THE BELIEFS AND VALUES SHAPING TODAYS HEALTH REFORM DEBATE

Survey results show that the American public comes to the health care reform debate with ambivalent feelings and a relatively low base of sp ecific knowledge. But Americans also hold a set of core values that wi ll shape their response to various proposals for national change. Thes e include (1) a moral commitment to the uninsured; (2) a desire to ach ieve personal peace of mind; (3) a lack of self-blame; (4) a limited w illingness to sacrifice; (5) reasoned self-interest in what changes ar e enacted; (6) a distrust of government; and (7) a healthy cynicism ab out the behavior of our major institutions.