ARCHIVE
Capitol Hill Workshop
The 101st Congress - Archive Edition
June 26-28, 1990
Federal Emergency Management Agency Presents
Capitol Hill Workshop
U.S. Policy: The New and Changing Realities of the 90's
Held at The Capitol Hill Club.
Change and uncertainty are fast becoming the hallmark of the last decade of the 20th Century. Fundamental political, social and economic assumptions that have shaped U.S. foreign and domestic policies since World War II are coming under scrutiny, as are the institutions designed to pursue those policies. The debate over resource allocations is becoming increasingly complex and has shifted from the traditional guns vs. butter; to trade wars vs. star wars vs. drug wars.
Decades of Communist mismanagement have left Central Europe in shambles. We are witness to the trauma of the Soviet Empire and the splintering of these countries as they struggle to come to terms with their long suppressed economic and political rights. Will the U.S. be able to provide the leadership and vision necessary to assist Central Europe in peaceful reconstruction or will we be merely a spectator of the unfolding world events? The outcome, action and reactions of the Bush Administration and the 101st Congress will certainly have significant consequences on the funds, budgets and programs in all sectors of the federal government.
After a decade of growth, the American defense establishment faces the prospect of unprecedented cut-backs. In the long term, nothing will be sacrosanct - no big ticket item, base or weapons program will be guaranteed immunity from future budget reductions. Operating in the political environment of Gramm-Rudman, deficits, international trade imbalances and "no new taxes," hard choices must be made by the Bush Administration. With the potential end of the Cold War and with Détente looking more and more probable, the Congress is hoping that a cut-back in U.S. military spending will offer a windfall savings and consequently a reassessment of domestic priorities.
Congress is poised to make the best of this "peace dividend." A plethora of costly domestic programs has been put forth by the 101st Congress ranging from education, healthcare and social security reform to new drug and crime initiatives. Will Congress and the President be able to address these domestic concerns and still hope to have meaningful reductions to the deficit in an era where domestic pressure is coupled with unprecedented demands for U.S. subsidies to foreign governments? The dilemma is for the United States to be responsive in the political and economic demands and conflicts abroad and yet be able to address domestic problems at home. In this atmosphere, it remains to be seen whether the Democratic-controlled Congress and Republican Administration will determine the agenda by compromise or conflict.
At this juncture in history, an appreciation of the dynamics of U.S. public policy can make it possible for effective management in this era of change and uncertainty. The ability to prepare, anticipate and plan are essential. This seminar will help decipher the often confusing and unclear signals being conveyed by policymakers that bear upon the future course of and budget levels associated with contemporary management requirements. It is particularly appropriate that managers and executives from FEMA be aware of how current U.S. public policies affect their career, the mission of their organization and the shape of the civil service in the years to come.
Speakers & Topics
The Changing Soviet Empire: Public Policy Challenges in the Next Decade: Robert Hunter, Vice President for Regional Programs and Director of European Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Former National Security Council Staff Member.
Prospects for the 1990's: A Conservative Assessment: Burton Pines, Vice President of Research, Heritage Foundation; Former Associate Editor and East Europe Bureau Chief, Time Magazine
Prospects for the 1990's: A Liberal Assessment: Richard Cohen, Syndicated Columnist, The Washington Post.
Building, Buying and Funding the Military: Prospects and Challenges to the National Defense Policy: Lawrence Korb, Director, Center for Public Policy Education, Brookings Institution; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense.
The 101st Congress: Where Do We Go From Here?: Representative Vin Weber (R-MN), House Committee on Appropriations; Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Secretary, Republican Leadership Conference.
The Constitution and Representation in government: The American Experience: Mark Talisman, Director, Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Fund; Senior Lecturer, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The Domestic Agenda: Stuart Eizenstat, Law Partner - Powell, Goldtein, Frazer and Murphy; Former Assistant to President Jimmy Carter for Domestic Affairs and Policy; and Executive Director, Domestic Policy Staff.
The Politics of Ethics in the 1990's Congress and the Executive Branch: James Coyne, Vice President, Weston, Inc.; President and Founder, American Tort Reform Association; Former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan; Former Congressman from Pennsylvania.
The Impact of the Media on Public Policy: A Changing Scenario: Sid Davis, Program Director, Voice of America; Former Senior Washington Correspondent, NBC News.
Presidential Leadership: An Assessment of the Reagan vs. Bush Administration: Terry Eastland, Resident Scholar, National Legal Center for the Public Interest; Former Director of Public Affairs, Department of Justice.
Politics on the Potomac: Leadership and the Balance of Power: Steven Roberts, Senior Writer, U.S. News and World Report; Former White House Correspondent, The New York Times.
Nixon to Bush: National Security Policy in Transition: Robert S. Wood, Director, Strategic Studies Group; Dean, Center for Naval Warfare Studies; U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.
Presidential-Congressional Relations: A View from a Former Chief of Staff: Kenneth Duberstein, Chairman and CEO, The Duberstein Group; Former Chief of Staff under President Ronald Reagan; Deputy Under-Secretary of Labor under President Gerald Ford.
The Super Powers: The Politics of Power in the Third World: W. Raymond Duncan, Distinguished Teaching Professor, State University of New York, College at Brockport (NY); Author of The Soviet Union and Cuba: Interests and Influence and The Soviet Union and the Third World Under Gorbachev.
U.S. Strategic Interest in the 1990's: A Cautious Scenario: Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., Director, Center for Security Policy; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy.
The U.S. Economy and the Twin Deficits: Trade Wars vs. Star Wars: Allen Schick, Guest Scholar, Brookings Institution; Author of Congress and Money and Crisis in the Budget Process.
