Question

One of the central debates in the Obama Administration health care reform efforts was between those fighting for more access to health care for those at or near the poverty line and those who resisted such efforts to provide health care to people whom they considered to be undeserving, too lazy to work, or too selfish to purchase their own health insurance. This debate illustrates a basic contradiction that exists in U.S. society between democratic ideals and

Answer 1

The central debates of Obamacare reflect a conflict between democratic ideals and perspectives on personal responsibility, with one side aiming to increase healthcare access and the other resisting expansions to perceived undeserving individuals.

Step-by-step explanation:

The debates surrounding the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as 'Obamacare,' exemplify a fundamental tension in U.S. society that juxtaposes democratic ideals with notions of individual responsibility and the role of government in providing health care. The act endeavored to provide affordable health insurance to all Americans and mandated that everyone in the United States acquire some form of health insurance, addressing the issue of the millions who were uninsured and highlighting a division in ideologies about health care as a human right versus a personal obligation. Proponents of the ACA argued for a more inclusive approach to healthcare, reflecting a belief in fundamental rights and support for those at or near the poverty line, while opponents resisted expansions to health care access, often suggesting that such provisions catered to individuals they perceived as undeserving or not taking personal responsibility.