Governing Health: The Politics of Health Policy

by Carol S. Weissert, William G. Weissert

In the first edition of the acclaimed Governing Health, Carol S. Weissert and William G. Weissert examined health care policy making from a long-term political perspective, describing how Congress, the president, special interest groups, bureaucracy, and state governments helped define health policy problems and find politically feasible solutions. Now, in this second edition, the authors have expanded their coverage and analysis to demonstrate their themes in four key time periods: 1965, when Medicaid and Medicare were passed; 1981, when OBRA came into being; 1994, when health care reform was at the forefront of President Clinton's agenda; and 2000, when health care reform formed a part of the presidential campaign platforms.

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1902

Reviews

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

2006 edition - there is an updated edition now out.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good overview of healthcare governance and policy in the US, but a bit shallow on some complex aspects of the system and dwells a bit too much on some simpler topics. It's also not the best writing around (then again, it is an academic text). Given the constantly-shifting nature of the topic it's also worth noting that it's only as good as the most recent update. If you're willing to do a lot of Googling to fill in the gaps, though, it's a good introduction to the subject.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political science view on the health care debate. I love that it shares the historical tales and political toil rather than focusing on socio-economic issues.