Voters and Health Care in the 2006 Election

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Abstract
The U.S. House and Senate elections in November 2006 have generated intense interest both in this country and abroad.1 One reason this election is seen as important is that the Republican and Democratic positions on many key policy areas, such as health care, are currently far apart. A substantial body of research by political scientists has shown that in recent years the positions of the two parties in Congress have diverged increasingly on almost all major policy issues.2-6 This trend has also been reflected in congressional legislation on issues such as the future of the Medicare prescription drug program, the lack of health care coverage for a segment of the population, Medicaid, health care costs, and stem-cell research, as well as priorities for health care expenditures.7