DQ 8-2
1.
Public health is a policy funded at all three levels. Public health funding has recently grown. Why has the funding increased? It has increased to support the bioterrorism and emergency preparedness infrastructure. There is an emphasis on strengthening public health agencies’ capacities to tackle environmental health issues, as well as developing connections with the mental health field, and in handling health care needs of the medically impoverished.
States and their local governments hold the main obligation for health under the U.S. Constitution. State and local governments accomplish this obligation, by participating in a number of activities, including monitoring injury problems and disease in the population through surveillance systems; finding individuals and groups having conditions of public health importance with testing, reporting, and partner notification; providing a range of prevention services such as counseling and education; and helping guarantee access to superior health care services for poor and susceptible populations. State and local entities also participate in a range of governing activities. They look to guarantee businesses manage themselves in ways that are clean and safe (through the establishment of inspections, licenses, and nuisance abatements) and that individuals are not engaging in overly perilous behavior or posing a danger to others (through the provision of services such as vaccinations, directly observed therapy, and isolation), and they manage the quality of health care provided in the public and private sectors.
With regards to public health, the federal government acts in six main areas: (1) policy making, (2) financing, (3) public health protection, (4) collecting and disseminating information about U.S. health and health care delivery systems, (5) capacity building for population health, and (6) direct management of services (Boufford and Lee, 2001). For much of history, the U.S. Supreme Court has given the federal government wide-ranging authority under the Constitution to look out for the public’s health and safety. Under the power to “control Commerce, the federal government acts in the following areas: environmental protection, occupational health and safety, and food and drug purity (Gostin, 2000). The federal government may set circumstances on federal funds spending (for example, entailing implementing a minimum age of 21 for legal consumption of alcoholic beverages to receive Federal-Aid Highway Funds), tax commodities resulting in risky behavior (e.g., cigarettes), reducing taxes for socially desirable behaviors (e.g., for voluntary employer provision of health care), and controlling people and organizations whose activities may affect interstate commerce (for example, pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers so they are safe and effective).
Reference:
NAP.EDU (n.d.). “The Governmental Public Health Infrastructure” Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/10548/chapter/5
2.
Before 1960s, the federal government didn’t issue any education policy just because education is not exactly a constitutional right like free speech but it just an important interest to warrant constitutional protection. (Chingo, 2017) Therefore, the federal government can only protect students against discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or disability or ethnicity through the 14th amendment.
The federal government evaluate school district by administering National Assessment of Education Progress (NEAP) and publish recommended teaching strategies that states and local governments could adopt if they wish to.
State and local government are responsible for the maintenance and operation of public schools. They also establish, select, and regulate curriculum, teaching, methods and instructional materials in schools. Public funding in the U.S. comes from the Three level of government but more than half of those funds come from local taxpayers. Therefore, there is a big difference between wealthy and poor communities. State and local government provide most of the funding for education.
For example, in Hawaii, 90% of education expenses are paid by the state, whereas in New Hampshire 90% is paid by the local school district. This results in inequality in the amount of money that school district must spend on public education. Since most schools funding comes from property taxes, prosperous communities collect more taxes than poor communities and result in inequalities in the quality of schools, inadequate education for poor children. (US History, n.d.)
References:
US History. (n.d.) Who Pay for Education? Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/gov/12c.asp
Chingos, M. (2017). How Progressive is School Funding in the United States? Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-progressive-is-school-funding-in-the-united-states/
3.
In the United States all three levels of government is responsible for education funding. Typically, states and local governments contribute 44 percent of secondary and elementary schools educational funding. The national government contributes about 12 percent of all direct expenses. Although America expends billions of dollars on public education in secondary and public schools; about $10,658 per student, but this per pupil disbursements differ significantly among school districts individual schools, and states, even in the same state, and within school districts (School funding-education policy, 2005).The amount of money allocated to state and local government by the federal government has changed considerably over time. Traditionally, elementary and secondary education was funded basically by local governments; the states only just had a supportive role. Presently, a much larger part is played by states in funding education.
This trend arose in the 1970’s when the amount of spending by the state surpassed education expenditure of local governments (School funding-Education policy, 2005). The funding provided by federal government has always been minor in regards to secondary and elementary education, even though it is the federal government’s role to fund education; it has been increasing slowly, so too is its policy on education. In the United States, education must be improved to greater and better financial flexibility. A closer look must now be placed on post-secondary education training; wages have been stagnant due to the Great Recession and education has not benefited subsequently since the economic recovery. Although the signs are pointing to this trend continuing, it is vital that our present students be prepared for careers which will enable them to support their families, and allow them to take part fully in the economic development and growth of our country, Partelow, Brown, Shapiro, & Johnson (2018).
Partelow, L., Brown, C., Shapiro, S., & Johnson, S. (2018). 7 Great Education Policy Ideas for Progressives in 2018.
School funding-Education policy: Policy explainers. (2005). Retrieved from