Health policy is a joint federal-state responsibility (Longest, 2010). Although each level has different policy responsibilities, the organization, structure, and processes are similar (Longest, 2010). This is what makes the process so politically charged at times. However, there is another aspect of this process to consider. All public policies are made in the context of political markets, which means these are often impacted by the preferences of current voters. This in turn can cause a discrepancy between who receives benefits and who bears costs is less direct (Longest, 2010). In other words, the policy will impose costs on future generations while benefiting the current one (Longest, 2010). This will be the focus of this week’s discussion question.
References
Longest, B. (2010). Health policy-making in the United States, (5th ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Unit Learning Outcomes
ULO 1: Discuss the implications of imposing costs of current policies on future generations (CLO 2 and 5)
ULO 2: Critique initiatives for addressing issues with public policies meant to benefit the greater good (CLO 2 and 5)
Directions
Initial Posting
For this week’s discussion question, we will explore whether or not present legislators should worry about future generations when developing policies. Consider the following statement –
We care about our family, friends, neighbors, community and our country, and we may even care about current environmental issues. But how can we care for people who don’t exist? But if you think about it, we already consider people who don’t exist when we build museums and sports facilities, especially on the scale of the Olympic Games, because these facilities provide a legacy for the future. We also donate to charities to help people we don’t know. Some cultures care about ancestors, passing on stories and living in a way to make their ancestors proud. We might extend this care to our descendants so they may be proud we have passed on a thriving planet.
We can only care about future generations in an abstract way, by projecting the care we feel about current generations. Ecologist Diane Hunt suggests this may be easier to do for the near future, for our children and our children’s children, but if each generation thinks this way, “the future will be cared for in a succeeding chain of concern.” If we need a personal interest so we care, we might consider that future generations could be our own bloodline (Brighten, 2015).
Do you agree with this sentiment? Does it support the notion that policymakers should consider the impact of a policy on future generations? Why or why not? Whose responsibility is it to care for the present and future generations based on Brighten’s article? What happens if we don’t look to the future when developing policies? What happens to future generations when a policy exists over a long period of time without revisions?
Brighten, T. (2015). Should we care about future generations (Links to an external site.)? https://tracybrighten.com/lifestyle/the-good-life/caring-about-future-generations/#:~:text=It%20could%20be%20argued%20that%20different%20policies%20would,don%E2%80%99t%20consider%20the%20environment%20that%20we%20leave%20behind.
This critique for the initial posting should typed into or copied and pasted into the discussion thread. There is no minimum or maximum in terms of the word count; however, the response should explicitly address all required components of this discussion assignment. The document should be prepared as a practical business deliverable (single-spaced) and reflect higher-level cognitive processing (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation).
Support the initial posting with at least 3 references of credible or peer-reviewed sources. The in-text citations and the list of references should be consistent with the APA writing style (7th ed.). To earn the maximum number of points for the initial posting, the overall quality of the writing should be consistent with that expected of a college student and industry professional.
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