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Incorporating Health into Studies of Political Behavior: Evidence for Turnout and Partisanship.

Julianna PachecoJason Fletcher
Published in: Political research quarterly (2014)
We argue that research on political behavior, including political participation, public opinion, policy responsiveness, and political inequality will be strengthened by studying the role of health. We then provide evidence that health matters for voter turnout and partisanship. Using the General Social Survey (GSS) and The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we find that people who report poor health are less likely to vote and identify with the Republican Party. Moreover, the effects of health on voter turnout and partisanship appear to have both developmental and contemporaneous components. Taken together, our findings suggest that health inequalities may have significant political consequences.
Keyphrases
  • healthcare
  • public health
  • mental health
  • health information
  • emergency department
  • health promotion
  • physical activity
  • human health
  • risk assessment
  • climate change
  • drug induced