The Domestic Policy Council (DPC) is the principal forum used by the
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
for the consideration of domestic policy matters and senior
policymaking
Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organ ...
,
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
, and
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
officials. The Council is part of the
Office of Policy Development, which itself is within the
Executive Office of the President of the United States
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The EOP consists of several offices and agenc ...
.
Since the establishment of the Council in 1993, under the administration of President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, its purpose is to coordinate the domestic policy-making process; to coordinate domestic policy advice to the President; to ensure that domestic policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President’s stated goals, and to ensure that those goals are being effectively pursued; and to monitor implementation of the President’s domestic policy agenda.
The Domestic Policy Council differs from the
National Economic Council, which is used to consider
economic policy
The economy of governments covers the systems for setting levels of taxation, government budgets, the money supply and interest rates as well as the labour market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the e ...
for the President. The Domestic Policy Council focuses on issues of domestic policy, which exclude economic policy matters. The Council is also the principal arm of the president when coordinating domestic policy measures throughout the executive branch.
The Domestic Policy Council is headed by the assistant to the president for domestic policy and director of the Domestic Policy Council. Since January 20, 2021, that position has been held by
Susan Rice
Susan Elizabeth Rice (born November 17, 1964) is an American diplomat, policy advisor, and public official serving as Director of the United States Domestic Policy Council since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Rice served as the 27th ...
.
History and mission
The Domestic Policy Council was established on August 16, 1993 by
Executive Order
In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of th ...
12859, under President Clinton. The first director of the Domestic Policy Council was
Carol Rasco
Carol Rasco (née Hampton; born January 13, 1948) is an American political aide and advocate for disability rights, literacy, and children who served as Director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1996. She ha ...
, who was appointed by Clinton in 1993. The Council oversees development and implementation of the President’s domestic policy agenda and ensures coordination and communication among the heads of relevant Federal offices and agencies.
Prior to the creation of the National Economic Council, economic policy staff had existed since the 1960's. President
Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
assigned a senior aide to develop and organize domestic policy, of which economic policy was included. In 1970, President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
issued an executive order which created the Office of Policy Development. President Clinton split the responsibilities of the Domestic Policy Council with the National Economic Council.
The Council is composed of various Cabinet officials, who advise the president on domestic policy issues and matters.
Assistants to the President for Domestic Policy
References
External links
White House: Domestic Policy Council
{{Authority control
Economy of the United States
Domestic Policy Council
The Domestic Policy Council (DPC) is the principal forum used by the president of the United States for the consideration of domestic policy matters and senior policymaking, Cabinet of the United States, Cabinet, and White House officials. The Co ...
United States domestic policy
United States national commissions
1985 establishments in the United States