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| Francis E. Townsend proposed a plan that was the precursor to Social Security (although somewhat more generous). |
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| Taxes employers are required to withhold from the employees’ pay; also, taxes payed from an employer’s fund that are directly related to employing the employee (i.e., half the Medicare, half the Social Security). |
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| proposed in 1941 by Milton Friedman, Beardlsey Ruml, and Bernard Baruch; withholds money from employees’ paychecks rather than having them pay a lump sum once a year |
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| Targeting within universalism |
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| Proposed by Theda Skcopol. Idea of assisting non-whites and the poor within broad social programs that include whites and the middle class. Sort of a compromise because targeting minorities leaves out poor whites, and targeting poor people is unpopular among voters |
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| Number of people either too old or too young to be in the labor force divided by the number of people in the appropriate age range to be in the labor force. |
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| a national commission on Social Security Reform appointed by Congress and the President in 1981 to study and make recommendations regarding the short-term financing crisis that faced Social Security at the time. Proposed income tax on Social Security benefits of higher income people. Also raised age of retirement, made one half of Social Security benefit taxable income, and added more employees to the system |
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| For a suggested reform to Social Security, where you pay for your own, thus only getting that which you put in,the current working generation would not only have to pay for the previous generation, but also for themselves. Thus, a double-payment problem. |
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| issue in the Welfare Reform area of the “Contract with America”. Repubs wanted to spend less on welfare, but there was a paradox; the children of poor adults aren’t at fault, and you can’t punish the adults without punishing the children. The solution? Make adoption easier. |
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| Many welfare recipients would rather stay on welfare than get jobs. |
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| "End welfare as we know it" |
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| Statement President Clinton made during campaign, that he upheld with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which decreased welfare spending and put an emphasis on poor people getting jobs. |
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| an ad by the HIAA that attacked President Clinton’s health care reform act. |
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| Bill proposed by President Clinton (with oversight from Hillary and Ira Magaziner). Initially received a lot of support, but failed due to smear campaign and poor management by the Clintons. |
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| Title of 1983 report from the National Commission on Excellence in Education that contributed to the sense that American schools were failing, and we would soon see the effects of this in decreased worker production and innovation. Catalyst for many reforms to education. |
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| wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school will attend. |
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| schools that receive the same funding as public schools without some of the rules, regulations, and statutes. These schools had to adhere to special standards, though, set forth in their charters (hence the name). |
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| group of laws proposed by W that aimed to increase educational standards. Based on standardized testing. |
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| the process by which the government controls the supply of money, the availability of money, and the cost of money or rate of interest. Expansionary policy increases the amount of money in circulation, contractionary decreases the amount of money. |
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| the central banking system of the US. Created in 1913. Quasi-public, quasi-private banking system that comprises of the board of governors (presidentially appointed), the federal open market committee, 12 regional federal reserve banks located in major cities (9 member boards of directors), and numerous other private banks which subscribe to required amounts of non-transferrable stock in the Federal Reserve Bank. |
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| use of government spending and revenue collection to influence the economy. Main instruments are government spending and taxation. Can change aggregate demand and the level of economic activity, the pattern of resource allocation, and the distribution of income. Fiscal policy is the overall effect of the budget on economic activity. |
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| advocates public sector (government) policy to stabilize the economy. Believes that private sector decision sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes. |
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| theory suggested by Wildavsky that there are two versions of the President; the domestic and the foreign. Presidents prefer to focus on foreign policy because they have more power there, there are less interest groups, and Congress doesn’t have much control. That has changed however, and foreign policy is now very much a partisan politics. |
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| National Security Council |
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| executive branch government body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising executives on matter related to national security. Began under President Truman. |
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| Wright Export company broke the embargo on South American countries. They were charged with illegally sending arms of war to Bolivia. CW argued that the embargo was unconstitutional because Congress had improperly delegated legislative power to the executive branch. The ruling was that the executive branch has the implicit power to make foreign policy decision. |
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| Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer |
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| Truman seized the steel companies because they wouldn’t accept the proposed wage increases without also raising taxes higher than the government wanted. Ruling was that the President did not have the power to seize private property in the absence of specifically enumerated authority or statutory authority. There was such a multiplicity of opinions, though, that it is difficult to figure out exactly what power the President does have in such matters. |
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| joint resolution by the Congress in response to two alleged minor naval skirmishes off the coast of North Vietnam between U.S. destroyers and North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Gave LBJ, without a formal declaration of war, authorization for the use of military force in Southeast Asia. Allowed the President to “take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force, to assist any member or protocol state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its freedom. LBJ used the resolution to begin its rapid escalation of U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam conflict. It was repealed during the Nixon administration thanks to the failure of the Vietnam war. |
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| passed in 1973, replacing the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. Says that the U.S. can send armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if the U.S. is already under attack or serious threat. Requires that the president notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining more than 60 days without an authorization for the use of military force or a declaration of war. Opponents argue that it throws off the balance of power, and Presidents in general have considered it unconstitutional. |
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| Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 |
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| supposed to reform campaigning by prohibiting national political party committees from raising or spending any funds not subject to federal limits, and by defining as “electioneering communications” ads that name a federal candidate within 30 days of a primary or caucus or 60 days of a general election, and prohibiting any such ad paid for by a corporation. |
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| Electioneering Communications |
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| any communication that refers to a clearly identified federal candidate, is publicly distributed by a television, radio, or satellite system for a fee, and is distributed within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary election. Corporations are prohibited from issuing such communications |
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| ballot initiative in California in 1994 designed to prohibit illegal immigrants from using social services, including public education, in California. Passed by the voters, but found unconstitutional by a federal court. Even though it was ruled unconstitutional, it prompted support for similar bills in Illinois, Florida, New York, and Texas. |
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| act that did away with national quotas for immigration. Resulted in a flood of immigration from non-European countries. |
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| policies that are characterized by debate over core values that are typically grounded in religious belief (i.e., gay marriage, abortion, etc.) |
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| Webster v. Reproductive Health Services |
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| upheld a Missouri law that imposed restrictions on the use of state funds, facilities, and employees in performing, assisting with, or counseling on abortions. Allowed for states to legislate in an area that had been previously thought forbidden under Roe. |
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| Planned Parenthood v. Casey |
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| Pennsylvania law that required spousal notification prior to obtaining an abortion was invalid under the 14th amendment because it created an undue burden on married women seeking abortion. Requirements for parental consent, informed consent (doctors must warn women of all risks before an abortion can be performed), and a 24 hour waiting period, however, were constitutionally valid. |
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| BAD. Forces policy decisions to be interwoven with politics. While it allows people more say into government, it prevents government from being able to make the really difficult decisions for fear of a public backlash, resulting in a priority being given to short-term tactical gain over long term vision. |
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