How Americans View Foreign Models

Abstract

This chapter presents original experimental public opinion data about Americans’ views on health and family reforms. Surveying representative samples of U.S. respondents shows that even American voters respond substantially to information from abroad, and that United Nations recommendations trigger stronger responses than information about the practices of foreign governments. Consistent with the proposed theory, voters predisposed to be skeptical of redistributive social policy initiatives—such as Republicans—and voters with limited information about social policy programs, respond especially strongly to information from abroad. This chapter also examines whether politicians anticipate and work to elicit this positive response. It presents policy debates surrounding the two most recent major reforms in these areas: adoption of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and adoption of the 1994 Family and Medical Leave Act. Qualitative data on the U.S. adoption of universal health care and family leave show that members of Congress and the president often refer to foreign models, but not necessarily to the most successful or relevant foreign models. Instead, U.S. politicians systematically refer to countries that are prominent in the U.S. media.