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Abstract
Excerpts: The rational formulation of national policy requires that the issues be delineated and defined, goals and objectives established, policy options developed, and alternative programs specified and evaluated for the contingent economic settings in which they would be likely to operate. The Economic Research Service (ERS), as a public agency, considers one of its major functions in serving the public interest to be the provision of objective economic studies for use in the policymaking process. A major purpose of this publication is to provide a convenient compilation of objective economic analyses of current policy issues—a "handbook" or "briefing book" oriented to successor legislation to the 1973 act [Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973]. The background material and research results presented here for use by participants in the policymaking process will hopefully improve the quality of the debate and lead to an improved policy decision process.