Public Health Issuesdevelop Public Walden Univers
Week 9: Politics in Public Health: Case Study Analysis
As you examined in Week 8, politics and stakeholder power significantly influence public health policy. Often, the more controversial an issue is, the more politicized it becomes. Yet, even a seemingly simple issue such as the mandated use of bicycle helmets can become a hotbed of political debate.
Most people agree that helmet use reduces the risk of brain injury and death in the event of a bicycle accident, and children are commonly required by law to wear helmets while riding bicycles. Yet, few states or cities have attempted to legally mandate helmet use among adult bicyclists. In 2012, the city council in New York City considered a bill that would require every bicyclist (not just children and those who use bicycles for professional delivery services) to wear a helmet while riding a bike. Mayor Bloomberg opposed the bill, as did many others.
The crux of this debate rests on helmet use as a legal mandate, not on helmet use itself. Some opponents of such legislation assert that requiring helmet use could make bicycling less convenient and more expensive. Decreased ridership would, in turn, undercut the many public health benefits of bicycle riding, such as reduced pollution. Some argue that inactivity, which has implications for obesity and other health conditions, is a larger public health threat than bicycle-related injuries. One thing is clear: Proposing a law is more likely to raise opposition—or elicit more vocal opposition—than other approaches used in public health.
Rather than enacting legislation, New York City officials opted to create more bike paths and rely on media campaigns, and even helmet giveaways at public events, to raise awareness of how bicyclists can protect themselves. The legislative debate continues in other locations. For instance, in 2014, Dallas officials debated whether to remove a helmet-use ordinance enacted in 1996 in an effort the increase ridership.
As you can see with the example above, every public health issue is complex. It is therefore important to consider the pros and cons of proposed policies in light of the political environment.
This week, you continue your investigation of the role of politics in public health. In your Assignment, you conduct a case study analysis. In your Scholar-Practitioner Project, you finalize a research policy brief to persuade an audience of your choosing to take action in regard to your public health issue.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Apply the discipline of politics to public health policy
- Analyze public health issues
- Analyze current research related to public health issues
- Analyze the impact of multiple disciplines on public health issues
- Develop public health research policy briefs
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Bhattacharya, D. (2013). Public health policy: Issues, theories, and advocacy. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Review the following case study options and select one to further investigate:
- Chapter 13, “Medical Transportation: Local Practice Focus” (pp. 307–326)
- Chapter 14, “Taxes, Politics, and Public Health Policy: A Look Back at the 2008 Presidential Campaign” (pp. 327–351)
- Chapter 18, “Emergency Preparedness and Infectious Diseases” (pp. 403–425)
Assignment: Case Study Analysis
Every public health issue is enveloped in a complex web of politics and the often-competing interests of multiple stakeholders. It is important to understand the politics surrounding any public health policy, including the history of support and opposition, and arguments for supporting the status quo versus enacting change.
In this Assignment, you continue to investigate the impact of politics on public health, conducting a case study analysis from the discipline of politics to examine an issue in depth.
To prepare for this case study analysis, review the case studies presented in this week’s Learning Resources and select one to further investigate for your case study analysis. Then, conduct research to locate at least three scholarly, peer-reviewed resources from the Walden Library that will further support your case study analysis.
By Day 6
Of this week, submit a 2-page case study analysis that synthesizes the following:
- Title page and Table of Contents
- Write the problem statement for the public health issue identified in the case study.
- In one paragraph, provide background to the public health issue identified in the case study.
- In one paragraph, overview current governmental policy associated with this public health issue.
- From the perspective of the politics discipline, explain the following:
- The political issues surrounding this public health issue.
- Whether the government has a history of supporting or opposing interventions that address this public health issue and why.
- In one paragraph, describe intervention(s) currently in place to address this public health issue.
- In one paragraph, propose an alternative intervention to address this public health issue.
- In one paragraph, conclude your analysis by summarizing the key points and takeaways.
- APA reference page
Be sure to reference at least three current scholars.