Public Policy Final

only really the stuff from after the midterm - still use the set from the midterm to study

The One Big Beautiful Bill in 2025 had draft language proposing a how many year moratorium on states enacting their own AI regulatory laws? Did this language pass at the federal level?

10-year; no, it did not pass in the final bill so states are still free to do what they want with regulating AI.

This article of the Constitution is the longest overall in length and deals with this branch of government.

Article I - Legislative Branch / Congress

This is the predominant source of health insurance coverage in the United States and includes both group coverage and direct-purchase coverage.

Private Health Insurance

Today, U.S. immigration policy is governed largely by this legislation that has been amended several times in the last seven decades.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952

In the final class exercise just before Thanksgiving, we held a mock session of Congress to mark up one part of a hypothetical Immigration Reform Act of 2027. What, if anything, did you take away from this activity?

think about it - could be about human behavior, politicians voting in ways that are more transactional than actually representing what their constituents believe, non-rational actors, etc

Kingdon proposed three "streams" that must unite for a "policy window" to open and place a potential policy on the public agenda. Name those streams!

(1) problem stream; (2) policy stream; and (3) political stream

How many votes in the United States Senate do you need in 2025 to be able to move past the threat of filibuster and advance a vote on proposed legislation?

60

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996, known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, was signed by this U.S. President into law.

President Bill Clinton (bubba)

In the first month of the course, we did a group exercise where you discussed and identified the top problem for W&M students. Of the six groups, three ID'd this as the biggest issue...name that issue.

Affordable and available housing for students

This type of policy involves the reallocation of resources to help one group at the expense of another group.

Redistributive Policy

• ex: charter schools, SNAP programs, affirmative action

Madison argued in Federalist #10 that the only proper way government can "cure the mischiefs of faction" is to...

control its affects - give examples?

This law was enacted over the veto of President Nixon in 1973 to provide procedures for Congress and the President to participate in decisions to send the U.S. military into hostilities.

The War Powers Resolution

NEPA stands for:

National Environmental Policy Act

The West Wing episode we watched called "The Supremes" highlighed many initial themes of the course. The outcome was the nomination of a very conservative justice AND a very liberal justice at the same time. This in many ways mirrors the two historical Supreme Court Justices that were introduced at the beginning of the course to highlight variations in ideology. Name those two justices!

Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

List three specific ways in which the 2024 Republican National Committee's (RNC) Platform document was arguably more effective than the Democratic Party Platform document.

(1) Length - much shorter and more concise, easier to digest simply from a length standpoint (no one is reading 92 pages of anything); (

2) thematically consistent - "Make America Great Again", "America First"; and

(3) the branding and color themes (red, white, blue), in addition to a lot of pictures, were a stark contrast to DNC branding (light blue/tan? "D" with circle symbol everywhere in document).

This is the term we use to describe a system of government where power is divided and/or shared between a national/federal government and state/local governments.

Federalism

Outlined in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, these are powers not granted to the national government and are given to the states or the people.

reserved powers

For the main six-step policymaking process we studied from the textbook (stages heuristic model), what is the first step in the policymaking process?

Problem identification

We took a "virtual field trip" on 9/18 to watch the Senate HELP Committee hearing. Who testified and what was the topic?

Dr. Monarez and Dr. Houry, former CDC officials that were fired/resigned; "restoring trust through radical transparency at the CDC"

This executive department was established after World War II by the 1947 National Security Act and currently is funded with the largest share of the discretionary budget each fiscal year.

Department of Defense

Policymakers typically intervene with this type of fiscal policy when a recession occurs.

Expansionary Fiscal Policy

What is our course definition of "public policy"?

A government action to solve a public problem.

If you walked out of the second week of class after playing the State of Nature game, and thought to yourself, "the condition of human beings is clearly a condition of war of everyone against everyone"...you would be channeling what political philosopher?

Hobbes

This law, signed in 2001 by President Bush, promised to combat the "soft bigotry of low expectations" in public education through a set of nationwide standards and federally enforced accountability.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

This branch of government has primary authority over U.S. trade policy through constitutional power to levy tariffs and regulate foreign commerce.

congress

In the final month of the course, we studied a brief overview of 12 different policy areas.  Pick TWO of these areas, and in a concise, well-written essay, do the following: Compare and contrast the two policy areas. What types of policies typically make up your chosen areas (regulatory, distributive, redistributive)? How does federalism impact your chosen areas? How does the variation in laws, policies, and norms---across institutions of government and behavior of individuals---impact your chosen areas? How have recent events impacted these two policy areas? In your final analysis, do your two chosen policy areas have a lot in common or are they totally different?

