DEMOCRACY AND HEALTH
Scholars of population and global health have grappled for decades with the complex relationship between health and its determinants. This growing literature has taught us much about proximal and distal health determinants, especially those in the socio-economic realm. However, economics alone cannot be used to understand global health inequalities. A country’s political structure affects virtually every aspect of society, including health. One theory that relates political institutions to human development focuses primarily on democratic principles, such as regular elections, universal suffrage etc. The link between democracy and health can be viewed through a philosophical framework, which sees societal development as expanding individual freedoms, and focuses on two basic aspects of freedom: opportunity and process. We analyzed the impact of political structure on health through a case study on China.