Current Issues: Critical Issues Confronting the Nation and the World. 1989 Edition.

This book investigates a variety of contemporary issues, both domestic U.S. concerns and those of an international focus that involve the United States. The introduction develops the context of the book by discussing the Reagan legacy, the 101st Congress, the Supreme Court, and the making of the U.S. federal budget. The domestic policy issues of the economy, education, civil rights, social programs, health care, immigration, energy, environment, agriculture, and crime are reviewed. The foreign policy issue areas covered include the Soviet Union, defense, Central America, the Middle East, international trade, Western Europe, nuclear proliferation, world poverty and U.S. foreign aid, South Africa, and China. The discussion of each of these domestic and foreign policy issues is developed in depth through the identification of the key questions in each topic area, an extensive background summary, a listing of the current critical issues for each topic area, pro and con debates on key points, and a short outlook projection for the topic area. The book is illustrated with photographs, maps, graphs and charts, and editorial cartoons on the subject matter. (PPB)