Domestic, Economic & Foreign Policy CR-5 AP U.S. Gov. Ch. 15, 16, 17

Domestic Policy Public plans, courses of action, laws, and government planning, that affect individual’s daily life in the U.S. Internal issues such as poverty, crime, and the environment Many domestic policies implemented by federal gov’t., some by combined efforts or federal, state and local gov’t.

The Policy Making Process 1. Identifying a problem Policymakers rely on constituents, friends, interest groups and media to bring policy problems to their attention Can occur through debate 2. Reaction to the problem 3. Solution to the problem

5 Step Process (Ex: p. 487) 1. Agenda Building 2. Policy Formulation Identifying the problem through crisis or lobbying efforts by people or interest groups 2. Policy Formulation Debate among gov’t officials and the public in the media, in Congress, and through campaigns 3. Policy Adoption Selection of a strategy for addressing the problem and possible solutions 4. Policy Implementation Administration of the policy adopted by bureaucrats, the courts and others 5. Policy Evaluation To determine if it has had the desired impact or unintended consequences.

Domestic Issue: Poverty Gov’t defines poverty- formula based on changes in the CPI, Consumer Price Index http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/measure. html Family assist: food stamps and housing vouchers Social Security: payment to the retired or unable to work SSI, Supplemental Security Income: provide minimum income for the aged, the blind and the disabled AFDC, Aid to Families with dependent Children: aid to children in poverty who do not have two parents (eliminated by Welfare Reform Act of 1996 ->TANF, next page) TANF, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families: State administered program EITC, Earned Income Tax Credit: Provides rebate on Social Security taxes paid to fed. gov’t.

Welfare Reform Act 1996 Aim of the Act- reduce welfare spending. How? Most recipients are limited to 2 years assistance at one time, with lifetime limit of 5 years During the first 5 years after the act passed- welfare payments were cut in half. https://www.congress.gov/bill/104th-congress/house- bill/3829

Domestic Issue: Crime Two conflicting demands Cost for public safety Public demands protection from criminals and strong action to stop violent crime Demands fair treatment from law enforcement officials… do not violate the rights of innocent people Cost for public safety Cost for violent crimes is enormous… some states the cost to incarcerate an inmate is 5 times the amount spent to educate a child for a single year Causes of Crime Illegal drugs, drug gangs, addiction New remedies->rehabilitation rather than prison Terrorism- ability to inflict violence on thousands of victims Counter-terrorism strategies now part of federal gov’t policy

Domestic Issue: Environmental Policy National Environmental Policy Act 1969 National standards for assessing environmental impact->EIS Clean Air Act 1963 and 1990 amendments Policy mandating cleaner air Emission levels monitored Clean Water Act 1972 Amended Fed. Water Pollution control Act of 1948 Eliminate discharge pollutants Protect wetlands, “migratory bird rule”

Economic Policy Main governmental objective: Maintenance of economic stability Booms vs. recession Consumer Price Index (CPI)- change in price over time of a specific group of goods and services used by average household Inflation->Unemployment

Fiscal Policy Defined: the federal government’s use of taxation and spending policies to affect overall business activity Keynesian Economics: supports gov’t spending and taxing to stabilize the economy-> (discretionary fiscal policy) Budget deficits?

Monetary Policy Defined: the utilization of changes in the amount of money in circulation to alter credit markets, employment, and the rate of inflation Federal Reserve System (1913)- controlling the rate of growth of the money supply (regulatory agency)

Foreign Policy Defined: a nation’s external goals and the techniques and strategies used to achieve these goals Major goal: national security, includes foreign/domestic policy dev. by Dept. of Defense and State, federal agencies, and NSC (advisory body) http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nsc Techniques: Diplomacy- total process by which states carry on political relations Economic aid- assistance to other nations (grants, loans, or credits) Technical assistance- sharing experts with tech. skills in agriculture, engineering or business

Defense Policy Defined: a subset of national security policy that includes the directing of the scale and size of the Amer. Armed forces Considers types of armed forces, how to prepare for war and the types of weaponry

Moral Idealism vs. Political Realism Moral Idealism: philosophy that sees nations as normally willing to cooperate and to agree on moral standards of conduct (Ex. Woodrow Wilson) Political Realism: sees each nation acting principally in its own interest (Ex. WWII)

Who Makes Foreign Policy President as Commander in Chief and power to make exec. agreements Pres. as legislative leader and influence on budgetary constraints Pres. can use position to build public support (world arena) Dept. of Defense and State NSC Intelligence community (40+ agencies and bureaus) p. 565-66 Congress checks Pres., War Powers Act