Policy Brief
Policy Brief
Assignment 1
Reginald L. Walker
PAD 505 Public Budgeting and Finance
Dr. Danette O’Neal
Strayer University
04.22.2018
This study source was downloaded by 100000831988016 from CourseHero.
...
Policy Brief
Policy Brief
Assignment 1
Reginald L. Walker
PAD 505 Public Budgeting and Finance
Dr. Danette O’Neal
Strayer University
04.22.2018
This study source was downloaded by 100000831988016 from CourseHero.com on 03-30-2022 14:49:38 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/31336687/Week-2-assignment-1-Policy-Briefdocx/
Policy Brief
Introduction
The Federal Budget, each year, is the most complex undertaking that Congress must
address. The members of Congress must decide which programs will continue to receive federal
funding and which plans to eliminate. In his “America First- A Blueprint to Make America Great
Again,” President Donald Trump has targeted specific programs and departments to realize his
overall plan that emphasizes public safety and national security.
In examining the 2018 proposed federal budget, The President is looking to decrease
federal funds allocated to the Department of Education. The President’s 2018 Budget provides
$59 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, a $9 billion or 13 percent
reduction below the 2017 annualized CR level (Budget, 2018, p. 17). Though the President’s
plan calls for massive cuts, it does increase spending and investments in public and private
school choice programs while maintaining the funding for the IDEA programming to support
students with special services.
Mission statement and budget goals
The Education Department (ED) mission is to promote student achievement and
preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal
access (Education, 2018). The department was established in 1980 as a cabinet-level agency to
support every area and level of education. The 2018 budget focuses on five major priorities to
improve education conditions in the United States. The programming initiatives the budget will
focus on are: (1) providing robust funding for the President’s top priority of ensuring that every
child has the opportunity to attend a high-quality school selected by his or her parents; (2)
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Policy Brief
maintaining strong support for the Nation’s neediest students; (3) preparing students and
simplifying funding for postsecondary education; (4) continuing to build evidence around
educational innovation; and (5) streamlining Department programs consistent with a limited
Federal role in education (Education D. o., 2018). The Presidents vision is to return the power
and decision making of running our local educational systems to the state and local government
entities. The budget goals for 2018 and beyond is to continue to provide quality education to the
American public while working within the budget constraints of the new administration.
Does the proposed budget of the department you chose include policy actions to reduce the
deficit in the near future?
As stated, the President’s 2018 budget slashes funding up to 9 billion dollars, which is a
13 percent reduction from the 2017 annual budget. Though the 2018 budget is merely a
proposal, substantial cuts are proposed for some of the past educational programming initiatives.
Trump's plan would remove nearly $2.4 bi
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