Democracy, accountability, and international health: Westminister from a medical perspective

Preparing for international medical service

“…Gaining an awareness of the historical context online is more difficult because many Internet sites that discuss background to current situations are sponsored by organizations with agendas that may influence their impartiality. To have a full understanding of the forces that frequently are determinants of health status in various countries, one must consider local or regional events and context to the global political processes, as John [17] did when she spent several months working in British Parliament after graduation from a new international-focused medical curriculum in England. With such broader, more in-depth understanding of the factors that affect health on a global scale, one develops an appreciation of the linkage noted by social activist physician Rudolph Virchow's oft quoted or paraphrased statement: ''Medicine is a social science and politics is only medicine on a larger scale'' [18].…”

“…Although much work to improve global health is accomplished far from the point of delivery and in nonmedical domains [17], first-hand experience is invaluable as an introduction to the issues for future involvement in global health initiatives and as a framing experience for any United States EM practice setting, particularly with increasing diversity and dispersion of immigrant populations. The following discussion is directed at preparations for clinical experiences outside the United States.…”

The Transforming Power of Democracy: Regime Type and the Distribution of Electricity

“…A well-established and yet still-growing literature seeks to evaluate democracy's impact on a range of development outcomes: health, education, wages, and economic growth (John 2003; Lake and Baum 2001; Leftwich 2002; Olson 1993; Przeworski et al 2000; Rodrik 1999; Wintrobe, 1998). Distributional considerations often lie at this literature's conceptual core: democracy's impact on education, health, and economic performance often depends on how political leaders in different regimes divide the pie.…”