Welcome

• Rules and Guidelines• Health Care Discussion• Writing Your Policy Proposal• Q & A

Rules & Guidelines

Process

Twenty teams selected to submit final draft–These drafts critiqued by policy experts–Final drafts due March 17, 2009

Rough drafts submitted January 27, 2009

Top ten teams selected to give presentation in front of panel of judges on March 27, 2009

Judging

• Each round judged by a separate panel of judges, each using the same rubric

• Important elements:– Strength of Argument– Depth of Analysis– Feasibility/Impact of Proposal– Presentation (Final Round Only)

• (Rubric currently being developed with input from faculty and healthcare experts)

Requirements

• Each team must meet the specified deadlines

• At least one person on each team must attend each seminar– Bonus points will be awarded for

lectures– Student-faculty discussions are optional

• Can change topic up until the Executive Summary is due

Deadlines

October 21: Executive Summary

November 25: Critique of Policy Option(s)

January 27: Rough Draft

March 17: Final Draft

March 27: Final Presentation and Awards Ceremony

Seminars

October 23, 7-9 pm: “Methods of Research” with Michael D. Tanner

November 18, 7-9 pm: “How to Analyze Public Policy”

with Peter R. OrszagDecember: “How to Write a Policy Proposal”

with David de Ferranti

February: “Revising Policy Proposals” with Henry J. Aaron & Stuart M. Butler

March: “Crafting a Winning Argument” with David Boies

April: “Making Your Voice Heard” with Nancy H. Nielsen

Lectures

November 16: “Bottom-Up Health Care: The Consumer-Driven Revolution” with Regina Herzlinger

November: “Lessons Learned: The Clinton Debacle & the Future of Health Care” with Jacob S. Hacker

December: “Real Socialist Medicine: The Case for National Health Care” with Paul Krugman

February: “Free Trade: The Surprise Solution to the Health Care Crisis” with Jagdish Bhagwati

Picking a topic

• Controversial• Important• Not overwhelming• Interesting to you• Intellectually approachable for you• Statistical data and references

available

Health Care Discussion

Question #1: The Uninsured

Yes, But Most People Are Insured by Choice, Right? Au Contraire…

Still, It’s an Exaggerated Problem Because the Uninsured Can Still Get the Care They Need! …Oh Really?

Question #2: Rising Health Care Costs

Source: Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, and John P. Cookson. "Tracking Health Care Costs: Declining Growth Trend Pauses In 2004." Health Affairs Web Exclusive, June 21, 2005; and Ginsburg, Paul B., Bradley C. Strunk, Michelle I. Banker, and John P. Cookson. "Tracking Health Care Costs: Continued Stability But At High Rates In 2005.." Health Affairs Web Exclusive, Oct. 3, 2006

And By “Rising” You Mean…

Surely We’re Not the Only Ones, Though!Oops, I Spoke Too Soon…

What’s the Difference?

And For All that Money, We Get…

But Everybody Else Has Long Waiting Lines, Right? Not So Fast…

Okay, But Surely We Have the Best Medical Care in the World? Oh, If Only…

At Least Our Private System Is More Efficient than Those Government Bureaucracies! Wait, Scratch That…

Better Incentives Improve Customer Service, Though…Or So You Might Think

But Who Would Go Abroad for Medical Care? It’s So Much…Safer!

Question #3: Global Health

A Heartbreaking Problem of Staggering Proportion

Isn’t It Just a Story of Slow Progress?Sadly, No.

It Is, Of Course, Greatly a By-Product of Larger Troubles

% in Poverty:

% with AIDS:

Yes, You Can Still Help. It Can Be as Simple as a Few More Meals.

…And They Need All the Help They Can Get

If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?

We Have Already Made Great Progress, But Great Challenges Still Lie Ahead

Writing Your Policy

Proposal

3 Issues

• Choose ONE of the following issues:– What is the most cost effective way to

provide healthcare to the poor?– What role should the federal

government play in mitigating rising healthcare costs?

– In what ways can the United States best help developing countries conquer the widespread health challenges they face?

Policy Proposal Format

• No more than 15 pages– Executive Summary– Context and Importance of the Problem– Critique of Policy Option(s)– Policy Recommendations

• Should also include:– Title Page– Table of Contents– Sources– Appendix (if necessary)

Executive Summary

• Brief overview of proposal– Description of the problem addressed– Why the current approach needs

change– Your recommendations for action

• No more than one page

Context and Importance of Problem• Statement of the problem or issue in

focus• Overview of the root causes of the

problem• Clear statement of policy

implications of the problem– Establish current importance of issue– Show policy relevance

Critique of Policy Option(s)

• Overview of the policy option(s) in focus

• Argument illustrating why and how the current or proposed approach is failing

• Should recognize all sides of the issue

Policy Recommendations

• Breakdown of the specific practical steps or measure that need to be implemented

• Most important part of the proposal

Sample Policy Proposal

“Simple, Effective & Necessary: Adopting an Earned Income Tax Credit in Pennsylvania”

(http://whartonpolitics.com/pdf/WPBA%20Poverty%20Proposal%202008.pdf)

Thank you

• Any questions?• Please check the sheet at the front

to make sure that all your information is correct