Where is the popular mandate? A reply to conventional wisdom

Current federal policies include substantial cuts in government expenditures for health programs and for care of the poor, elderly, and handicapped, and the weakening of government regulations in health and medical care. These policies are presented by many political, academic, and medical leaders as responding to popular mandate both to cut government expenditures in all non-millitary areas and to diminish government intervention in health care and medicine. Also, it is assumed that the tax revolt that occured in the late seventies further triggered the need for tax cuts and cuts in all social expenditures, including health and educational expenditures. The evidence of North American people's wants, wishes, and desires - measured by leading polls - leads to opposite conclusions, however. In the period 1977-1982, there has been continuous popular support of government programs for health and education; for care of the elderly, poor, and handicapped; and for strengthening government regulations in health care and medicine. During these years, there has been a popular mandate not to decrease but, rather, to increase such interventions. Thus, the current policies cannot be presented as responding to a popular mandate. In fact, the mandate is for policies precisely opposite to the ones which are being implemented by the Reagan Administration.