Assignment Affordable Care Act (ACA)

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Affordable Care Act
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date

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Affordable Care Act
With the soaring cost of health insurance mainly for the poor Americans who live hand to
mouth, the Obama administration had to find a way to cushion them. President Barrack Obama
had to move with speed to develop health policy that will reduce the cost of health insurance and
improve health care access for the uninsured. The ACA today has managed to withstand the
criticism of President Trump, who has so far failed to offer the best alternative. President Obama
considers ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, as a milestone in his eight-year presidency.
The Affordable Care Act is a health care issue that will continue to influence governance and
voting in the USA until it is repealing.
The ACA originated from the executive arm of government.
Executive carries out the law
This arm of government is the one that carries out laws and is made up of the president,
vice president, and cabinet. The U.S. Constitution divides the federal government into three
branches, that is, executive, legislative arm, and the judicial branch (Sobel, 2019). The legislative
arm makes laws, while the judicial one assesses and interprets laws. Given this structure of
government, the executive which is headed by the president, carries out laws. The president, with
his team of professionals, developed a policy that addresses critical issues of concern to the
public. The ACA originated from the executive headed by President Obama.
Executive’s responsibility to citizens
President Obama felt that he had the responsibility to deliver health insurance that will
ensure even the most vulnerable in society can afford it. According to Gluck & Huberfeld

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(2018), the ACA provided a window into modern American federalism. It is also offered a
window into modern American nationalism. The ACA was implemented through a national
structure that pulled together with states to implement it.
The ACA is involved in the balances and checks through oversight.
This policy was the brainchild of the Obama administration. The legislative arm is made
up of congress and Senate, which put this policy to debate and vote. If these two bodies pass the
policy, the president then signs it into law. The U.S. Congress and the Senate are involved in
policymaking due to their oversight role. The executive does not just come up with policies, and
they become law. Besides, the judiciary was equally involved in interpreting some aspects of the
law regarding the ACA. According to Rubin (2011), after the passage of the Act, some states
went into court to overturn some sections of its sections. Also, some lawmakers proposed
amendments that would alter some parts of ACA in favor of their states. Checks and balances
mostly work in a democracy like the United States. Therefore, the fact that legislators and some
states filed lawsuits raises a fundamental role of checks and balances in the implementation of
Obamacare.
Involvement of all three arms of government
When the judiciary, legislature, and executive are involved in policy-making where those
that feel unsatisfied can seek reprieve perhaps in the judicial system, it underscores the role of
checks and balances. Principally, all the three arms of government were involved in one way to
improve the ACA, so that the executive does not merely impose it on people. The opposition to

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portions of the Affordable Care Act by legislators may be politically-motivated, but it still
approves the application of the principle of checks and balances.
Affordable Care Act was the center of U.S. presidential election in 2016. In many of his
political rallies, the then Presidential candidate-Trump touted that once he wins the race, he
would “repeal and replace” the Obamacare. He promised to give Americans health care that will
protect insurance companies as well as cover many people. He viewed Obamacare as a terrible
mess that needed to be repealed and replaced quickly (Béland, Rocco, & Waddan, 2018). This
may have convinced those who were perhaps displeased with the ACA. Based on the article by
Blendon & Benson (2014) in the non-presidential election in 2014, some senatorial candidates
both from the Republican Party and Democratic Party raised the issue of the ACA. The
Democrats talked about the future implementation of the Act, while the Republicans voiced their
disappointment in it. In essence, health care has always been at the center of U.S. politics, where
each side of the political divide promises a cover that will cater to many Americans. Even in the
now-ending Democratic primaries, the ACA has been at the center of campaigns.
ACT is affects the American society
The ACA directly influences the lives of Americans that is how it relates to public polcu.
Nevertheless, the media, especially those that were paid to run the ACA ads, sought to influence
Americans and shape their opinions towards the ACA (Fowler, Baum. Barry, Niederdeppe, &
Gollust, 2017). Mostly, the media made some Americans consider the ACA as a changemaker
because of its ability to solve their health care problems.
Influence on voting

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The ACA influences voting among Americans with health insurance and other health
care needs. The American electoral process incorporates campaigns and debates on national
issues (Blendon & Benson, 2014). Hence, during presidential campaigns and debates, candidates'
positions on the ACA will influence voting, especially for some voters who would vote based on
one issue of like health care. The U.S. politics is largely issue-based, and for that reason, some
voters will vote based on their opinions or attitudes towards this policy.
ACA dominates campaigns and debates
When the presidential nominees for both parties start their campaigns and debates, it is
presumable that the ACA will be discussed. Although President Trump has failed to repeal and
replace it, he will likely be asked to state his position on the ACA. Blendon & Benson (2014),
indicated the approval and disapproval of ACA and President Obama’s handling of health care in
their article. This confirms health care is a national issue that influences how some voters will
vote based on their opinions or attitudes on ACA.
In summation, through the Affordable Care Act, one can understand how checks and
balances are exercised in government. It influences how each arm of government responds to the
health care issue, which to date continues to dominate national debate. Some voters have, in the
past, voted based on this Act. The ACA will dominate the 2020 presidential election, particularly
when President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden face each other on who
should govern in this primary election. In essence, the Affordable Care Act is a health care issue
that will continue to influence governance and voting in the USA, until it is repealing.

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References
Béland, D., Rocco, P., & Waddan, A. (2018). Obamacare in the Trump Era: Where are we Now,
and Where are we Going?. The Political Quarterly, 89(4), 687-694.
Blendon, R. J., & Benson, J. M. (2014). Voters and the Affordable Care Act in the 2014
election. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(20), e31.
Fowler, E. F., Baum, L. M., Barry, C. L., Niederdeppe, J., & Gollust, S. E. (2017). Media
messages and perceptions of the Affordable Care Act during the early phase of
implementation. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(1), 167-195.
Gluck, A. R., & Huberfeld, N. (2018). What Is Federalism in Healthcare for. Stan. L. Rev., 70,
1689.
Sobel, S. (2019). How the U.S. government works. Hauppauge, New York : B.E.S. Publishing.
Rubin, E. (2011). The Affordable Care Act, the constitutional meaning of statutes, and the
emerging doctrine of positive constitutional rights. Wm. & Mary L. Rev., 53, 1639.

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