HPM Week 2 Flashcards
The Context and Overview of Health Policymaking
What is the first institution responsible for policymaking?
Federal: executive branch
What is the role of the executive branch?
Responsible for implementing and enforcing laws written by Congress
Who is the head of the executive branch?
President: appoints heads of 15 federal executive departments -> cabinet
What is the principal agency for health policy?
US department of Health and Human Services
- administers Medicare and Medicaid
- includes NIH, FDA, CDC
Who and what does the legislative branch do?
Consists of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives)
- makes or amends laws via the legislative process
- established annual federal budget
The House
Led by Speaker of the House
- 435 elected members and 6 nonvoting members elected every 2 years
The Senate
Led by the Senate Majority Leader
- 100 senators serve 6 year terms
What does the judicial branch do?
Enjoys the sole power to interpret the law, determine the constitutionality of the law, and apply the law to individual cases
How are members nominated for the judicial branch?
By the President and confirmed by the senate
Who is in the federal courts?
The US Supreme Court, US Circuit courts of appeals, and US District Courts
How many branches do state and local government have?
Executive: governor and officials
Legislative branch: elected representatives in all, bicameral legislature in all but 1 state
Judicial: most states have three-tiered structure
What is federalism?
Constitutional division of power between the federal and state governments
- solution to the weaknesses found in the Articles of Confederation, which gave little power to the federal government
- federal government’s powers are restricted to a list of enumerated powers
