Public Policy

Foreign Policy deals with ways we handle issues between ourselves and other

countries.

Public Policy deals with the ways we handle issues within our own society here in our

country, our state, or our county.

Public Policy• Public Policy may include laws and rules dealing

with: – Tax policies– Social Security and Medicare (health insurance) for

the elderly – Education services

• interpreters for the deaf • teachers for students who may not speak English• Accommodations and aids for students with learning

disorders– Safety requirements for buildings, homes and new

cars such as airbags, fire codes – Environmental laws that require special trash pick ups

for chemicals such as paint and oil

Public Policy• Demographics - Characteristics of the population (age,

gender, income, religion, etc)• Census – How many people are in the U.S. and where do

they live?• Entitlements – Gov. programs designed to help elderly, ill and

unemployed citizens as well as war veterans• Equity - Fair and equal treatment• Social Security – The money that is deducted from paychecks

and then issued in monthly checks upon retirement• Medicare - program of hospitalization insurance and voluntary

medical insurance for persons aged 65 and over and for certain disabled persons under 65

• Subsidized Housing – citizens qualify to pay for housing provided by the government based on personal income

Public Policy • Medicaid - U.S. government program that helps provide health care

services to those with limited income.

• Title IX - Forbids discrimination on the basis of gender in any educational program. Affirmative Action- A plan or program to remedy the effects of past discrimination in employment, education, or other activity and to prevent its reoccurrence

• GI Bill – promises war veterans free education in exchange for their service to our country

• Americans with Disabilities Act- This law forbids discrimination in employment, transportation, and public accommodations against people with a disability

• Welfare - financial or other assistance to an individual or family from a city, state, or national government

• SNAP – government allots money to families to help pay for food items

Public Policies Assignment

1. Why do states need to study demographics before making a budget for public policy spending?

2. What is an example of an entitlement?

3. What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?

4. Who is most likely to receive Social Security checks?

5. Name 3 examples of public policies that were created to assist low income citizens.

6. Based on the notes provided, give 3 examples of public policies that affect you on a regular basis. Explain what the policy is and how it affects you.

Domestic Policy Vocabulary

Economy The management of resources (expenditures or consumption of money)

Business Cycle A measure of the level of activity of a nation's economy including periods of economic growth and decline.

Economic Stability Financial reliability & dependability

CPI A measure of the overall price level in the economy.

GDP The total dollar value of all final goods and services produced within a country's borders in a given time period.

Inflation An increase in the overall price level in an economy.

Recession A slowdown in economic activity.

Unemployment Rate Measures the percentage of people who want a job, but cannot find one.

Monetary Policy A course of action that seeks to affect the amount of money and credit available in the economy and the cost of the credit (interest rates) in order to help the economy grow, keep prices stable, and keep employment at a high level.

Fiscal Policy Taxing & Spending

Federal Reserve System The nation’s central bank; the federal reserve uses the three tools of monetary policy including open market operations, adjustments in reserve requirement and changes in the interest rate to influence the economy.

Interest Rate A fixed charge for borrowing money, usually a percentage of the amount borrowed.

Reserve Requirement The required percentage of reserves (deposits) that banks must hold in cash or in deposits

at the Federal Reserve. Open Market Operation Open market operations are one of three basic tools used by the Federal Reserve to reach

its monetary policy objectives.

Domestic Issues Vocabulary

Public Policy Government responses to public issues; all of the goals a government sets.

Demographics Characteristics of the population including: age, sex, race, family size, level of education, occupation, income and location of residence

Census The counting of individuals in the United States completed every ten years.

Entitlements Government programs designed to help elderly, ill and unemployed citizens

Equity Fair and equal treatment

Social Security where people receive benefits or services in recognition of contributions to an insurance scheme.

Medicare program of hospitalization insurance and voluntary medical insurance for persons aged 65 and over and for certain disabled persons under 65

Medicaid U.S. government program, financed by federal, state, and local funds, of hospitalization and medical insurance for persons of all ages within certain income limits

Title IX Forbids discrimination on the basis of gender in any educational program. This law helped ensure equal opportunities for women in school and affected hiring practices in the work place.

Affirmative Action A plan or program to remedy the effects of past discrimination in employment, education, or other activity and to prevent its reoccurrence

Americans with Disabilities Act

This law forbids discrimination in employment, transportation, and public accommodations against people with a disability

Welfare financial or other assistance to an individual or family from a city, state, or national

government

State & Local Vocabulary

Land Use The way in which humans use the earth's surface. Uses are classified as urban, rural, agricultural, forested, etc

Smart Growth Government policy in Maryland to address the issues of urban sprawl, urban decay and environmental concerns such as the health of the Chesapeake Bay

Urban Sprawl Sprawl is the spreading out of a city and its suburbs over more and more rural land at the periphery of an urban area. This involves the conversion of open space (rural land) into built-up, developed land over time.

Development Building

Regional Cooperation

regional and sub-regional programs on cross-border infrastructure example: EZ Pass

Zoning regulate the type and size of development to be consistent with the plan. For example, zoning laws must be followed when you want to build an addition on your home or put a pool in your backyard. These laws are typically made by appointed boards in local counties across the state.

Green Space a plot of undeveloped land separating or surrounding areas of intensive

residential or industrial use that is maintained for recreational enjoyment

Foreign Policy Vocabulary

Arms Control The measures taken to limit the weapons systems or armed forces.

National Security Protecting our nation and its borders from foreign invaders will always be the most important goal

Isolationism The views that the US should withdraw from world affairs, limit foreign aid, & avoid involvement in foreign wars

Human Rights The basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law

Foreign Aid a situation in which one country helps another country through some form of donation

Developing Nations A nation where the average income is much lower than in industrial nations, where the economy relies on a few export crops, and where farming is

conducted by primitive methods Weapons of Mass Destruction

Weapons that can produce devastating results when delivered in a single strike. They include nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons

Economic Sanctions

penalties applied by one country (or group of countries) on another for a variety of reasons. Economic sanctions include, but are not limited to, tariffs, trade barriers, import duties, and import or export quotas

Interventionism The views that the US should interfere with world affairs

Free Trade Agreements

Trade between nations without protective customs tariffs

Embargo An agreement prohibiting trade

Terrorism The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes

Tariff A tax placed on imports to increase their price in the domestic market

Foreign Policy Politics of the national government directed to matters beyond United States borders, especially relations with other nations

NAFTA An agreement that removed trade restrictions among the US, Canada, Mexico to increase free cross-border trade.

International Red Cross

world's largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.

UN In 1945 one of Truman’s first presidential decisions was to form an international organization hoping to settle disputes between nations & prevent any future wars

IMF This is an international organization of 184 countries established to promote monetary cooperation and exchange stability.

European Union (EU)

An economic, scientific, and political organization consisting of nations in Europe. These nations include Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, & Sweden

AID the government agency providing US economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years

World Bank It is one of the world’s largest sources of development assistance with helping the poorest people & the poorest countries

WHO An international organization committee to assisting under-developed nations combat health related issues including simple childhood diseases & epidemics

NATO A regional organization formed in the post WWII era. It was created in 1949 & its members, US, Canada, most Western European nations, & Turkey. Any war against one was a war against all.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

An organization of nations whose goal is to achieve stable oil prices that are fair and reasonable for consumers