Evaluating the Affordable Care Act (ACA): Constitutional, Biblical, and Feasibility Perspectives
Defining Problem
The US must advance the well-being of its citizens. The clause found in Section 8 of Article I lets the federal government the ability to impose taxes and allocate funds for the general welfare of the United States (Eastman, 2011). The interpretation of this provision has been a focus of a dicussion. The essay will analyze different aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
May
Biblical Guidelines
In the Bible, the responsibility for the citizen’s welfare lies on the government. Monsma (2008) underlines that Christians should show solidarity with the poor and assist a specific group of people in need. Therefore, the government must ensure that all citizens’ welfare from the policies and social or economic status should not be a barrier.
Constitutional Guidelines
The Founding Fathers recognized that there could be financial ruin. The problem would occur if the government had no limits on spending the money. They inserted the provisions in the Constitution that restrict the government’s spending authority to prevent this. Nonetheless, the Constitution imposes limits on the government’s spending ability.
Can
Political Feasibility
In “Public and Policy,” Kraft and Furlong (2020) discuss the political feasibility of a policy by examining its level of support in Congress and among the public. The authors highlight the moment that a policy will likely be implemented if it has more support among politicians and the public. However, they also note that controversial policies or threatening powerful interests are often difficult to implement.
Financial Feasibility
The government should consider the cost of policy implementation. One reason for the concern is that the national debt may be massively impacted. The government should determine the need to promote the general welfare and maintain responsibility.
Practical Feasibility
The logistical resources needed for implementation include funding for expanding healthcare coverage and investments in healthcare infrastructure. The ACA implementation steps can include the establishment of healthcare exchanges. Those can be marketplaces for citizens and small businesses to purchase insurance coverage.
Should
The ACA is suggested to be endorsed as it adheres to the Biblical and Constitutional principles of promoting citizens’ general welfare. The ACA’s successful implementation is achievable by considering its financial and practical effects and gaining support from politicians and the general public. The ACA’s regulations align with the Biblical principle of helping people experiencing poverty and those in need.
References
Eastman, J. C. (2011). Enough is enough: why general welfare limits spending. The Heritage Foundation. Web.
Kraft, M. E., & Furlong, S. R. (2020). Public policy.
Monsma, S. (2008). Healing for a broken world: christian perspectives on public policy.