NURS 6050 Discussion: Presidential Agendas
NURS 6050 Discussion: Presidential Agendas
Rather than focus on the treatment of chronic disease, policies that influence population health tend to emphasize prevention and wellness; the reduction or elimination of waste and the eradication of health disparities based on race, ethnicity, language, income, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors. The reasoning is that good health belongs to the whole, not just an individual. (New York State Dept. of Health, n.d.)
Regardless of political affiliation, every citizen has a stake in healthcare policy decisions. Hence, it is little wonder why healthcare items become such high-profile components of presidential agendas. It is also little wonder why they become such hotly debated agenda items.
Consider a topic (mental health, HIV, opioid epidemic, pandemics, obesity, prescription drug prices, or many others) that rises to the presidential level. How did the current and previous presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
Reference:New York State Department of Health. (n.d.). Making New York the healthiest state: Achieving the triple aim. Retrieved June 21, 2021 from https://www.health.ny.gov/events/population_health_summit/docs/what_is_population_health.pdf
To Prepare:
Review the Resources and reflect on the importance of agenda setting.
Consider how federal agendas promote healthcare issues and how these healthcare issues become agenda priorities.
Rubric:
Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.
Supported by at leastthree current, credible sources.
Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Textbook links:
https://1lib.us/book/6155034/585375
https://1lib.us/book/11935101/d07260
NURS 6050 Discussion Answer
The selected topic is pandemics, with a specific focus on the COVID-19 outbreak, which had a significant impact during a critical political period—the U.S. presidential election. Former President Trump’s and current President Joe Biden’s strategies in response to the pandemic were instrumental in shaping public opinion.
President Trump’s initial approach involved closing national and state borders and implementing stay-at-home and social distancing measures in an attempt to control the outbreak. However, as the pandemic progressed, he advocated for the reopening of borders and schools, despite increasing virus transmission.NURS 6050 Discussion
Critics argued that the Trump administration’s response reflected a lack of a coordinated, national plan for scaling up and implementing public health control measures. Instead, the administration left the primary responsibility for managing the pandemic to individual states, positioning the federal government as a backup and supplier of last resort (Lancet, 2020).
The approach taken by President Trump aligned with his administration’s preference for decentralization and states’ rights, a hallmark of Republican values. This approach emphasized local control and market-driven solutions, often leading to varying responses at the state level (Lancet, 2020).
On the other hand, President Joe Biden’s approach, after taking office, marked a shift toward more federal involvement in the pandemic response. His administration established a coordinated national strategy that emphasized public health measures, vaccination campaigns, and financial support to address the crisis. This approach aligned with Democratic values of expanded government involvement in healthcare and increased federal funding for public health initiatives (Baccini et al., 2019).NURS 6050 Discussion
In conclusion, the approaches of these two administrations highlight the influence of political values and agendas on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decentralized approach under the Trump administration prioritized states’ flexibility but faced criticism for a lack of national coordination. In contrast, the Biden administration’s more centralized approach focused on coordinated national strategies and increased federal involvement. The effectiveness of each approach in managing the pandemic depends on one’s perspective regarding the balance between state and federal responsibilities and the role of government in public health crises.
References:
Lancet. (2020). COVID-19 in the USA: A question of time. The Lancet, 396(10259), 1239.
Baccini, L., Brodeur, A., & Rizzi, R. (2019). The redistributive effects of political reservations for women: Evidence from the Indian Panchayats. Journal of Development Economics, 138, 41-49.
