Public Policy: the ways in which a President utilizes and implements constitutional laws

to manipulate the domestic result of issues affecting the people of the United States.

Reagan's true legacy was his reimaging of the American Presidency. His public policies,

however, were so ideologically driven that only portions of them can be considered

successful and long lasting. Eisenhower, on the other hand, oversaw his public policies

as Adam Smith recommended a capitalist economy be managed: with an invisible hand.

Often overlooked due to his lack of charisma, Eisenhower's policies lent the public

stability and fostered the beginning of America’s success seen in the later half of the

century.

Remembered for its display of what occurs when a group loses sight of the very ideal

they are protecting, McCarthyism is a stain on the United States's history. Although the

period is acknowledged, little is said of the tactics politicians used in order to prevent

McCarthy’s tirade. Eisenhower was hesitant to segment the population even more than

it already was by speaking out against his fellow civil servants; he saw the issue as

social, and felt politicians had no business propagating the hysteria (CEASARS). When

members of his cabinet were subpoenaed for questioning by Congress during the

hearings, however, Eisenhower reacted by invoking “executive privilege,” a practice

dating back to George Washington, although not actually in the constitution.

Eisenhower maintained with this order that executives must be able to speak freely in

meetings in order to formulate the best policy, and were therefore exempt from

Congressional questioning through the separation of powers provided by the constitution

(_______). Although not officially declared constitutional before US v Nixon (DATE),

Eisenhower’s conservative approach to this issue, only acting when traditionally

acceptable, became the image of his social public policy.

The informality of Eisenhower’s use of executive privilege continued a

precedent which has become questionable in years following, proving it lasting although

perhaps in a regressive way. The practice was traditionally used as a measure to protect

national security, rather than a national witch hunt (which could be considered security)

**. By using the order to further a personal belief, Eisenhower began a cycle later used

to conceal information for the sake of administrations’ reputations. Most notable,

George W. Bush used the order to keep Cheney’s meetings with energy executives

private, and Karl Rove’s executive subpoena from causing a blow to the

administration’s image (____).

Eisenhower continued his constitutional social policies when he appointed Earl

Warren Chief Justice to the Supreme Court. The Warren Court famously changed the

constitution, legalizing the Civil Rights Movement and accepting progressive

legislation. Eisenhower most famously imposed Warren’s progressive changes when he

sent the National Guard to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce the court’s ruling that

separate was not equal, beginning integration in schools. Here, the President did not

politicize the movement or decision, but instead performed what was constitutionally

expected of him: enforcement of the law. Although upholding the constitution to this

extent was a standard specific to Eisenhower, his support of essential Welfare State and

Civil Rights decisions and legislation during his presidency gave way to massive

economic and social reforms. These changes, started by Eisenhower, gave individuals

far greater rights than ever before in American history.

If asked to name his most important, or favorite, policy, Eisenhower would

probably name the National Highway Act. Passed in 1953, the Act was one of the

largest public works project in United States history (CEASARS). He sold the initiative

as the best way to propagate democracy, claiming free communication was through a

democratization of mobility. In its first forty years, the project is estimated to have

proved one quarter of the nation’s productivity, and seven million highway transit (or

directly related) jobs (HISTORY). Eisenhower’s experience as a War Department Staff

Observation Officer and the FTMC* provided him with keen insight into the needs of

highways. For example, the Act required the roads to have one fifth of the highways be

straight, so they could serve as emergency landing strips. The nation has come to

depend on these highways, as well as the military, which sets up bases in close

proximity to the roads. Although environmental and “not in my backyard” movements

have altered some of the original pathways, the highways today are considered one of

the seven wonders of the United States, and continue to be essential to American

industry.

Eisenhower’s economic policies were similar to his social policies, in that he

believed in creating an environment conducive to a prospering market, but once this

was established, the market itself should determine the success and failure of industries.

(MENTION HIS SUPPORT OF NEW DEAL) His campaign platform included

lowering taxes (at that point income tax averaged at 70%), but once he entered office,

he refused to lower taxes until the national deficit from the war was depleted

(CEASARS). His conservative approach to spending and liberal taxation proved

successful: for the majority of his presidency he ran a balanced budget, while all

standard measurements for an improved economy soared, including: GNP, capital

investments, personal savings, and income (PBS). In his Farewell Address, the

President warned the American people to reject the allure of materialism and “the

impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the

precious resources of tomorrow” (PBS). This sentiment was clearly lost by the later

generation of Americans.

Reagan came to the White House after President Carter, who Americans saw as

weak and too simplistic to run the nation. The charisma that Reagan brought to his

campaign showed the spirit Americans were looking for; they were seeking change, not

necessarily politically, but in terms of the image of the president. President Reagan

pulled out the red carpet (literally) and acted as much as his celebrity actor self as his

presidential self. With little experience in both law and politics, Reagan’s public policy

was more dependent on the advice of his cabinet and also represented his personal

ideals, rather than reactions to public expression.

Reagan’s determination to bring the Soviet Union to an end has been

characterized on more than one occasion as “obsessive.” His public policy was therefore

far more an attempt to utilize domestic strength as an international weapon. Wanting to

prove the superiority of capitalism, Regan implemented a literal interpretation of free

market economy: he deregulated industry, including enforcement of civil rights,

emissions, and safety; he universally cut taxes, especially for the upper bracket; he

increased the military budget initially by $1.5 trillion over 5 years (although this number

decreased over the years) at the expense of discretionary spending. Further, to stop

inflation caused by the recession, Reagan increased interest rates. These changes

allowed an initial growth spurt in the economy, which pleased the public: their taxes

decreased, companies were no longer burdened by restrictions, and their material

quality of life increased* (CEASARS).