ARCHIVE
White House Workshop
Bill Clinton Administration (1st term) - Archive Edition
March 29-31, 1995
The Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Defense Agencies Present
The 1994-1995 Public Policy Seminar Series
White House Workshop:
A Seminar on the Modern Presidency
Held at The Capitol Hill Club.
The White House Workshop examines the multiple roles of the Presidency and explores how presidential politics and initiatives affect the policies and processes of government. Although the Constitution established the Legislative Branch of government as the principal policy organ, historical evolution has made the President the prime initiator and coordinator of domestic and international policy and the foremost mobilizer for public support.
Presidents and their administrations have become the central focus for both public discontent and national celebration, as is evident with the passage of the budget agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Timing, tenacity, political skills and ample use of the presidential bully pulpit were most certainly the deciding factors in these victories. Whether or not these victories will translate into continuing successes in the areas of health care, welfare reform and crime, remains to be seen. With limited resources and the prospect of continuing budget deficits, the debate over which direction the country should take continues; and the public, the parties, and the experts are as divided as ever.
As the United States approaches the end of the 20th century, important transformations are taking place in the demographic, cultural, technological, and political environment. Since its emergence as a great power a century ago, the United States has met and overcome a series of challenges to the geopolitical balance of power and to international security. Recent international events continue to trouble President Clinton. Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Rwanda, and North Korea have drawn a reluctant United States into the center of world events. As usual, President Clinton is expected to deliver an appropriate American response, and to do so while formulating solutions for continuing domestic concerns. This has been particularly difficult given the public preoccupation with domestic issues and the general reluctance to involve America's military in these and other areas around the world.
What complicates the exercise of presidential power and the character of public policy is the intertwining of domestic and international issues. Indeed, capital investments, manufacturing bases, telecommunications and financial markets are becoming increasingly global in character. This phenomenon is not only limited to economic matters, but can also be seen in demographic and cultural movements. Given this expanding trend, the administration must deftly balance its political priorities and cautiously apportion its political capital. How it responds to these mounting pressures will ultimately affect the stature of the United States in the world community.
Senior personnel must be able to articulate, plan, and budget in such a way as to build a new consensus that will meet national objectives and secure stable public support. Modern public policy seldom offers clear choices - only a myriad of complex, poorly understood, and interdependent options. It is these contradictory trends that will define the range of choices facing both business and the government. It is, therefore, important that federal senior managers and executives clearly understand how the institutional dynamics and policies in the Executive Branch shape the management and mission of their agency, and their professional responsibilities in the years ahead.
White House Workshop Speakers & Topics
The Evolution of Presidential Power: Stephen Wayne, Professor of Government, Georgetown University; Author of Presidential Leadership, The Legislative Presidency, and The Road to the White House 1992
National Security: Issues and Partisan Politics: Mark Lowenthal, Senior Specialist in U.S. Foreign Policy, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Author of Leadership and Indecision: American War Planning and Policy Process, 1937-1942
The Role of the Chief of Staff: Kenneth Duberstein, Former Chief of Staff under President Reagan; Chairman and CEO, The Duberstein Group; Former Deputy Under-Secretary of Labor under President Ford
The President and Public Opinion: Demographics and Social Change in America: Karlyn Keene Bowman, Editor, American Enterprise Magazine; Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
The Defense Budget: Military vs. Domestic Priorities: Lawrence J. Korb, Director, Center for Public Policy Education, Brookings Institution; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Reagan; Author of The Joint Chiefs of Staff: The First 25 Years
The Politics of Health in America: Julie Rovner, Contributing Editor, Medical News Network; Free-lance Health Journalist
Contemporary Electoral Politics: How America Chooses Winners and Losers: Jay Bryant, Producer of At Issue, CNBC; Political Consultant; Former Assistant to the governor of Illinois
Reorganizing the Military: Future Roles and Missions: Colonel Harry Summers, USA (Ret.), Syndicated Columnist, Los Angeles Times; Editor, Vietnam Magazine; Lecturer and Consultant on Military and Strategic Affairs
Human Rights and U.S. Public Policy: Jim O'Dea, Director, Amnesty International USA
Making Foreign Policy in the White House: Jeremy Rossner, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Former National Security Council Staff Member under President Clinton
International Politics and Policy in a Changing World: Ambassador Edward L. Peck, Executive Secretary, American Academy of Diplomacy; President, Foreign Services International; Former Chief of Mission, Baghdad, Iraq
Weapons Proliferation and Arms Control: Geoffrey Kemp, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Former Special Assistant to President Reagan for Near East and South Asian Affairs
The President and the Media: Eleanor Clift, Political and White House Correspondent, Newsweek Magazine; Panelist, The McLaughlin Group
Leadership and the Balance of Power: The President and Congress: Steven Roberts, Senior Writer, U.S. News & World Report; Former White House Correspondent, The New York Times; Guest Commentator, Washington Week in Review
Presidential Leadership in Contemporary Society: Senator George McGovern, President, Middle East Policy Council; Former Senator from South Dakota and Presidential Candidate
U.S. National Security: The Scramble for Alliances: Lewellyn King, Publisher and Editor, Energy Daily; Defense Week; Environment Week
A British Assessment of U.S. Politics and Policies: Martin Walker, Journalist and Author; U.S. Bureau Chief and former Moscow Bureau Chief, The Guardian (London); Regular Commentator on CNN, CBC, C-Span, CBS-TV, NPR
