Public Attitudes Toward the Affordable Care Act
Co-funded with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has shaped American politics since its introduction in Congress. In December 2017, Congress passed a tax bill which included a repeal of the individual mandate to purchase insurance. That change, coupled with administrative decisions by the current administration, means that the future of health policy remains uncertain.
Political scientists Daniel Hopkins and William Hobbs will undertake two new surveys of public opinion on the ACA. They will focus on measuring the role of symbolic predispositions (such as partisanship and racial attitudes) and self-interest in shaping health care policy attitudes. Both surveys will be administered in October 2018, in the lead-up to the midterm elections.