HADM 601 - Policy and Politics of Health

3 Credit Hours
Policy and Politics of Health, explores the development, implementation, and evaluation of health policies in the United States. Health policies include those that address the organization, financing, provision, and evaluation of both personal and public health services. The tension between government’s role in providing for the general welfare and protecting the public’s health while recognizing the privacy rights of the individual will receive considerable attention as will the provision of healthcare within the context of a federal system of government.

The long-term trend toward a more expansive role for governmental institutions and the media and the differential impact of economic, cultural and social factors, interest groups, social disparities and public opinion will be addressed in some detail. Students will develop an understanding of the policy process and the most common approach to policy research. The course includes exercises that will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the most important types of public policy in the US healthcare system and the capacity to conduct a reasoned analysis of a policy issue.