Now that health reform bills have passed both the House and the Senate, it seems more likely than ever that our Democratic Congress will come out with some sort of health reform legislation, which could take effect in as little as three years.
Fortunately, Americans have taken note – their engagement in the debate has already surpassed that of previous health reform discussions. Here's a comparison of how engagement in this health care debate compares with engagement in the health care debate from President Clinton's era, by examining how individuals answered "yes" to the following questions:
| During the past six months, have you personally done any of the following things in connection with health care reform? | ||
| December 2009 (current debate) | February 1994 (Clinton debate) | |
| Tried to influence a friend or family member's opinion | 37% | 26% |
| Written to, emailed, or spoken with your representative or another public official | 20% | 9% |
| Written to, emailed, or called a newspaper, Web site, radio, or television station | 13% | 2% |
| Participated in a forum or a town meeting having to do with health care reform | 13% | 4% |
| Personally contributed money to a political candidate or organization because of its positions on health care reform | 12% | 3% |
| Joined or became more active in a health care-related organization | 10% | 6% |
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation December 2009 Health Tracking Poll
As you can see, Americans are more involved in this debate across all categories than they have been in the past. In fact, 49 percent of respondents in 2009 was involved in at least one of the above activities (data was not given for 1994), showing that nearly half of the American population is involved in the health care debate.
