Domestic Policy Initiatives of the Nixon Years:
Bringing Innovation and Progress to the American People
Nixon Legacy Forum
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Yorba Linda, CA
January 9, 2010
Four members of the Nixon White House Domestic Council convened at the Nixon Library to discuss the President’s innovations and progress in the realm of domestic policy.
Panelists included Hon. James Cavanaugh on early efforts at health care reform, Hon. John C. Whitaker on environmental protection, and Amb. Richard Fairbanks on energy conservation. The forum was moderated by Hon. Geoff Shepard, who discussed the origins and organization of the Domestic Council and the Office of Management and Budget.
Legacy Forum Transcript: (Link to be added)
Photo: President Nixon with John Ehrlichman and Moynihan (President Nixon with Ehrlichman and Moynihan_Oval_05_06_69_37-whpo-0972-05a-i-2020-ec)
Background
Upon winning the presidential election of 1968 President-elect Richard Nixon began the process of preparing to assume the presidency in January of 1969. Given his experience in government and his vision for a more modern presidency Richard Nixon knew the work that had been assigned to his pre-presidential task was not a small one. To make the most efficient use of the time as possible President-elect Nixon set up seventeen task forces to study the Executive Branch. These task forces were to determine how to modernize and make the presidency more effective. Arthur F. Burns (Counselor to the President) was to oversee these task forces and submit their reports prior to President Nixon’s inauguration.
After the inauguration President Nixon sought to act upon the recommendations of the task force and reorganize the operations of the Executive Office of the President to make it more responsive to the president’s desires in part based on the recommendations of the pre-presidential task forces. President Nixon sought to transform the Executive Office of the President from one where the heads of the various cabinets directed operations of that department, largely independently, to one where the president had direct input into the various activities of the departments and the Cabinet officers carried out the president’s policies.
To make these changes President Nixon authorized the creation of the President’s Advisory Council on Executive Organization, also known as the Ash Council. The Council made three major recommendations which took effect in what is known as Reorganization Plan #2 of 1970. This resulted in the creation of the Domestic Council, revitalization of the National Security Council, and conversion of the Bureau of the Budget into the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of Management and Budget gave the executive office the ability to better help the departments and agencies follow through on the president’s policies.
The Domestic Council was modeled as the counterpart to the recently-revived National Security Council; staff members would study policy issues and draft policy recommendations. They would then debate and discuss the issues, and narrow the options down to a few viable ones and present them to the president. The president would then make the decision as to what the policy would be.
Like the National Security Council the Domestic Council would be directed by one person who reported to the president. It was determined that the best person for this position was John Ehrlichman. This modern and redesigned methodology for the creation of domestic policy fit the vision of an effective and efficient Executive Office that President Nixon sought. Importantly, the president –not a member of the unelected bureaucracy- made the decisions regarding policy.
The Domestic Council engaged in the following major initiatives during the Nixon administration:
- Tax Reform
- Postal Reform
- Draft Reform
- Unemployment Insurance Reform
- Welfare Reform
- Employment Training Reform
- Office of Economic Opportunity Reform
- Revenue Sharing Reform
- Environmental Preservation
- Occupational and Consumer Safety
PHOTO: President Nixon meeting with the Domestic Council (President Nixon Meeting with the Domestic Council_7_22_70_37-whpo-3967-22a-i-2020-js)
Presidential Messages related to Domestic Programs
April 30, 1969 Special Message to Congress on Consolidation of Federal Assistance Programs
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/special-message-the-congress-consolidation-federal-assistance-programs )
May 27, 1969 Special Message to Congress on Postal Reform
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/special-message-the-congress-postal-reform )
August 8, 1969 Address to the Nation on Domestic Programs
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-nation-domestic-programs )
February 2, 1970 Annual Budget Message to the Congress, Fiscal Year 1971
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/annual-budget-message-the-congress-fiscal-year-1971 )
March 3, 1970 Special Message to Congress on Education Reform
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/special-message-the-congress-education-reform)
March 12, 1970 Message to Congress Transmitting Reorganization Plan 2 of 1970
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/message-the-congress-transmitting-reorganization-plan-2-1970 )
July 1, 1970 Executive Order 11541 – Prescribing the Duties of the Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Council in the Executive Office of the President
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-11541-prescribing-the-duties-the-office-management-and-budget-and-the )
January 22, 1971 Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/advanced-search?field-keywords=&field-keywords2=&field-keywords3=&from%5Bdate%5D=01-21-1971&to%5Bdate%5D=01-25-1971&person2=&items_per_page=25 )
June 4, 1971 Remarks About a Special Message to the Congress on Energy Resources
American Presidency Project (https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-about-special-message-the-congress-energy-resources )
March 2, 1972 Special Message to Congress on Health Care
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/special-message-the-congress-health-care )
March 27, 1972 Special Message to Congress on Welfare Reform
American Presidency Project
(https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/special-message-the-congress-welfare-reform )
Essential Documents
July 15, 1969 Memorandum Cole to Ehrlichman on Subjects for first Domestic Policy Group Meeting
October 10, 1969 PACEO memo on Proposed Organization of the Executive Office of the President
October 28, 1969 Cole memo to Haldeman on Implementation Plan
March 3, 1970 Cole memo on March 4th meeting on Executive Reorganization
July 13, 1970 Ehrlichman memo to Harlow on Domestic Council Process
July 18, 1970 Romney memo to Ehrlichman on Procedure to Launch Policy Studies
Appendix 3: Domestic Policy Council
Appendix 11: Preliminary Note of Legislative Alternatives for Reorganization
Domestic Policy Council Mission and Role
October 8, 1970 Cole Memo for Domestic Council on “Nixon Administration’s Approach to Government”
Background Documents that Led to the Proposed Changes
Principles for Government Operation
April 1, 1969 Burns Memorandum – Outline of a Basic Paper on Domestic Policy
Discussion with PACEO Guests on the Purpose of Reorganization
August 20, 1969 Domestic Plan Group Proposed Task Forces on Legislation
October 8, 1969 Draft of Summary Positions Taken by President Nixon on Domestic Program Reform
Graph of Domestic Policy Council Organization
PHOTO: Urban Affairs Council_CAB_2_27_69_37-whpo-0353-05a-i-2020-js
Supporting Documents for Further Study
March 13, 1969 Memo from President Nixon to Ehrlichman on Congressional reception to ideas
August 23, 1969 Flanigan memo on Organization for Consumer Affairs
February 18, 1970 Whitaker memo to Ehrlichman on Ash Council and Reorganization
March 31, 1970 Ehrlichman memo to Haldeman on Program Priorities
April 13, 1970 President Nixon memo to the Urban Affairs Council and the Rural Affairs Council
June 4, 1970 Whitehead memo to Ehrlichman on overcoming problems of bureaucracy
June 11, 1970 Harper memo to Ehrlichman on Organization of Domestic Council Staff
November 9, 1970 Morgan memo to Ehrlichman on Health Presentation to the Domestic Council
November 10, 1970 Domestic Council DHEW Presentation memo
Appendix 7: Division of Legislative Clearance
PHOTO: Nixon Haldeman Ehrlichman seated 37-whpo-6844-09-i-ec
