M1.3 - Policy & the Policy Making Process

who makes policy?

• government (federal, state. local)

• private actors

• authoritative decision maker

public policy problems

• beyond individual problems

  • ex: global warming, people unable to get insurance economy, education, electricity

structuring policy options

• mandatory (have to be licensed to drive) vs. voluntary (wear a mask)

• take action (wash ur hands) vs refrain from acting

public policymaking structure & process

• federal level → state level → local level

branches of government (* = focus on this for this class)

• federal level

  • *legislative branch: congress (house of representatives, senate)

  • *executive branch: white house, administrative agencies

  • judicial branch: court

• state level

  • legislative branch: legislature

  • executive branch: governor

  • judicial branch: trial and appellate court

federal legislative branch

• congress

  • lawmaking body of the federal government

• congress consists of two chambers

  • senate: statewide. two senators from each state. 6-year term

  • house of representatives: elected by district, proportional to populations. at least one representative per state. 2 year term (can be reelected)

• leadership position

  • determined by political party affiliation, with the party in the majority gaining many advantages

  • senate: vice president of the US is the president of the Senate

  • house: the speaker of the house

    • leadership positions are determined by the members of the party who have been elected to Congress

key congressional leadership positions

• senate majority leader

• house majority leader

• house and senate minority leaders

• house and senate majority and minority whips

legislative branch roles

• drafting and amending legislation

• educating members on key issues

• shepherding the committee’s legislation on the floor

• holding hearings

• working with the president, his administration, and lobbyist to gain support for bill

• conducting oversight of executive branch departments, agencies, commissions, and programs within their purview

standing committees (legislative branch)

• permanent committees with specified duties and powers

  • 20 in the house

  • 17 in the senate

• some have authorization jurisdiction, some have appropriation authority, some have oversight authority

congressional commissions & staff agencies

• provide congress members with information they need for research and policy analysis

  • congressional budget office

  • government accountability office

  • congressional research service

  • medicare payment advisory commission

  • ***study how a bill becomes a law slides

constituents (legislative branch)

• voters in state or district

• voters in nation if have leadership role or national aspirations

• political party

• president

federal executive branch

• white house

  • president

  • executive offices

    • council of economic advisers

    • council of environmental quality

    • office of management and budget

    • office of security

• 15 cabinet departments

  • department of defense

  • department of agriculture

  • department of commerce

presidential duties and powers (federal executive branch)

• agenda setting

• budget proposal

• persuasion

• sign/veto bills

• executive orders

presidential constituents (federal executive branch)

• nation (all voters)

• public who voted for president

• political party

• other nations

• international organizations

administrative agencies (federal executive branch)

• implement the laws passed by congress and the executive orders signed by the president

• two categories

  • executive department agencies

  • independent agencies

• administrative agencies can be created by statue, internal department reorganization, or presidential directive

• duties/powers: issuing policy statement, developing rules, and promulgating regulations

• constituents

  • president

  • congress

  • individuals and entities regulated by agency

• ***study executive agency policy making side

federal health bureaucracy

• department of health and human services (HHS)

• department of veterans affairs (VA)

• department of defense (DOD)

• ***study department of health and human services table

HHS - key agencies

• administration for children and families

• administration on aging

• agency for healthcare research and quality

• agency for toxic substances and disease registry

• centers for disease control and prevention

• center for medicare and medicaid services

• food and drug administration

• indian health services

• national institutes of health

• substance abuse and mental health services admin

VA & DOD

• VA

  • provides comprehensive care to veterans who were not dishonorably discharged

• DOD

  • TriCare provides health insurance to current and retired military personnel and their families

state and local policymaking and health bureaucracy

• state-level policymaking is important

  • key decisions made on state level

  • variation among states in how policymaking process is structured

• state/local health bureaucracy

  • state level agencies (ex: medicaid, public health)

  • local public health agencies