Politics, Power and Policy Making: Case of Health Care Reform in the 1990s: Case of Health Care Reform in the 1990s

by Rushefsky; Mark E

• ISBN13: 9781563249556
• ISBN10: 1563249553
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-11-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Tracking the issue of health care reform through the tumultuous 1990s, Politics, Power, and Policy Making opens a window on the changing dynamics of American politics from the Clinton inauguration in January 1993 through the Republican revolution of 1995 and the 1996 presidential race. The book brings the legislative process to life by tracking a single controversial policy issue through the system, effectively linking public policy studies with the study of American political institutions.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures	ix	(2)
Preface	xi
1 Setting the Stage	3	(13)
Prior Attempts at Reform	4	(5)
Explaining the Failure of Reform	9	(4)
Remainder of the Chapters	13	(3)
2 Health Care Reform Returns to the National Agenda: The Winds of Change	16	(35)
Theories of Agenda Setting	17	(1)
Theories of Policy Agenda Setting	18	(4)
Health Care Reform, Agenda Setting, and the Window of Opportunity	22	(27)
Conclusion	49	(2)
3 Presidential Leadership and Policy Making	51	(38)
Theories of Presidential Leadership, Rhetoric, and Performance	52	(6)
President Clinton and Health Care Reform: 1993-94	58	(16)
President Clinton and Health Care Reform: 1995-96	74	(12)
Conclusion	86	(3)
4 Congress and Health Care	89	(51)
Congressional Structure and Process	89	(5)
Elections, Realignment, Divided Government, and Gridlock	94	(3)
Presidential Agenda and Activist Government, 1993-94	97	(14)
The 1994 Elections	111	(3)
The Republicans Take Control	114	(1)
Addressing Health Care in the 104th Congress	115	(20)
The 1996 Elections	135	(2)
Conclusion	137	(3)
5 Interest Groups	140	(33)
Interest Groups and the Constitution	140	(2)
Growth of Interest Groups	142	(4)
What Interest Groups Do	146	(1)
Critique of Interest Groups	146	(5)
Interest Groups and Comprehensive Health Care Reform Proposals, 1993-94	151	(6)
Strategy and Tactics	157	(5)
Interest Groups and Health Care in the 104th Congress	162	(7)
Conclusion	169	(4)
6 The Role of the Mass Media in the Policy Process	173	(38)
The Development of the Mass Media in the United States	174	(3)
Theories of Media and Public Agenda Setting	177	(7)
The Mass Media and Coverage of Health Care News	184	(2)
Mass Media and Health Care Reform: 1993-94	186	(15)
Mass Media and Health Care Reform: 1995-96	201	(8)
Conclusion	209	(2)
7 Public Opinion and Health Care Policy	211	(32)
Polling	213	(1)
Policy Congruence	214	(2)
Laying the Foundation: Public Opinion Prior to 1993	216	(8)
Public Opinion and Comprehensive Health Care Reform, 1993-94	224	(9)
Public Opinion and Health Care in 1995-96	233	(6)
Explaining Public Opinion and Entitlement Cutbacks	239	(1)
Conclusion	239	(4)
8 Politics, Power, and Policy Making	243	(12)
Chronology	255	(18)
References	273	(24)
Index	297	(16)
About the Authors	313