Chapter 13

Domestic Policy

Video Exercises

Watch the videos below and answer the questions that follow.

Health care and medical insurance coverage has been a key social issue for Americans for a long time, and it was one of the legislative priorities for the president and Congress after the 2008 elections. How much do you know about the Affordable Care Act of 2010? The following videos present some of the initial responses to the passage of the health insurance bill.

Historic Health Care Bill Signed
CBS News
March 23, 2010



HealthCare.gov: Understanding the Affordable Care Act
Department of Health and Human Services
June 30, 2010



HealthCare.gov: Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act
July 28, 2010
1a. What provisions of the new health insurance policy were highlighted in these videos?
1b. The second and third videos were distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Why do you think this agency produced these videos?
1c. What aspects of the political process of debating this legislation were highlighted in these videos? Do you think the debate over health insurance influenced the outcome of the 2010 elections? Why or why not?
1d. What do you think about the new health care legislation? Why?
Immigration remains an important social policy issue, and while it didn’t receive as much attention as economic policy during the 2008 presidential election, the candidates clearly articulated their views on the topic.

Straight Talk on Immigration
McCain/Palin 2008



Blueprint for Change: Immigration
Obama/Biden 2008
2a. How are the two candidates’ approaches to immigration similar? How are the plans different?
2b. Which immigration policy proposal do you find more compelling? Why?
The No Child Left Behind act has greatly increased the role of the federal government in education. The next video, from ABC News, discusses the provisions of the act and the important political actors behind it.

No Child Left Behind ABC News Jan. 8, 2002
3. What changes did No Child Left Behind bring to education policy in the United States? Which politicians are seen supporting the bill? Why is their collaboration considerable newsworthy?

Submit to Gradebook:

First Name:
 
Last Name:
 
Your Email Address:
 
Your Professor's Email Address:
 
Section:

About this exercise

This exercise asks you to view engaging videos and think critically about how they connect to the chapter's key concepts.