Presentation 19: Social Movements and
Public Policy

Presentation Objectives
AEPA Objectives
0008 Understand U.S. foreign policy.
0012 Understand the relationship of government to the United States economic system.
0017 Understand the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.
0018 Understand basic features of democratic government in the
United States.
AZ Social Studies Standard, Strand 3
Concept 3: Functions of Government
Concept 4: Rights, Responsibilities, and Roles of Citizenship
Concept 5: Government Systems of the World

The Politics of Public Policy
Public Policy
The action or inaction of the government on a problem or issue of concern to the public
Who gets to determine whether something really is a problem or issue of concern to the public?

Types of Public Policy:
How can we categorize policies?
 Basic functions of government



Distribution
Regulation
Redistribution
 Nature of their benefits


Tangible benefits
Symbolic benefits

Ideas and Values in Public Policy
Policy Process Model
Problem
Identification
Agenda
Setting
Solution formulation
Analysis of the effectiveness of the solution
Implementation of problemsolving policies
Legitimization of Solutions

Foreign Policy
 Actors





President
Executive Branch
Congress
Courts
Attentive Public

Two Domains of Foreign Policy


Security

Dept. of State



Dept. of Defense
National Security Council
Intelligence Community
Economics



Treasury Department
Dept. of Commerce
Trade Representatives

US Foreign Policy themes
 Support for Status Quo



Preference for Action
Maintenance of
American Hegemony
Prevent WMD proliferation

Social Security
Workers
Payroll taxes
Social Security
Administration
Social Security
Trust Fund
Treasury
Bonds
Cash
Congress
Benefits
Retirees
Current Deficit
Spending

Social Security
 Looming Crisis


Baby Boomers retiring
Govt. IOUs (bonds) will have to be cashed
 Suggested Reforms




Decrease or means-test entitlement
Tax benefits
Increase retirement age
Increase payroll tax

Fiscal Policy


Government income and spending
Regulating the economy

Revenue

Expenditures

Deficits

Debt

Monetary Policy
Ben Bernake, Chairman of Federal Reserve
 Federal Reserve


Sets Interest Rate
Sets Money Supply
 Inflation v.
Unemployment

Federal Reserve
Bank
Regional
Reserve
Bank
Bank
Bank
Bank
Regional
Reserve
Federal
Reserve
Regional
Reserve
Bank
Bank
Bank

Policymaking

Civil Rights Movement

SB 1070 Debate

Tea Party Movement

Conclusion

This Presentation
This presentation is courtesy of Brian Dille,
Professor of Political
Science at Mesa
Community College.