 |
Making the Case for Change
History Study Center
In the current debate over health care in the United States, few people dispute that there are significant problems with the system. Most agree that health care is too expensive, that not all citizens have equal access to care, and that there is waste and inefficiency.
However, what is less certain is what we should do to address these problems. Are the problems so severe that we need to fundamentally overhaul the way medical care is delivered and paid for in this country? Bill Clinton thought so.
In this new activity from ProQuest's History Study Center (trial sign up), examine some of the rhetorical strategies President Clinton used to attempt to convince the nation that we need a system that guarantees affordable health care to all Americans.
In a 1993 speech before Congress and the nation, President Clinton issued a call for lifelong, universal health care coverage.
President Clinton greets senators following his 1993 speech to a joint
session of Congress in which he proposed a national health plan.
(© 1993 Getty Images, Inc.)
In his speech, the president described the U.S. healthcare system as "badly broken." He discussed some of the most serious problems that plague the current system and proposed solutions to address them. He outlined six key components of healthcare reform:
- Security—"Security means that those who do not now have health care coverage will have it; and for those who have it, it will never be taken away."
- Simplicity—"Our health care system must be simpler for the patients and simpler for those who actually deliver health care—our doctors, our nurses, our other medical professionals."
- Savings—"Reform must produce savings in this health care system."
- Choice—"Americans believe they ought to be able to choose their own health care plan and keep their own doctors."
- Quality—"If we reformed everything else in health care, but failed to preserve and enhance the high quality of our medical care, we will have taken a step backward, not forward."
- Responsibility—"We need to restore a sense that we're all in this together and that we all have a responsibility to be a part of the solution."
President Clinton concluded his address by alluding to the struggle for freedom by people around the world and challenging all Americans to "strike a blow for freedom in this country." He urged them to support a plan that would extend health insurance to all Americans, while simultaneously controlling the rapidly rising costs of health care:
"Forty years from now, our grandchildren will also find it unthinkable that there was a time in this country when hardworking families lost their homes, their savings, their businesses, lost everything simply because their children got sick or because they had to change jobs. Our grandchildren will find such things unthinkable tomorrow if we have the courage to change today."
Activity
As you read through President Clinton's entire speech, ponder the following questions:
- In what way does President Clinton attempt to tie his healthcare reform proposals to the American Dream? Is this rhetorical strategy effective?
- Throughout his speech, President Clinton weaves together the general principles that undergird his message with stories of everyday Americans. Does that technique work for you?
- Review the six principles that President Clinton says should guide the effort to reform our healthcare system. Do you agree with the principles? Do you think most Americans would? If so, why has the debate of healthcare reform become so divisive?
- How effective is President Clinton in addressing opposing views on the issue of healthcare reform?
- At the conclusion of his speech, President Clinton compares healthcare reform to the government's social security program. Is that a fair comparison? Why or why not?
Then write a 500-word essay critiquing the rhetorical effectiveness of President Clinton's speech. You may address some of the issues raised above or explore other techniques that you discover on your own.
|
|
|
