ABSTRACT
Presidents' actions help formulate public policy, in contrast to presidents' policy statements, which assert a symbolic agenda leadership. This chapter examines presidential budget requests for civil rights agencies. It considers the presidents' direction and magnitude of support in their legislative positions. The chapter provides a detailed look at presidents' program requests and their positions on roll call votes in Congress, overall and by target groups and subissues. The extent that presidents offer legislative leadership should vary by individual presidents and by political party. Ronald Reagan's liberalism, particularly on the other category, is surprising, but he was conservative on legislation for blacks, and, particularly, for women and Native Americans/Hispanics. Despite greater partisanship in the 1980s, the 1988 Civil Rights Restoration Act was a genuine example of congressional leadership. The chapter helps to understand the presidential legislative and budget actions in civil rights policy formulation. Timing of civil rights statements and actions has been important in the modem era.
