Research & Reports
Health & Democracy Index
This analysis compares 12 public health indicators and voter turnout to the restrictiveness of voting policies in each state. These findings underscore the importance of promoting a healthy and inclusive democracy to assure the conditions for all people to be healthy.
From Ballots to Better Health: How Inclusive Democracy Shapes The Public’s Health
States with more inclusive and accessible democratic systems are significantly more likely to adopt policies, such as Medicaid expansion, that directly impact health outcomes and public health priorities.
Voting Policy and Health: Evidence as a Call to Action for Health Professionals, Organizations, and Institutions
Do communities have better health outcomes in states with less restrictive voting policies? And is the opposite also true – do communities have worse health outcomes in states with more restrictive voting policies? This white paper explores actionable ways that health professionals can be champions for an inclusive and representative democracy.
New Research! Restrictive Electoral Environments and the Health of Black Americans
Reducing barriers to civic participation and strengthening democracy could support individual and community health, particularly for Black Americans.
Voting is Critical to the Pursuit of Health Equity
Given the ongoing attempts to restrict voting, especially for Black, Latinx, and American Indian voters, we call on our colleagues to explore how they, and the institutions they work in, can strengthen voting and support the health of our democracy.
Lessons From the Health Sector on Verifying Citizenship
The health sector’s experience shows that document-based proof of citizenship requirements in public programs can unintentionally prevent millions of rural, low-income, and elderly Americans from accessing critical services. More than fifteen years have passed since the health sector switched to a streamlined model in which citizenship is automatically verified using databases — Americans have had more accessible healthcare ever since.