dˈʊɹɹɪŋ hɪz jˈɪɹz ɪnðə wˈɛst wˈɪŋ, æz dᵻɹˈɛktɚɹ ʌvðə dəmˈɛstɪk pˈɑːlɪsi kˈaʊnsəl, zˈɪnsmaɪstɚ wʌz ɪnvˈɑːlvd ɪn pˈɑːlɪsi mˌeɪkɪŋ ˌɔn tˈɑːpɪks lˈaɪk ðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪt mˈɔːɹɡɪdʒ ænd stˈuːdəntlˈoʊn kɹˈɛdɪt kɹˈaɪsiːz, ˌɪmɪɡɹˈeɪʃən ɹᵻfˈɔːɹm, hˈaʊzɪŋ, bˌaɪoʊtɛknˈɑːlədʒi ænd stˈɛm sˈɛl pˈɑːlɪsiz, ˈɛɹpoːɹt kəndʒˈɛstʃən, ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən ɹᵻfˈɔːɹm, tɹænspoːɹtˈeɪʃən ˈɪʃuːz, hˈɛlθ pˈɑːlɪsi, fˈeɪθbˈeɪst skˈuːlɪŋ, ɐn ˈeɪt,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊdʒˈɑːb lˈeɪɔf ɪn oʊhˈaɪoʊ, pˈɑːvɚɾi, kɹˈaɪm, fˈæmɪli pˈɑːlɪsi, sˈɪvəl ɹˈaɪts, ænd vˈɛɾɚɹənz ɐfˈɛɹz.
During his years in the West Wing, as director of the Domestic Policy Council, Zinsmeister was involved in policy making on topics like the 2008 mortgage and student-loan credit crises, immigration reform, housing, biotechnology and stem cell policies, airport congestion, education reform, transportation issues, health policy, faith-based schooling, an 8,000-job layoff in Ohio, poverty, crime, family policy, civil rights, and veterans affairs.