Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Douglas Mac Kinnon

Abstract

Americans’ continuously increasing tobacco use in the form of smoking presents an ongoing and rising negative health impact on this leading cause of preventable death. Despite existing U.S. federal level tobacco regulation through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA), U.S. tobacco use remains ubiquitous demonstrating existent ineffectiveness of tobacco control legislation. Unknown underlying attributing factors present critical information gaps which, when exposed, could improve tobacco regulation. Using a case study approach, the question, “What key themes are aligned with legislative subsystem actors when voting on the FSPTCA” was examined. Multi-source data streams using existing secondary datasets including each state’s official tobacco use stance, 2009 FSPTCA Congressional documents, and legislators’ FSPTCA public voting records were analyzed. Thematic analysis through Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith’s advocacy coalition framework revealed tobacco subsystem actors, tobacco product natures, public health effects, economy impacts, ineffective tobacco industry maintenance, and needed public protection tobacco regulation as dominant themes linked to changes in public opinion and systemic governing coalitions. Coalition formation between policy actors inextricably contributed to FSPTCA enactment, whereas public opinion and systemic governing coalition changes propelled tobacco legislation. Positive social change implications include highlighting tobacco legislation influencers through knowledge and insights centered on their tobacco policy creation and voting patterns, influential triggers aiding public policy generation, and improved public well-being through informed health policy creation.

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