Results Chain logic model

• inputs

• activities

• outputs

• outcomes

• impact

Rational comprehensive model decision making steps

• identify the problem

• clarify the decision criteria

• identify alternatives

• calculate risks and benefits

• evaluate alternatives

• select best option

policy analysis circle

• identify and define the problem

• identify alternatives

• establish evaluation criteria

• evaluate alternatives

• select the best option

• monitor outcomes

political stream

electoral change or change in public opinion opens a policy window

problem stream

events that change public perception and indicate a problem

policy stream

a policy has been identified that can solve the problem

the policymaking process

• problem identification

• agenda setting

• formulation

• legitimation

• implementation

• evaluation

history of healthcare in america

• Origins post-Civil War with medical advancements/vaccines.

• Truman – first introduced concept of national healthcare program…failed but led to private insurance creation.

• LBJ – 1965 – Medicare & Medicaid.

• Reagan – COBRA.

• Clinton – 1990s – failure of reform effort but passage of HIPAA laws.

• Obama – 2010 – ACA / Obamacare

key issues of healthcare

• Medicaid. Medicare. S-CHIP. VA/military.

• Patchwork of privately/employee insured, govt insured, out of pocket, and uninsured.

• “Pre-existing conditions.”

• Private insurance vs. public/government provided.

• Rising costs +3x since 1960 as % of GDP.

• Wide health care outcomes and disparities based on race, gender, socio-economic status, geography.

• Republican Party decade long desire to “Repeal & Replace” Obamacare

federalism & key actors in healthcare policy

• U.S. culture of deep faith in free market capitalism + limited government
  regulation; historic lack of faith in central government efficiency.

• “Big Pharma.” – pharmaceutical companies.

• Medical interest groups, doctors/nurses, insurance companies, labor unions.

• Federal (HHS/CDC) vs. State level laws and norms. Medicaid expansion disparities between different states!

current events in healthcare

• Obamacare subsidies – government shutdown key issue. Impacts 20+ million Americans.

• HHS – Secretary Kennedy – vaccine policy debates, CDC (firing of Director,
  resignations).

• “One Big Beautiful Bill” impacts to federal outlays and potential + to uninsured.

civil-military relations framework

The interdisciplinary study of the relationship between the military, the government, and society

constitutional foundations in defense policy - legislative branch

Article I:

• provide for the common defense

• power of the purse

• power to declare war

• to raise and support armies (but 2yrs thing w/ the president)

• to provide and maintain a Navy

• to make rules for the gov and regulation of the land and naval forces

constitutional foundations in defense policy - executive branch

Article II:

• power of the sword

• the president shall be commander in chief of the army and navy

• power, by and with the advice and consent of the senate

federalist papers and defense:

• nature of war to increase the executive at the expense of the legislative authority

• the constitutional necessity enhances the importance of the soldier and degrades the condition of the citizen. the military state becomes elevated above the civil

national security strategy (NSS)

• POTUS

• title 50 US code

• '“the president shall transmit to congress each year a comprehensive report on the national security strategy of the united states'“

National Defense Strategy (NDS)

• SECDEF - secretary of defense - head of dept of defense (DoD)

• title 10 US code: governs US armed forces, est their roles, missions, organization

• january, every 4 years

National Military Strategy (NMS)

• CJCS: chairman of the joint chiefs of staff

• every 2yrs (if needed

• title 10 US code

foreign aid GDP

0.25%

foreign aid % of discretionary spending

5%

defense spending GDP

3%

defense spending % of GDP

55%

gun control policy federal law

• national firearms act of 1934 (NFA)

• gun control act of 1968 (GCA)

• brady handgun violence prevention act of 1993

• bipartisan safer communities act of 2022 (BSCA)

who is principle federal agency charged with administering gun control laws

DOJ (dept of justice)

gun control policy

• covers registration, sale/purchase, and possession of firearms/covered weapons

• federal firearms licsenses (FFLs)

• background checks

• issue of loopholes

which state has the highest deaths by firearms per 100k

alaska

which state has the highest percent of households that own guns

alaska

which state has the highest violent crime rate per 100k

alaska

why is alaska at the top of all these lists for gun issues?

• high suicide rate

• no permit needed for guns

• less regulation

• people also like to hunt (nothing to do in alaska)

which country has the highest deaths by firearm per 100k

venezuela

which country has the highest gun ownership rate per 100 people

united states

which country has the highest violent crime rate per 100k

venezuela

recidivism

the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend

which state has the highest recidivism rate

alaska - and increasing

which country has the highest recidivism rate

united states

naturlization

the process of becoming a U.S. citizen if you were born outside of the U.S.

