US Census And Elections Flashcards
Why does the United States conduct a census?
It’s in the U.S. Constitution!
Article I, Section II “Whole of free persons will be counted…”
Prior to 15th Amendment, Slaves and Native Americans without land were not counted
Three different census:
Decennial Census—Every 10 years, entire population
American Community Survey—Annually, a representative sample
Economic Census—Every 5 years, includes all businesses
How is the U.S. Census related to health policy?
Provides important demographic data about the makeup of the U.S. population.
Informs allocative policies!
Counts of persons living in poverty determines the amount of money that the federal government allocates to states for:
Section 8 Housing Vouchers
Medicaid and CHIP
Supplemental nutrition assistance for women, infants and children (WIC)
FQHCs
Roads and infrastructural projects
School Breakfast/Lunch Programs, among many others
How is the U.S. Census related to voting?
Determines electoral districting!
The number of House of Representatives per State
The number of electoral college votes
Major Legislation shaping US Elections
15th Amendment (1870)- Anyone can vote regardless of race, color or previous condition of servitude
19th Amendment (1920)- On account of gender
24th Amendment (1964)- No poll tax for federal elections (except in FL for ex-felons)
Voting Rights Act (1965)- No racial or language discrimination and procedures to deter such practices in historically exclusionary states. (Sections 5 and 4 b)
Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections: SCOTUS 6-3 Decision that poll taxes in any election is unconstitutional.
States have considerable discretion as to set the criteria for voting rights (felony disenfranchisement, # polls, poll hours, absentee ballots).
Voter Restrictions in the form of…
Felony Disenfranchisement
Privatization of Campaign Funding
Gerrymandering
Uneven state procedures for registering voters and suffrage, such as the Voter ID laws.
Gutting Section 5 and 4(b) of VRA 1965:
Reducing # of polls, created new voting requirements, and did not evaluate new polling machines
EXCESS DEATH?
Navarro: Privatization of Campaign Funding
Navarro identifies that health care is not a right in the United States
Mix of private & public health insurance system.
Health care delivery and health policy does not represent the public at large because our Congress does not represent the electorate (e.g., voter restrictions).
Most campaign financing comes from private donors.
Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission (2010)
“Of the former members of Congress who go on to lobby after retiring from Congress, the vast majority (78% of former House members and 87% of former senators) lobby for firms.” Washington Post-1/15/16. Know definition of revolving door
Between 1990-2020,
Democrats have taken the most money from the health care industry.
Democrat’s Mistakes, according to Navarro
Focusing on economic viability of the system.
Improve “efficiency” to cover the uninsured.
Antagonizing the “Left” by leaving the single-payer option out.
“[Clinton] gave priority to reducing the federal deficit (not even in his campaign program), under pressure from Wall Street through Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, and to approving the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was opposed by the trade unions and the majority of the Democratic Party. This antagonized the left of the party, and large numbers of Democratic voters stayed home in the 1994 congressional elections.” –401.
How does your census and vote shape health policy?
Voters & Census Respondents
Politicians
# Electoral College members
# of House of Reps
$$ for state programs
Politicians
Vet/vote for judges
Support laws and policies that promote SDH and HC4A
Electoral procedures
Judges
Uphold health policies & patient protections
Decide on private campaign funds
Electoral and Census procedures
Stages in the Development of Policy Advocacy
Testing the waters
Defining the Initiative
Create and clearly define the policy initiative that you would like to promote/support and pitch to policymakers
Strategy & Analysis
Who will benefit more than others
Direct Issue Organizing
Community organizing to get community informed, but more importantly, INVOLVED
Steering Through Appropriate Channels
all about doing the work to find out which policy advocacy strategy will work best: Hill Visits and meeting with the policy makers and/or their aides? Ballot propositions? Mandated studies? Lawsuits?
Victory & Defense - Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, 2010
ACA Passed and has been the law since 2010; however, there have been many legal, judicial and financial threats to dismantle it
Implementation & Enforcement
