THE PRESIDENCY: IMPACT AND INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC POLICY

The Presidency: Impact and Influence on Public Policy

The Presidency: Impact and Influence on Public Policy

Introduction

The American presidents have always promoted democracy by building self-esteem in individuals who are often patronized for their poverty, illiteracy and poor health. They promote democracy by teasing out larger visions of how the world could be better against a backdrop of corporate rapaciousness and governmental indifference. They deliver services to their members and others in the community, which help, recruit people to cooperate in collective action. They promote democracy by organizing the individuals and their visions into consolidated activity, whether it is community development or direct action. Even when they fail, or when they succeed then fall apart, they promote democracy by having built self-esteem, enabled vision, and gave birth to concepts of collective action, community development and direct action which frequently translate into new organizations and action that are frequently more effective than the earlier incarnations. Nevertheless, the political roles involve providing groups and individuals space to trace their conditions to their historical, social and economic origins and to create imaginative alternative practices to redress their condition and to better express the American Creed. Their social role indicates what we look for, but they weave government programs into these networks far more than limited-government advocates realize. Far from being only a protective shield from government intrusion, as many social theorists portray them, community-based mediating structures leverage government funds for needed services and invoke government regulations to protect their members from incursions of the corporate champions of market capitalism (Krause and Jeffrey, 2000).

We talk about faith and the importance of faith in our society. Nobody wants government to be the church, and the church to be the government. But government should not fear faith and faith-based programs. Government should not worry about programs that come out of church or synagogue or a mosque, all intended at loving a neighbour just like you'd like to be loved yourself. The universal call to love is something to be nurtured, not feared. There is a role for government. When programs are funded, we should not to discriminate against faith-based programs. And we should not to cause the faith-based program to have to change its purpose in order to receive any money. Otherwise it won't be a faith-based program. Government can hand out money. But government cannot put hope in people's hearts. It cannot put faith in people's lives. And faith is a forceful motivator. Many a program relies upon faith, and we ought to welcome the faith-based programs into the gentle delivery of help (Edwards and Wood, 1999)

Millions of Americans, millions, are handicapped at work, at school, or at home by episodes of mental illness. Many are disabled by severe and persistent mental problems. These illnesses affect individuals, they affect their families, and they affect the country. As many Americans know, it is incredibly agonizing to watch someone you love struggle with an illness that affects their mind and their feelings and ...