Change in The United States Foreign and Domestic Policy
The United States Foreign and Domestic policies have transformed over some time. Foreign policy is a set of general goals that manage one state’s exercises and connections in its associations with other states and giving the means and instruments to pursue these goals. This policy is externally focused. On the other hand, a domestic policy is a set of administrative choices that are directly identified with all issues and activities inside a country’s territory. This policy is internally focused and mainly affects only people living in that country. Both of these policies usually undergo many changes over a while, according to the current administration in government in line with the leaders of the day. This thesis is focused on the social policy changes in the United States over periods, both foreign and domestic.
The social policy comprises rules, standards, and activities that influence the everyday environments helpful for human welfare that affect a person’s quality of life. (Reisman, 2001). The United States gained independence in 1776 from the British. Major legislation in healthcare began in the 20th century. This was when the government began taking a role in regulating the healthcare industry. During that period, the government established the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control. The Social Security Amendments of 1965 established Medicare and Medicaid. These are health insurance programs set up for people over 65 and people with certain disabilities and for people with low incomes and people with disabilities, respectively.
The Health Maintenance Organization Act was set up in 1973 (Dorsey, 1975)[1]. This Act guided prepaid service plans called Health Insurance Organizations instead of fee for service plans. Next was the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation act of 1985, which gave a curtain to employees to continue their healthcare coverage in case of job loss or medical leave. This happened because, previously, the coverage would have been suspended. In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was ratified, which limited the exclusion of employees with preexisting conditions by companies. Obamacare, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was established in 2010, which led to all citizens getting health insurance.
The Education policy has changed drastically over time in the United States. This are the various principles guiding how education is conducted. This started in the 1800s with the First and Second Morrill Acts, which introduced federal aid and a land-grant system for institutions of higher learning. They were given land to set up and expand institutions. In 1896, legalized segregation was introduced. (Powers, 2014)[2]. This was racially biased, but the schools were thought to be equal, but on the ground were different. Fast forward to 1958; the National Defense Education Act was initiated. Loans to students were fund students who were not able to afford tuition fees.
1964 was a year of a major change in policy in education. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act was passed that outlawed discrimination in public schools based on race or national origin. Following this was a Title IX of the Education Amendments introduced in 1972 that outlawed discrimination based on gender and 1973 based on disabilities. Congress formed the Department of Education in 1980. No Child Left Behind Act was ratified in 2001 that increased the number of funds allocated to education and reformed the testing. The Race established competition by the federal grants to the Top program in 2010.
Foreign policy is this is a type of policy that comprises of procedures and strategies selected by the state to shield its national advantages and to accomplish objectives on the international stage. The main goal of foreign policy is the application of diplomacy in solving international problems. The foreign policy is thought to be political, but there is a social side to it. It focuses on human rights, immigration, social justice, and partly international trade.
The immigration policy has been changing from time to time, depending on the administration. As of 1875, a series of immigration restrictions were introduced targeted on people with disabilities, beggars, Asian immigrants, and polygamists. (The McCarran-Walter Act). In the early 1900s, the policies shifted towards immigration flow from northern and western Europe. To check on this, laws were introduced in 1921 and 1924 to restore immigration patterns. The Immigration and Nationalization Act was passed in 1965, which created a system that favored family reunifications of families separated by immigration and skilled immigrants.
Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 was enacted that gave permanent residence status to Cuban refugees. (Talamo, 2001)[3] To assist Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, the Trade Act of 1974 was passed to align towards that human rights issue. The Immigration Reform and Control Act was set up in 1980 that looked at the undocumented immigrants living in the US at that time. The DREAM act, followed in 2001, was established to cater to young immigrants on conditions such as high grades, later extended by President Obama. The twenty-first century saw a lot of reforms on immigration. President Trump signed an executive order that banned immigration from countries such as Iran, Somalia, Sudan, and Libya, among others.
Legislation on human rights and freedoms have changed over time in the United States of America. The country was founded on the idea of ‘unalienable’ rights. The participation of the United States on the international states about trade started in the twentieth century. The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 was passed that aided the anti-apartheid revolution in South Africa as part of the country’s effort to fight social injustices.
The US Congress passed legislation that stated that countries receiving aid from the United States should provide human rights reports every year to monitor the observation of human rights and freedoms in those countries. This happened in 1975. This was under international law that the United States was within its limits and rights in promoting human rights. The Bush Administration applied pressure on Sudan’s government to sign the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 that ended the civil war that had spanned many decades.
From the above, it can be seen that policy is always under constant change. The change is brought about by the people’s needs at that particular time and the people in government at the time. An example is the Cuban migration crisis that happened in that their migration was banned, and later they were given permanent residency status in 1966. Domestic policy happens on the home front while the foreign policy happens on the international stage, such as United Nations conventions.
References
Reisman, D. (2001). The Definition of Social Policy. SpringerLink. Retrieved 31 July 2020, from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057%2F9780230512917_2.
Dorsey, J. L. (1975). The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 (PL 93-222) and prepaid group practice plans. Medical care, 1-9.
Groves, H. E. (1951). Separate but equal–The doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson. Phylon (1940-1956), 12(1), 66-72.
Powers, J. M. (2014). On separate paths: The Mexican American and African American legal campaigns against school segregation. American Journal of Education, 121(1), 29-55.
[1] Dorsey, J. L. (1975). The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 (PL 93-222) and prepaid group practice plans. Medical care, 1-
[2] Powers, J. M. (2014). On separate paths: The Mexican American and African American legal campaigns against school segregation. American Journal of Education, 121(1), 29-55.
[3] Talamo, J. (2001). The Cuban Adjustment Act: a law under siege. ILSA J. Int’l & Comp. L., 8, 707.