The Presidents: A Comprehensive Analysis of US Domestic Policy

This report provides an analysis of US presidential domestic policies, drawing on the framework of Theodore Lowi's policy divisions (regulatory, distributive, and redistributive). It explores the use of earmarks in government funding, detailing how the government shifts funding without increasing public expenses. The report examines the domestic policy process, highlighting key concepts like issue networks and the challenges faced by presidents near the end of their terms, including the 'lame duck' policy. The work of domestic policy staffs, particularly within the presidential forum and the Domestic Policy Council, is also discussed, including the role of the council in developing and coordinating domestic agendas. Finally, the report addresses the concepts of secrecy and executive privilege and their implications within the US governmental system.

Running head: THE PRESIDENTS
The Presidents
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Division of Policies by Theodore Lowi...........................................................................................1
Earmarks..........................................................................................................................................1
Domestic Policy Process..................................................................................................................1
Work of the Domestic Policy Staffs................................................................................................2
Secrecy and Executive Privilege.....................................................................................................3
Reference.........................................................................................................................................4

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Division of Policies by Theodore Lowi
In order to deal with the public problems that occur within a society, the government
implements multiple goal-directed actions. These actions re are primarily based upon the public
policies that have been decided in order to address the social issues. The public policies are
segregated into three types, namely regulatory policy, distributive policy and redistributive
policy. The regulatory policy is taken up the government in order to maintain the law and order
of the society as well as restrain the activities that are harmful for the common people
(Lowi&Nicholson, 2015).
The Distributive policy is taken by the government in order to provide certain benefits to
the citizens. Popular distributive polices include providing subsidies and tax abatements. The
redistributive policy aims at promote equality amongst the citizens. Often these policies are taken
up by the organizations in order to ensure social welfare.
Earmarks
Earmark is a provision that has been used by the government in order to set aside fund in
order to be for certain special purposes (Jackson, 2013)). In the United States, the government
primarily use the earmarking policy in order to direct the fund that is obtained from a certain
recipients to another recipients. By applying the policy the government efficiently shift funding
without increasing public expenses.
Domestic Policy Process
The domestic policies are the decisions that are taken by the administrative and
governmental bodies in order to secure the internal activities of a country. The domestic policy

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process primarily includes the actions that are taken up in order to ensure the development of the
legislative proposals to the Congress. Moreover, there are three significant policy streams that
are helpful in the smooth operation of the domestic policies (Hayes-Renshaw, 2017). It has been
noticed that during the process of execution of various orders, different issues have risen. In
order to solve these problems many ideas have been proposed. One of the major ideas is the issue
networks. Issue networks includes the individuals or the groups that are working towards
promoting and implementing new ideas that are designed to solve social issues. It has been
noticed that taking up new policies and the process of implementation of those policies often
become difficult when a president reach to the end of his or her term. Hence, the government has
come up lame duck policy that restricts a retiring president to take up or implement new policies
and regulations.
Work of the Domestic Policy Staffs
It is known that the domestic policies of the United States come under the presidential
forum. However, the economic matters are exclusion from the forum as they are looked upon by
the Economic Council of the country. All other domestic matters are included under the principal
forum that is used and governed by the president. The domestic policy of the state has been
established in the year 1985, by the then president Ronald Regan (Hayes-Renshaw, 2017). The
council oversees the process of implementation as well a development of the president’s
domestic policies and agendas. In addition to this, the council also works towards maintaining
the effective coordination and communication amongst the staffs and officials of the council.
In the year 1970, President Nixon had given the order to establish an office of policy
development. This is regarded as the initiation of the domestic policy council of the United
States. At present President Donald Trump is the chairperson of the council.

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Secrecy and Executive Privilege
Secrecy and Executive privilege is one of the most important constitutional principles of
the United States that enables the president and his high level officials to withhold certain
information from the public as well as other governmental entities (Bergsten, 2017). However,
this practice of withholding testimonies and documents from the congress and the court has been
highly controversial.

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Reference
Bergsten, C.F., 2017. Dilemmas of the Dollar: Economics and Politics of United States
International Monetary Policy: Economics and Politics of United States International
Monetary Policy. Routledge.
Hayes-Renshaw, F. (2017). The council of ministers. Palgrave Macmillan.
Jackson, J. (2013). Tax earmarking, party politics and gubernatorial veto: theory and evidence
from US states. Public Choice, 155(1-2), 1-18.
Lowi, T. J., & Nicholson, N. K. (2015). Arenas of power: Reflections on politics and policy.
Routledge.