African Americans' views on health policy: implications for the 2004 elections

In the competition for African American voters in the 2004 elections, health policy is likely to be an important issue. Blacks are about twice as likely as whites to say that health care issues are important in their vote choice. Using national survey data, this paper shows that candidates will have to have well-developed proposals on the uninsured, protecting Medicaid, aiding neighborhood health centers, and expanding funding for AIDS, to appeal to black voters. However, in responding to black voters, candidates will have to be careful not to alienate white voters by proposing health policies that involve sizable increases in taxes or government regulation.