, or privatized in order to balance the budget and save hundreds of billions of dollars. Edwards proposes a balanced reform package of cuts to entitlements, domestic programs, and excess defense spending. He argues that these cuts would not only eliminate the deficit, but also strengthen the economy, enlarge personal freedom, and leave a positive fiscal legacy for the next generation. Downsizing the Federal Government discusses the systematic causes of wasteful spending, and it overflows with examples of federal programs that are obsolete and mismanaged. The book examines the budget process and shows how policymakers act contrary to the interests of average Americans by favoring special interests.

From a lone legislator in 1917 to power players today, women in Congress have changed the culture of U.S. politics. Forging alliances across regional and ideological lines, vying for prominent roles, and crafting new policy discussions, women in the House and Senate are clearing a new path.This compact CQ Roll Call guide highlights 25 of the most influential women who wield political power in the 114th Congress. Readers will get a brief history of how women have made their mark in Washington, D.C., along with exclusive personal profiles of leading women Democrats and Republicans including: --Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a favorite of many progressives who has been urged to run for president in 2016--Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House minority leader and the first female Speaker--Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., the "dean of Senate women" and the longest-serving woman in Congress--Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D.-N.Y., an almost unknown in her state when she took over Hillary Clinton's Senate seat in 2009, is now considered a future presidential candidate--Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., a rising voice on national security matters who gained national prominence in 2006 when she argued a parental notification abortion case before the Supreme Court--And a bonus section of five freshmen on the rise including: Republican Joni Ernst, the first woman elected to the Senate from Iowa and the first female combat veteran in the Senate, and Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, the first black Republican woman to serve in CongressThe profiles, which include a short biography and color photos, are based on interviews and analysis. "Powerful Women: The 25 Most Influential Women in Congress" is a must-have for history lovers, political buffs and anyone curious about power brokers and women leaders in America. About the author Staff writer Emily Ethridge has covered several aspects of Congress for CQ Roll Call from pharmaceuticals to appropriations and the budget process. Ethridge, a native of Charlotte, N.C., lives in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Johns Hopkins University.