PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON HEALTH CARE

One of the most vigorously debated topics in the area of health care is the proportion of health care costs that should be borne by the government, rather than by the individual. Using nationally representative data, the views of Australian citizens on this issue are explored. The findings suggest that the majority of Australians favour increased spending on health by the government. Multiple regression analyses indicate that in addition to various sociodemographic factors, political partisanship and political efficacy are strong, significant predictors of attitudes towards health spending by the government. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.