unit 9 review: federal policymaking€¦ · congress & pres. cover deicits by issuing bonds....
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Unit9Review:Federal
Policymaking
StagesofPolicymakingStage1àAgendaSetting
• Identi(icationofanissuethatdisturbspeopleandleadsthemtocallforgovernmentalintervention.
• Publicizeaproblem&demandgov’taction• Gov’trecognitionthataproblemisworthyofconsiderationfor
governmentalaction• Participants:
• Voters• Media• Interestgroups• Politicalparties
StagesofPolicymakingStage2àPolicyFormulation
• Identi(icationofalternativeapproachestoaddressingtheproblemsplacedonthegov’tsagenda
• Developpolicyproposalstoresolveissues&solvetheproblems
• Participants:• President/executivebranch• Congress/congressionalcommittees• Thinktanks(interestorgs.thatresearch&reporton
policies)• Interestgroups
StagesofPolicymakingStage3àPolicyAdoption
• Formalselectionofpublicpoliciesthroughlegislative,executive,judicial,&bureaucraticmeans
• Selectaproposal,generatepoliticalsupportforit,enactitintolaw,andruleonitsconstitutionalityifnecessary
• Participants:• Interestgroups• President• Congress• Courts
StagesofPolicymakingStage4àPolicyImplementation
• Actualadministration/applicationofpublicpolicies• Organizedepartmentsandagencies,providepaymentsor
services,&levytaxes(ifnecessary)• Participants:
• President&theWhiteHouse• ExecutiveDepartments&Agencies
StagesofPolicymakingStage5àPolicyEvaluation&Change
• Determinationofapolicy’saccomplishments,consequences,orshortcomingsontarget&non-targetgroups
• Proposechangesorreforms• Participants:
• ExecutiveDepartments&Agencies• CongressionalOversightCommittees• Massmedia• Interestgroups
FederalBudgetFederalBudget=revenue–expenditures
Revenues• revenuesfromtaxation• incometaxmostly
Expenditures• spendingdeterminedby Congress&Pres.
Coverde+icitsbyissuingbonds
Budget Surpluses & Deficits
Government SpendingDiscretionary vs. Mandatory spending • ~1/3 of the budget can be cut à discretionary• Biggest single source is Defense
• ~2/3 of the budget can’t be touched due to “mandatory spending” laws • Entitlements: gov’t benefits (pensions, healthcare, &
welfare) that guarantee a specific level of benefits to ppl who meet requirements set by law à “entitled” to benefits
Why is it so difficult to reduce an entitlement program once its been created?
à Heavy reliance over time on these programs
Examples-SocialSecurity-Medicare-Medicaid-V.A.Programs-UnemploymentPrograms-FoodStamps-RetirementPlansforFederalEmployees
EntitlementsPositives• Providesneededbene(itstoAmericancitizens
• Governmentcannotdelayoravoidpaymentinthebudget
Negatives• NoCongressionaldiscretiononmoneyallotted
• 2/3ofbudget• Lessmoneyfordiscretionaryspending
Med
icar
e ad
opte
d
ProposedattheStateoftheUnionAddressinJanuaryFederalBudgetProcess
OfOiceofManagementandBudget(OMB)oftheExecutiveBranchPriortotheStateoftheUnion…• OMBsendsinstructionstoagenciestodraftneeds
• AgenciessendrequeststoOMB• OMBrevisesthebudgetatthepresident’sdiscretion
CongressionalBudgetOfOice(CBO)oftheLegislativeBranch• Pres.submitsbudgettoCongressbythe(irstweekinFebruaryàbipartisanagencyinCongress
• CBOlooksoverandsendsreporttobothchambersofCongress
AppropriationsCommittee• TheAppropriationscommitteesholdhearingsandsetbudgettargets
FinalizingtheBudget• ByOctober1st,allappropriationsbillsshouldbepassed
• Iftheyaren’tpassed,Congressmustpassacontinuingresolutiontoavoidashutdown
• FiscalYear(FY)isfromOct.1–Sept.30
IronTriangles
Congress(Sub)Committees
InterestGroups Bureaucracy
Symbioticrelationshipbetweenthreegroupswhoworktogethertodevelopandimplementpublicpolicies(laws).Despiteworkingtogether,eachlookstodevelopandconservetheirownpower,andexpandtheirpoliticalin(luence.
Congressionalsupport/research
Lowregulation/rules&specialfavors(enforcelaw)
IronTriangles
AARP Social Security Administration
House Ways & Means
Expand SS coverage to include wheel chairs
Research on prohibitive costs of wheel chairs
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