Policy Brief

Policy Brief

Strayer University

PAD 505: Public Budgeting and Finance

The Department of Education

Summarize the mission and budget of the department you selected.

The mission of The U.S Department of Education is to promote students achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. The U.S Department of Education was established by congress on May 4, 1980. Under this law the mission is designed to strengthen the Federal commitment of assuring that all are treated equal by given the same equal opportunity for every induvial. In order to provide the most quality of education it is vital for the efforts of the state to supplement and complement the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational Today, President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2018 Budget. “This budget makes an historic investment in America’s students,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “President Trump is committed to ensuring the Department focuses on returning decision-making power back to the States, where it belongs, and on giving parents more control over their child’s education (“President’s FY 2018 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education”, 2018). By refocusing the Department’s funding priorities on supporting students, we can usher in a new era of creativity and ingenuity and lay a new foundation for American greatness” (“President’s FY 2018 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education”, 2018).

Does the proposed budget of the department you chose include policy actions to reduce the deficit in the near future?

According to the Atlantic Post, Trumps administration proposal includes budget cuts to federal aid programs and increased funding for school choice. Trump suggest actions to cut non- military spending with the “American First” budget by slashing funds for the education department by 13.5 percent or $9.2 billion. This plan would remove $2.4 billion in grants for teacher training and $1.2 billion in funding for summer and after school programs, ultimately eliminating funding for over 20 departmental programs that do not serve national needs. Understanding that by eliminating supplemental education opportunity grants, over 1.6 million for low income undergraduates each year will be without federal work-study. Trumps new budget plan states that Trumps administration wants to spend $1.4 billion to expand vouchers in public and private schools. The message is very clear Federal Aid is out and School Choice is in under the Trump Administration (“U.S. Department of Education”, 2013).

Does the proposed budget put the government on a path to reduce the federal debt within a decade to a sustainable percentage of GDP?

The Department of Education’s mission is to promote students achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access (“Mission”, 2011). The question at hand asks does the proposed budget put the government on a path to reduce the federal debt within a decade to a sustainable percentage of GDP, yes it does by lowering the dependency rate in the country. Currently Trumps proposed budget plan fails, falling short of what is required to put the federal government on a maintainable economic path. As stated by the U.S. Secretary of Education this budget makes an historic investment in American students.

Does the proposed budget align revenues and spending closely over the long term?

According to the Department of Education the proposed budget does align revenues and spending closely over the long term. This is in regards to the allowance of students being able to pay back the loan debt over a period of time after completion of the program or once one is no longer attending an accredited institution. As stated by the U.S. Department of Education “The budget also reflects our commitment to spending taxpayer dollars wisely and efficiently by consolidating and eliminating ineffective federal programs that are better handled at the state or local level. I look forward to working with Congress to pass a budget that puts students first and returns power in education to where it belongs: with states, districts and families“ (“President’s FY 2020 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education”, 2019).

Does the proposed budget restrain major entitlement programs or introduce changes in spending and tax policies that will have cumulative beneficial fiscal effects over time?

To answer the question at hand in my opinion yes, the proposed budget does restrain major entitlement programs in regards to the main budget cut in the Department of Education. As stated earlier the department’s percent had dropped to 13% or $9.2 million by slashing funds from the Department of Education. While conducting research it states that there are two types of spending in the federal budget process that of discretionary and mandatory. The difference between the two is discretionary spending is according to appropriations process where congress grants the right to set up a new funding level each fiscal year where almost all educational programs exist except the smaller programs such as student loans, vocational grants, school lunch, and a few tax benefit programs (Amadeo, 2019). Mandatory spending on the other hand will conclude all spending that does not take place through appropriation legislation including entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, requiring interest spending on the federal debt occurring ongoing each year absent a change in the law that provides the funding (Amadeo, 2019).

References

Amadeo, K. (2019, April 24). The Mandatory Federal Programs That Are Eating the Budget Alive. Retrieved August 02, 2019, from https://www.thebalance.com/current-federal-mandatory-spending-3305772

Mission. (2011, October 20). Retrieved July 30, 2019, from https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/mission/mission.html

President’s FY 2020 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education. (2019, May 15). Retrieved July 31, 2019, from https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget20/index.html

President’s FY 2018 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education. (2018, May 23). Retrieved July 25, 2019, from https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget18/index.html

U.S. Department of Education. (2013, October 2). Retrieved July 25, 2019, from https://ballotpedia.org/U.S._Department_of_Education