Interest groups, lobbying, and policy making: a case of health care reform

For this assignment we are considering a documentary called ‘Obama’s Deal’. This documentary traces the process of passing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, and it provides us an opportunity to examine the processes and mechanisms of law making at the national level for high profile policies. In particular, this case gives us a chance to think through several key concepts we are studying in the course: lobbying, interest groups, civil liberties, civil society, private vs. public interests, gridlock, bargaining, and representative government, to mention some.

Please, follow this link to watch “Obama’s Deal”:

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamasdeal/view/?autoplay

Prompt: Having reviewed the documentary and consulted the textbook chapter on interest groups, how would you describe and characterize the role of interest groups in the case of health care reform? For example, what channels of political influence were utilized by interest groups representing health insurance and pharmaceutical industry? Do you think representation of different voices within the public was balanced in this case? In addition, please, reflect on how this case complements, reinforces, or, perhaps, contradicts our textbook. In your essay, please, strive to engage political vocabulary (e.g. integrating concepts such public opinion, political culture, media, interest groups, lobbying, policy making, representation, democracy, civil society, and etc.). Any other reflections you would like to include in the discussion?

Format: 2 full pages, 12 font, Times New Roman, 1 inch margins.

This assignment will count as two review papers!

I am also providing a guide for the documentary in a separate file, next to the prompt. These questions are made for each 5-7 minutes segment of the documentary and are meant to help students guide their viewing of the documentary. You can utilize the answers when composing your review paper.

Finally, here is also a link to the transcript of the documentary: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamasdeal/etc/script.html

Please, watch “Obama’s Deal” by opening this link:

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamasdeal/view/?autoplay

This documentary covers our case-study in policy making. It helps us to learn about the mechanisms of making laws at the national level for high profile policies. Through this case we continue to explore our course concepts: lobbying, interest groups, policy making, federalism, civil liberties, civil society, private vs. public interests, and representative government.

Focus questions for screening the documentary:

1. What immediate problem did the president run into when initiating the health care reform and why?
2. Obama’s administration believed that taking on a health care reform is a test of something in American politics. According to president Obama, it was intended to prove what? What were the stakes?
3. Which groups opposed the health care reform under both Clinton and Obama? Which interest groups stood to lose considerably from the health care reform?
4. What did the propaganda ads funded by insurance lobby advertise to the American public about the health care reform? Whose interests were kept in mind in the process?
5. Who (which groups and individuals) could get to the congressional hearings on the health care reform? Was there anyone representing the uninsured Americans or consumer advocates?
6. While insurance lobby initially stated that they would support the reform, what did they request in return and why? (hint: they wanted some feature added to the bill, what was that feature and why?)
7. What was Senator Baucus expected to do in return for receiving $2.5 million from insurance interest groups? Whose interests did he represent?
8. What groups were denied a seat at the negotiation table about the health care? What groups were removed physically by guards from the press conference in the White House?
9. Insurance lobby spent tens of millions of dollars to defeat and rewrite the proposed health bill through TV ads that created panic, scare, rumors, and etc. What was at stake for insurance and pharmaceutical lobby if their respective industries were regulated by the bill?
10. Why do you think many Americans bought the negative campaign ads against the health care reform that were manufactured by the insurance lobby for industry’s self-interest? Please, use course content and your own reflections when trying to unpack this.
11. What interest groups played the most influential role in shaping public debate and public perception of health care reform? Whose interests were kept in mind by these groups and what can we say about representation of public interests?
12. What do you think are the most important lessons to draw from this case-study? What insights does this case give us, what trends does it reveal?
13. What would you like to add and conclude from your own perspective?