What are legislators currently doing to address your selected advocacy priorities for a vulnerable population?

POLICY

What are legislators currently doing to address your selected advocacy priorities for a vulnerable population? Are there current policies in place? Are there current policies proposed at either the state or federal level? What are the most obvious strengths and weaknesses of these policies as they relate to your advocacy priority? What might need to change?

For this Discussion, you will identify a state or federal policy that aligns with your advocacy priority. After identifying the policy, you will consider how the policy aligns and supports your identified vulnerable population. How and why does this policy align with your advocacy priorities?

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.

Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

Readings

• Dawes, D. E. (2020). The political determinants of health. Johns Hopkins University Press.

o Chapter 5, “Wining the Game That Never Ends: Success Means Continuous Employment of the Political Determinants of Health” (pp. 112–130)

• Porche, D. J. (2023). Health policy: Applications for nurses and other healthcare professionals (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

o Chapter 12, “Evidence Informing Policymaking ” (pp. 175–183)

o Chapter 15, “Politics: Theory and Practice” (pp. 201–237)

• Document: Personal Legislative Agenda and Action Plan Exemplar (Word Document)Download Personal Legislative Agenda and Action Plan Exemplar (Word Document)

• Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. (2019). Policy, advocacy, and communications toolkit. https://alliance1.org/web/resources/pubs/policy-advocacy-communications-toolkit.aspx

• Association of Public Health Nurses Public Health Policy Committee. (2021). Public health policy advocacy guidebook and tool kitLinks to an external site.. https://www.phnurse.org/assets/docs/APHN%20Public%20Health%20Policy%20Advocacy%20Guidebook%20and%20Toolkit%20_May%202021.pdf

• Congress.govLinks to an external site.. (2022). https://www.congress.gov/

• Congress.gov. (2022). State legislative websitesLinks to an external site. [Interactive media]. https://www.congress.gov/state-legislature-websites

• Gustafson, A. (2017, December 12). How to be a political influence—as an average citizen. CurrentsLinks to an external site.. https://smea.uw.edu/currents/how-to-be-a-political-influence-as-an-average-citizen/

• Rees, A. (2013, August 6). Digital and online activismLinks to an external site.. Reset: Digital for Good. https://en.reset.org/digital-and-online-activism/

• White, N. (2018). Introduction: Why read the Effective Activist Guide. In Effective activist: An evidence-based guide to progressive social change links to an external site. (pp. 6–10). Effective Activist. https://effectiveactivist.co