Jonathan Oberlander, a Professor of Social Medicine and Health Policy & Management, is the editor of a special issue in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law on Polarization, Partisanship, and Health in the United States. This issue brings together political scientists and public health scholars to explore the impacts of hyperpartisanship on Americans’ health behaviors, attitudes about public health, and U.S. health care policy.
In his lead essay, Oberlander argues that partisan divisions between Democrats and Republicans are reshaping U.S. health politics. He discusses how partisan polarization has affected various issues and policies, from the Affordable Care Act to state health policies and public attitudes about vaccination and public health agencies. Ultimately, he concludes that in a polarized America, neither the polity nor the country is healthy.