What Shapes Lawmakers’ Views: A Survey of Members of Congress and Key Staff on Health Care Reform

A report summarizing the findings of in-depths interviews conducted with Members of Congress and their staff who were actively involved in the health care reform debate about their opinions about what factors influenced the debate and shaped their views. The report finds that, among media sources, talk radio had the greatest influence in the debate and that public opinion trailed only Administration failures in terms of perceived influence on the debate’s outcome.