Assignment 3: Politics of health legislation
Regardless of political affiliation, individuals often grow concerned
when considering perceived competing interests of government
and their impact on topics of interest to them. The realm of
healthcare is no different. Some people feel that local, state, and
federal policies and legislation can be either helped or hindered
by interests other than the benefit to society.
The suppliers of legislative benefits are legislators, and their
primary goal is to be re-elected. Thus, legislators need to
maximize their chances for re-election, which requires political
support. Legislators are assumed to be rational and to make costbenefit calculations when faced with demands for legislation.
However, the legislator’s cost-benefit calculations are not the
cost-benefits to society of enacting particular legislation. Instead,
the benefits are the additional political support the legislator
would receive from supporting legislation and the lost political
support they would incur as a result of their action. When the
benefit to legislators (positive political support) exceeds their
costs (negative political support) they will support legislation.
(page 27)
Source: Feldstein, P. (2006). The politics of health legislation: An
economic perspective (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration
Press.
To Prepare:

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