ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the process by which an official economist participates in the policymaking process. The economic "White Paper" of February 18, 1981, entitled "A Program for Economic Recovery", constituted a landmark in the development of President Reagan's economic program. That document announced the four pillars of the program—tax cuts, budget cuts, regulatory relief, and monetary restraint. The Cabinet Council system ensures that the CEA is represented in the decision-making apparatus that handles a host of issues—social security, foreign trade, regulation of financial institutions, transportation, environment, energy, agriculture, and many other areas. At key points, the president attends a Cabinet Council meeting and, at times, makes a decision on the spot. An important function is to keep the president abreast of current economic developments. In addition to sending out a regular flow of analytic reports, the CEA chairman alerts the president to impending releases of economic news.
