A Punctuated Equilibrium Analysis of Amyloidosis (and Amyloid Related Diseases) in U.S. Policy Making

Amyloidosis is a rare disease in which Amyloid protein accumulation leads to severe, systemic diseases affecting vital organs like the heart, kidneys, liver, and brain. The disease “Amyloidosis” has been discussed 451 times in the official United States Government Records (GovInfo.com) dating back to 1916. Baumgartner and Jones’ (1993) Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) helps explain policy change as a pattern of long stability interrupted by brief periods of significant shifts. Applying PET reveals four such punctuations in U.S. policymaking history. The most recent punctuation coincides with the first-ever introduction of two amyloidosis bills to Congress. The objective of the paper is to highlight the growth of amyloidosis and amyloid related diseases policy in the United States federal government. The narrative review incorporated all the United States Government Records that mentioned amyloidosis from GovInfo.com. There were four significant shifts in amyloidosis policy in the United States followed by a current state of stasis due to the restructuring of the NIH.