1790 naturalization act

excluded non-white people from having eligibility to naturalize

1798 alien friends act

authorized the president to imprison or deport any “alien” deemed dangerous to the U.S. (first act to authorize deportation of immigrants)

1870 naturalization act

extended eligibility for naturalization to people of African descent

1952 immigration & nationality act (INA)

• consolidated various laws and policies into a single act

• increased quota for europeans outside northern/western europe

• state dept authority to reject entry based on criteria

• set minimum quota of 100 visas per country

• promoted family reunification by exempting citizens’ children and spouses from numerical caps

two key aspects of INA

• facilitate migration flows of foreign nationals into the united states

• focuses on immigration enforcement and removal

1965 amendment to INA

• ended quotas that favored european immigrants

• focused on reunification of families and needs of employers

1980 refugee act

expanded admissions of refugees and adopted UN definition

1986 immigration reform and control act

created a path to citizenship for those who entered without permission before 1982 but also made it illegal for employers to hire the undocumented

1990 immigration act

• increased numbers for legal immigration

• provided temporary protected status to asylum seekers

2013 border security, economic opportunity, & immigration modernization act

• path to citizenship for illegal immigrants

• business immigration reforms, focused on fast tracking visa graduates in STEM

• expanded & improved employment verification system

• improved work visa option for low-skilled workers including ag-worker program

deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) of 2012

• EO allowed young immigrants without status to apply for work authorization permits and protection from immediate deportation

Trump terminated ____ in 2017 but the supreme court ruled in 2020 that this termination was unlawful

what is the largest component of the federal tax system in terms of revenue?

individual income tax

Since the Clinton administration passed the 1996 welfare reform law, has there been an increase or decrease in people receiving cash assistance from the government?

decrease.

except for some time in the 1960s and 1990s, has the government been running a budget deficit or surplus for the last 50yrs?

deficit (spending more money than we take in)

trade policy

laws, practices, and regulations that a country uses to manage trade with other nations of the world

trade policy goals

• Promote economic growth.

• Protect domestic industry.

• Manage trade balance (imports vs. exports)

• Ensure fair trade.
  

trade policy components

• Tariffs (taxes on imported goods)

• Subsidies to domestic industry

• Import/export quotas

• Trade agreements

trade deficit

when a country imports more goods and services than it exports

DIME

• Diplomatic, Informational, Military, and Economic framework

• bottom-up checklist

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) - 1969

• declares a continuing responsibility for the federal gov to treat each generation as a “trustee of the environment”

• does not require agencies to alter a course of action based on identified environmental impacts

  • supreme court: “_____ merely prohibits uninformed - rather than unwise - agency action”

conservative viewpoint on ____ - heritage foundation reading

does NEPA require agencies to change their course of action based on the environmental impacts?

NO

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

• require federal action based on NEPA

• discusses alternatives to proposed action

• details env impacts (positive and negative)

• mitigation - ways to reduce adverse impacts

• given after an environmental assessment (EA) shows that the project will have significant negative impacts on the environment

Judicial review and EIS

• under APA (administrative procedure act) arbitrary and capricious standard

• courts assess if agencies have followed the proper NEPA procedure

environmental justice

addresses injustice that occurs when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit.

Flint River Crisis

• Flint river was waste disposal site for treated and untreated refuse for many local industries

• the pipes were lined with lead and contaminated the water bc of acidifying waste

• flint river caught fire twice

• disproportionately affected minorities & poor ppl —> env justice

Brady Act

interim waiting period of 5 days before a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer may sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun to an unlicensed individual

four pillars of gun control

• NFA

• GCA

• Brady Act

• BSCA

National firearms Act (NFA)

persons transferring NFA firearms/possession of unregistered firearms = have to register the w/ the national treasury

Gun Control Act (GCA)

• after a bunch of assassinations happened (pres kennedy, MLK, robert kennedy)

• est federal firearms license system

• new categories of firearm offenses

• prohibits sale of firearms and ammunition to felons and certain other ppl

• federal jurisdiction over destructive devices like bombs, mines, grenades, etc

Bipartisan safer communities act (BSCA)

• expand background checks for guns - including mental health records

• broaden scope of restrictions

• establish new criminal offenses

• promotes access to mental health services, enhance school safety

• improve telehealth

Gang of Eight Actions in 2013

• 2013 border security, economic opportunity, & immigration modernization act

payroll tax

• funds specific insurance programs (social security, medicare, unemployemnt)

• shared pay responsibility between employer and employee

• fixed percentages for each insurance program

• based on gross wages

• applies to salaries, wage

income tax

• funds general gov operations and public services

• only paid by indv tax payer based on total income

• progressive tax brackets

• applies to wages, investments, rental income, business profits

• dependents, deductibles, and credits can all be taken away from the taxable income

deductibles

• amount taxpayers can subtract from their gross income which lowers the amount of taxable income

• ex.

  • student loan interest payments

  • charitable donations

  • interest on home mortgage

  • contributions to an IRA or health savings account

corporate tax

• corporate entity taxed

• flat tax rate of 21% on net profits

• taxed at business level and also when distributed to shareholders that pay individual income tax

• deductions for business expenses only

what does LPR stand for

lawful permanent resident

Will the one big beautiful bill increase the number of people in the US without health insurance?

yes

What did the founding fathers believe about eduaction in America?

education is important for citizens so they can understand political and social issues required to participate in civic life