The Effectiveness of the Strategies Interest Groups Use to Influence Health Care Reform in The United States: A Case Study Analysis of President Clinton, Bush, and Obama's Health Care Reforms

Authors

Jacquelyn E. Hannan, The College of WoosterFollow

Abstract

This independent study explores the effectiveness of the strategies interest groups use to influence health care reform in the United States. This is done through testing three hypotheses The hypotheses are: 1) With all other things being equal, interest groups who are more active with the reform movement are more likely to be successful in their goals than those who are less active, 2) With all other things being equal, interest groups who are aligned with presidential health care reform initiatives are more likely to be successful in their goals than those who are not aligned, and 3) With all other things being equal, interest groups who are aligned with the ideological majority in Congress are more likely to be successful in their goals than those who are not aligned with the ideological majority in Congress. An empirical case study approach was utilized and the health care reform attempts of President Clinton, Bush, and Obama were analyzed regarding interest group activity.

Interest group’s activity (Newspaper Mentions, Ideological Alignment, Presidential Alignment, and Success Levels were observed throughout the three cases and conclusions were drawn about how interest group activities are affected in instances where the president has success and when there is a strong opposition movement against the president. The individual strategies used by interest groups were evaluated for impact on the success of a group's policy outcome.

Advisor

Moskowitz, Eric

Department

Political Science

Recommended Citation

Hannan, Jacquelyn E., "The Effectiveness of the Strategies Interest Groups Use to Influence Health Care Reform in The United States: A Case Study Analysis of President Clinton, Bush, and Obama's Health Care Reforms" (2015). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 6765.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/6765

Disciplines

American Politics | Political Science

Keywords

health care reform, health care, interest groups, lobbying

Publication Date

2015

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis Exemplar