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Part of the public-policy debate in our nation involves domestic problems.

Domestic policy can be defined as all laws, government planning, and government

actions that concern internal issues of national importance. Consequently, the span of

such policies is enormous. Domestic policies range from relatively simple issues, such as

what the speed limit should be on interstate highways, to more complex ones, such as

how best to protect our environment. Many of our domestic policies are formulated and

implemented by the federal government, but a number of others are the result of the

combined efforts of federal, state, and local governments.

We can define several types of domestic policy. Regulatory policy seeks to define

what is and is not legal. Setting speed limits is obviously regulatory policy. Redistributive

13

Learning OutcOmes

The five Learning Outcomes (LOs) below are designed to help improve your

understanding of this chapter. After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

◾   LO1 Describe the five steps of the policymaking process,

using the health-care reform legislation as an example.

◾   LO2 Explain why illegal immigration is seen as a

problem, and cite some of the steps that have been taken in

response to it.

◾   LO3 Evaluate how the nation has reacted to high oil

prices and the controversy over global warming.

Los Angeles

demonstrators call

on President Obama

to take strong action

on climate change in

February 2013. Are there

steps the president can

take to address this

issue without relying

on Congress? (David

McNew/Getty Images)

Domestic and

Economic Policy

◾ LO4 Define unemployment, inflation, fiscal policy, net

public debt, and monetary policy.

◾ LO5 Describe the various taxes that Americans pay, and

discuss some of the controversies surrounding taxation.

Check your understanding of the material with the Test Yourself section at

the end of the chapter.

Domestic Policy

All government laws,

planning, and actions that

concern internal issues

of national importance,

such as health care, the

environment, and the

economy.

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