What Is President Reagan's Domestic Policy?

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The White House had offices for domestic policy that were created during Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter’s stay. President Reagan expanded these offices to exercise more control (Schultz, 2013). The Domestic Policy group was renamed to the Office of Policy Development (OPD), and an organizational relationship between the White House and the departments was set in place to make sure that the programs were on the same page as the presidential goals. Cabinet councils were created to meet at the White House and discuss goals and objectives. Reagan signed the Tax Reform Law (Reagan Library, n.d.). He also fought for Social Security and immigration reform, and expansion to the Medicare program. Reagan established a special unit to prosecute criminal polluters as well as passing the Comprehensive Crime Control Act. This act restricted the insanity defense, toughened penalties for drug dealers as well as others, and reviewed Federal sentencing guidelines. Reagan appointed the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, to the U.S. Supreme Court. Reagan encouraged positions on issues such as affirmative action, prayer in schools and abortion (Schultz, 2013). …show more content…

First, taxes were cut by 25 percent over three years (Schultz, 2013). Second, cuts were made to social programs such as food stamps, welfare and unemployment. Lastly, he proposed an increase of $1.2 trillion in military spending over five years. The tax cuts, Reagan argued, would allow for new investments which would increase federal revenue. The increase in spending actually caused a rise in the nation’s debt. These policies failed at first. The trickle-down effect they were supposed to have did not happen. It initially caused a recession. However, by 1984 some of the policies sparked an economic recovery, but then by the late 1980s produced the largest deficit in