The Lessons of “Lesson Drawing”: How the Obama Administration Attempted to Learn from Failure of the Clinton Health Plan

摘要

The article examines the role of historical insights in the creation of U.S. healthcare policy. Particular focus is given to the influence of former U.S. President Bill Clintonu27s 1993-1994 attempts at healthcare reform on the policies of U.S. President Barack Obama. It is suggested that while the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care act of 2010 was successful in many respects, the Obama administrationu27s efforts to avoid missteps taken with Clintonu27s Health Security Act did not significantly aid and sometimes even hindered its progress. Details on the political strategy, policy design, and political rhetoric used by both administrations are presented. Other topics include partisan politics and the communication of policy goals to the public.