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

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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