Final answer:
Restricted Data (RD) involves sensitive information about nuclear weapons and energy production, while Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) refers to similarly sensitive information that is no longer classified but still controlled due to its military implications. These classifications are crucial in safeguarding national security and facilitating controlled international collaboration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Restricted Data (RD) and Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) are classifications of information related to nuclear weapons and energy in the United States. RD is information that pertains to the design, manufacture, or utilization of atomic weapons; the production of special nuclear material; or the use of special nuclear material in the production of energy. This classification reflects the sensitive nature of nuclear-related information and the potential consequences should it become publicly accessible.
FRD, on the other hand, involves information that has been removed from the Restricted Data category under specific criteria but still pertains to military utilization of nuclear energy. This category includes data shared with other nations under specific agreements, thus contributing to international collaboration on nuclear issues.
This classification also ensures that sensitive information is safeguarded while allowing for certain academic and regional discussions and analyses.
Access to international data from other nations, U.S. regional data, and academic data like the Penn World Tables and NBER Macrohistory database is essential for a robust understanding of RD and FRD topics. Scholars and students of law and international relations often utilize such data to inform their research and analyses.