From the dean: On voting and public health
On Election Day, consider this correlation: The United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among developed nations, especially in midterm elections. Meanwhile, population health outcomes in the U.S.—such as infant mortality and preventable chronic disease rates—have been deteriorating since the 1980s and are now significantly worse than those in most other developed countries.
Drawing conclusions from simple associations is a dangerous game, of course, but one could still speculate: If our nation’s voter turnout was higher, might we also see improvements in o...