Policy and Politics

1 Credit · Level: Undergraduate

Although we have by far the most costly health care in the world, tens of millions of Americans lack adequate insurance to make care affordable and, relative to other countries, we're not getting better quality care. Almost no one is happy with this arrangement, yet it persists. Why? In this class, you will learn that the design of our healthcare system is not an accident; it has emerged from political choices over decades that politically lock in policies that impede universal coverage at affordable cost. In each of our classes, informed by a set of readings I expect you to draw on, we'll examine those choices, the policies they've created, the challenges they pose to building a better system, and how advocates/policymakers have tried to overcome them. The class will depend on your investment--in absorbing the readings, raising questions, and participating in finding answers. No grades--but if you invest, you'll come to understand health policy politics and, given your own values, what you think it would take to produce a better approach.