Twenty-three Republican Senate seats are up this year versus about half that number in Democratic seats, and fundraising by Democratic candidates and their Senate committee is outpacing that of their Republican rivals; corporations and affluent executives are funneling vast amounts of money to outside political groups to guarantee that business has sufficient Senate allies to obstruct undesirable legislation.

Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for rulings they say overly favor corporations.

A June CNN/Opinion Research poll reveals that 50 percent of voters worry that the economy could be negatively impacted by foreign trade agreements, while surveys by the Pew Research Center show an increase in Americans who believe unemployment is tied to free trade to 61 percent in April from 48 percent in December 2006.

For much of the past 25 years American governance has gravitated toward deregulation, but that tendency is being challenged by the new push for regulatory oversight in the wake of the economic downturn.

Polls find that American voters are most concerned about gasoline prices and the country's energy crisis heading into the November elections.

With the 2008 Beijing Olympics starting this week, citizens and public affairs professionals from around the world are focusing on China.  Several resources involving China are now available on the Council's website.

Good Guanxi: Managing Government Relations in China covers the changing face of government relations in this rising economic power. Just published by the Foundation for Public Affairs, the report examines recent government relations issues in China while offering practical advice on securing meetings with government officials, overcoming intellectual property disputes and identifying mutual benefits in negotiations. 

The International Government Relations Benchmarking Report provides quantitative data on aspects of planning, conducting and managing worldwide government relations around the globe, including Asia.

Republican lawmakers in the Senate will focus on Democratic-backed "card-check" labor legislation in an effort to garner votes, boost fundraising, and trigger opposition to Democratic candidates.

It is still unclear as to which presidential candidate a majority of the business community will vote for. Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain has substantial business experience and, while both have lauded enterprise theoretically, each has spoken out against large corporations at one time or another.

Good Guanxi: Managing Government Relations in China utilizes case studies and interviews with Chinese experts to provide an up-to-the-minute picture of government relations in China. Click HERE to order your copy!