Politics, elections, and inclusive decision-making: Do political institutions affect health? (360G-Wellcome-220206_Z_20_Z)

Do political institutions influence the health of populations? Political institutions once seemed fixed and stable, but now appear to be flexible and open to change. This project seeks to uncover whether changing political institutions could affect health. Political institutions are the rules that govern who participates and how they participate in decision-making processes within societies; for example, they dictate who gets to vote and how votes are counted. Political institutions potentially affect health because they make governments more (less) responsive to what citizens want. However, this straightforward view of how political institutions affect health overlooks how democracies can privilege some voices over others (e.g., party donors may matter more than voters) and so universal suffrage may not necessarily deliver better health. This project will shed light on these questions through a series of empirical case studies. For example, I propose to examine whether political incorporation improves the health of formerly excluded groups, and whether their influence on policy decisions is weaker in majoritarian political systems than proportional representation systems because votes are counted differently. This project speaks to the sustainable development agenda by illuminating whether inclusive and representative decision-making institutions may accelerate progress toward ensuring healthy lives for all.