PUBH 201 SECTION 4
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - correct answer ✔✔which oversees extensive federal regulation of
foods, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics, most of which are distributed across state lines.
LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES - correct answer ✔✔The organization of public health at the local level
varies from state to state and even within states. The most common local agency is the county health
department. The federal government may fund some local health department activities directly, or
federal funds may be passed on from the states. A portion of the local health budget usually comes from
local property and sales taxes, and from fees that the department charges for some services.
STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS - correct answer ✔✔The states have the primary constitutional
responsibility and authority for the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of the
population, and much of this responsibility falls on state health departments. The scope of this
responsibility varies: Some states have separate agencies for social services, aging, mental health, the
environment, and so on.
FEDERAL AGENCIES INVOLVED W/ PUBLIC HEALTH - correct answer ✔✔Most traditional public health
activities at the federal level, other than environmental health, fall under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The organization chart of the HHS. The predominant
agencies are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), and the FDA. The Surgeon General is the nation's leading spokesperson on matters of public
health.
Understand a general breakdown of how public health and government work. - correct answer
✔✔Governments have broad power to act in ways that curtail the rights of individuals. These police
powers of governments are basic to public health, and are the reason why public health must ultimately
be government's responsibility. Laws have been used to enforce compliance in health matters for over a
century. The public health law has become more complex over the years, but it follows the same pattern.
At any level of government, a legislature, perceiving a need, passes a statute. The statute may be
challenged in court and the decision of the court may be appealed to higher courts. Generally, on issues
of constitutionality, a state court may overturn a local law or court decision, and a federal court may
overturn a state law or court decision. Since public health increasingly involves complex technical issues,
legislatures at the several levels of government generally set up administrative agencies to perform
public health functions. The legislature, recognizing that it lacks the necessary expertise, authorizes
these agencies to set rules that define in detail how to accomplish the purpose of the legislation.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - correct answer ✔✔which oversees extensive federal regulation of
foods, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics, most of which are distributed across state lines.
LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES - correct answer ✔✔The organization of public health at the local level
varies from state to state and even within states. The most common local agency is the county health
department. The federal government may fund some local health department activities directly, or
federal funds may be passed on from the states. A portion of the local health budget usually comes from
local property and sales taxes, and from fees that the department charges for some services.
STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS - correct answer ✔✔The states have the primary constitutional
responsibility and authority for the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of the
population, and much of this responsibility falls on state health departments. The scope of this
responsibility varies: Some states have separate agencies for social services, aging, mental health, the
environment, and so on.
FEDERAL AGENCIES INVOLVED W/ PUBLIC HEALTH - correct answer ✔✔Most traditional public health
activities at the federal level, other than environmental health, fall under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The organization chart of the HHS. The predominant
agencies are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), and the FDA. The Surgeon General is the nation's leading spokesperson on matters of public
health.
Understand a general breakdown of how public health and government work. - correct answer
✔✔Governments have broad power to act in ways that curtail the rights of individuals. These police
powers of governments are basic to public health, and are the reason why public health must ultimately
be government's responsibility. Laws have been used to enforce compliance in health matters for over a
century. The public health law has become more complex over the years, but it follows the same pattern.
At any level of government, a legislature, perceiving a need, passes a statute. The statute may be
challenged in court and the decision of the court may be appealed to higher courts. Generally, on issues
of constitutionality, a state court may overturn a local law or court decision, and a federal court may
overturn a state law or court decision. Since public health increasingly involves complex technical issues,
legislatures at the several levels of government generally set up administrative agencies to perform
public health functions. The legislature, recognizing that it lacks the necessary expertise, authorizes
these agencies to set rules that define in detail how to accomplish the purpose of the legislation.
