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.
· Dawes, D. E. (2020).
The political determinants of health. Johns Hopkins University Press.
· 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.
· Chapter 12, “Evidence Informing Policymaking ” (pp. 175–183)
· 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)
· Association of Public Health Nurses Public Health Policy Committee. (2021).
Public health policy advocacy guidebook and tool kitLinks to an external site.
.
·
Congress.govLinks to an external site.. (2022).
· Congress.gov. (2022).
State legislative websitesLinks to an external site.
[Interactive media]. state-legislature-websites
· Gustafson, A. (2017, December 12). How to be a political influence—as an average citizen.
CurrentsLinks to an external site.
.
· Rees, A. (2013, August 6).
Digital and online activismLinks to an external site.
. Reset: Digital for Good.
· Social Current. (n.d.).
Policy, advocacy, and communications toolkitLinks to an external site.
.
· White, N. (2018). Introduction: Why read the
Effective Activist Guide. In
Effective activist: An evidence-based guide to progressive social changeLinks to an external site.
(pp. 6–10). Effective Activist.
To Prepare:
· Review resources related to health policy.
· Consider the health policy that might align with your advocacy priorities.
Post a response detailing the following:
Identify a proposed state and federal policy that aligns with your advocacy priorities for your vulnerable population. Clearly describe and provide evidence to support this policy. If the policy needs to change, describe and provide evidence to support the proposed change.
RESPOND TO THIS DISCUSSION POST
BIMP
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Advocacy Priority for Economically Disadvantaged People.
One example of a state or federal policy that supports the advocacy priorities of economically disadvantaged individuals is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The program was Enacted in 1975, it offers tax credits to low-income workers and families, putting money back into their hands and helping to reduce poverty. People eligible can apply the credit to lower their tax liability and potentially increase their refund.
Description of Earned Income Tax Credit
Earned Income Tax Credit firstly helps with the financial support of populace. EITC offers a refundable tax credit that allows low-income individuals to receive a tax refund even if they have no tax liability. It gives work incentive by encouraging employment through increasing tax credit, making an individual’s earnings grow. EITC also influences poverty reduction, this is verified by research findings that indicate that EITC plays a crucial role in lowering poverty rates especially for families with children (“Earned income tax credit (EITC),” 2023). Williams et.al (2018), stated that evidence avail that demonstrates that policy actions -in 4 key social areas contribute to improved well-being and reduced health disparities in child and youth education and development in the areas of fair employment, social protection and living conditions where social policies have greater impact on health and health outcomes.
Changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
The policy basically is still the same, but changes happen when new rules and regulations are added to provide more coverage or benefits. For instance, in 2021, the EITC amount increased, and the income limits for phaseout were raised, allowing more taxpayers to qualify. Also, the maximum EITC for a married couple filing jointly with three or more children is $6,728, with an upper-income limit of $57,414. In comparison, in 2020, the maximum EITC for the same family was $6,660, and the upper-income limit was $56,844 (“EITC awareness day: Important changes mean more people qualify for credit that helps millions of Americans,” 2024). Another change in 2024 is the Expanded EITC for people who do not have qualifying children. More workers without qualifying children are eligible for the EITC with tripled the maximum credit amount for these taxpayers. For the first time, credit is available to both younger workers and senior citizens, with no upper age limit for claiming credit if taxpayers have earned income. All these and more are ways and means by government to put more money into pockets of economically disadvantaged people.
References
Earned income tax credit (EITC). (2023, September 20). Internal Revenue Service | An official website of the United States government.
EITC awareness day: Important changes mean more people qualify for credit that helps millions of Americans. (2024, October 15). Internal Revenue Service | An official website of the United States government.
Williams, S., Phillips, J., & Koyama, K. (2018). Nurse advocacy: Adopting a health in all policies approach. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(3).
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