Pathways to Participation: Health and Structural Racism as Determinants of Political Participation

Abstract

Recent literature suggests that there is a relationship between health and political participation, indicating that individuals in poorer self-rated health are less likely to turn out to vote, compared to those in better health. While other research suggests that experiencing poor community conditions may mobilize people to vote or participate in politics in other ways, such as protesting or contacting a public official. This dissertation examines the relationship between political participation and health at multiple levels and investigates the connection between participation and structural racism. First, I use data from an NIH-funded study to examine the relationship between health and health-related factors at the individual-level and likelihood of voter turnout. Next, I use national-level datasets to examine associations between community public health conditions at the county-level and individuals’ likelihood of political participation, including voter turnout in the 2018 U.S. midterm election, contacting a public official in the last year, and participating in a political protest, march, or demonstration in the last year. Finally, I use national-level data to examine associations between multiple dimensions of structural racism at the county-level and likelihood of political participation, using the same three participation outcomes from paper two. I discuss the implications of these findings for health policy, health equity, and future research.