Policymaking/Agenda Setting

HAS 4320

Review

• Define Health Policy• Private versus public• Forms

– Laws– Rules– Operational decisions– Judicial decisions– Macro policies

Review

• Categories– Allocative– Regulatory– Redistributive

Substantive vs Procedural

• Adolescent care– Adolescents– Schools – Tobacco companies

Extent of policy change

• Comprehensive

• Non-comprehensive

Policy and Health

• Health Policies – determinants – health

• Health Services– Money– People– Technology– Healthcare system

Policy Process

Policy Process

• Revised Garbage Can Model– Problems– Policies– Politics

• What is a problem?

Policy Process

• Advocates oversell

• Political spins

• Validity

Context of Policymaking

• Exchanges– Helping forces– Hindering forces

• Negotiation– Cooperative– Competitive– Niche

Demanders

• Individuals

• Organizations

• Interest groups

• Lobbyists

• PACs

• Pluralist vs Elitist

Suppliers

• Legislators

• Executives and bureaucrats

• Judiciary

Interplay of Demanders and Suppliers

• Power and influence

• Iron Triangle

• Issue networks

• Externality groups

Political Competence

Agenda Setting

• Problems

• Solutions– Research

• Political Circumstances

Nature of Agenda

• Not in a vacuum

• Policymakers seek to accommodate

• Multiple and conflicting policies

Congressional Leadership

• Speaker of the House

• House majority and minority leaders

• House majority and minority whips

• Senate majority and minority leaders

• Committee chairs

Committees

• Standing committees

• Clout

• Policy committees

• Conference committees

U.S. House

• Agriculture• Appropriations• Armed Services• Budget• Education/Workforce• Energy/Commerce• Financial Services• Government Reform

• House Administration• Resources• Rules• Science• Standards of Official

Conduct• Transportation• Veteran Affairs

U.S. Senate

• Agriculture/Nutrition and Forestry

• Appropriations• Armed Services• Banking, Housing and

Urban Affairs• Commerce, Science

and Transportation

• Energy and Natural Resources

• Environment and Public Works

• Foreign Relations• Governmental Affairs• Judiciary• Veterans Affairs

Utah Senate

• Bus/Labor and Economic Dev

• Education• Energy/Natural

Resources• Health and

Environment• Judiciary

• Revenue and Taxation• Human Services• State and Local

Affairs• Transportation/Public

Safety• Rules

Legislative Parties

• Vote by party, but often crossover

• Three goals– Reelection– Influence within the house– Good public policy

Entrepreneurial Members

• Congressional staff

• Personal staff

• Committee staff