The Mediating Effect of Public Opinion on Public Policy

Examines how public opinion has influenced health care policy. Using health care policy to develop a theory of how public opinion influences public policy outcomes, Richard E. Chard draws on data ranging from presidential approval ratings to polls conducted during the debate over the Health Security Act. Over the last five decades the relationship has been a complex one, yet there are clear indications that health care policy development has been controlled to a great extent by public opinion. C