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    Good News About Democracy: It's Good For Your Health

    A study finds that for countries worldwide, the "democratic experience" — through free and fair elections — plays a larger role than GDP in easing the burden of chronic diseases.
    by Jonathan Lambert Jul 04, 2019 5 minutes
    Pakistani women jostle to receive their ballot papers prior to casting their ballot at a polling station on May 11, 2013 in Lahore. A study in <em>The Lancet</em> provides evidence that free and fair elections are associated with a lower burden of chronic diseases.

    Here's a bit of heartening news to consider this Fourth of July: Democracy is good for our health.

    A study published in The Lancet in April analyzed how the "democratic experience" of a country impacts the health of its citizens. The results were a clear win for democracy.

    Democratic countries with free and fair elections generally had higher overall life expectancies among residents who were HIV-free than did autocracies. Democratic experience also eased the burden of chronic, noncommunicable diseases like heart disease or stroke, according to the study.

    "This is a fascinating paper in that it tries to understand what affects health outcomes besides the income of a country," says Margaret Kruk, a professor of public health at Harvard who was not involved in the study.

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