What just passed through the House of Representatives? Will it help relieve the century-long constipation that has plagued American health care reform? In a conversation with Big Think today, Yale political science professor Jacob Hacker—whose 2007 proposal, "Health Care for America," first raised the public option to national prominence—rated the quality of the new bill.

Hacker also ventured a prediction as to the bill's fate in the Senate and offered advice to ordinary citizens who feel like frustrated bystanders in the debate. His interview will be posted later this month; in the meantime, you can read his influential 2007 proposal here.