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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Cynthia A. Connolly, PhD, RN, History of Public Health and Medicine, Columbia University School of Public Health, 722 West 168th St, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10032, 215-572-9007, cac1@nursing.upenn.edu
The cliché of politics as 'the art of the possible' is well known. Indeed it is an apt phrase because federal health policy is the ultimate product of a confluence of variables including political ideology, social context, and fiscal constraint. When viewed in such a global framework, however, the impact of non-elected officials on health care policy can be difficult to distinguish. The focus of this paper is the nexus between "members of the public" and "politicians" and the often nuanced ways in which their interactions shape contemporary policy debates. Using a case study from one 107th Congress health-related legislative proposal, the way in which elected officials, individual activists, and advocacy groups influence one another's work will be analyzed. Particular attention will be given to the way in which each of the above actors uses tools such as history, science, and economics, to craft their positions and influence the political process.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Public Policy, History
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.