Explain the purposes of public policy and discuss whether such policy should be in the hands of the federal government.

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).


The preamble to the Constitution lists “to promote the general welfare” as a purpose of the Constitution and the national government it created. But the Constitution does not clearly define what promoting the public welfare means. Under dual federalism, it was the states with their broad police powers that were responsible for attending to such policy areas as health care, education, public safety, etc. Public policy is the intentional use of governmental power to achieve or support specific goals and objectives. As such, both the federal government and the states must create and implement public policy through such measures as laws, regulations, and other public initiatives. The contentious area of public policy arises when the federal government sees itself involved in such areas as education and health care that are not clearly listed in the Constitution and were traditionally held as the responsibility of the states. However, fiscal federalism has changed the degree to which the federal government has been able to set such social welfare policy agendas. But the ultimate goal of such policies should be to equitably promote the health, safety, and welfare of all Americans, be it at the state or national level.
Student answers may vary but should include some of the points in this answer.

Political Science

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