Unhealthy Politics: The Battle over Evidence-Based Medicine

Review\n"The United States stands out among rich countries in resisting evidence-based medicine―not in theory, perhaps, but in practice. In this informative book, the authors, all political scientists, document this phenomenon and then consider why ordinary people, physicians, and politicians all resist public spending on research that would produce obvious benefits for everyone."―Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs\n"Unhealthy Politics connects the dots in the complex relationships among physicians, medical societies, the public, and politicians."―Romana Hasnain-Wynia, Health Affairs\n"A remarkable example of the contribution that political science has to make to discussions of policy problems that have chiefly concerned other fields. . . . Patashnik, Gerber, and Dowling bring to bear not only a wealth of original survey evidence . . . but also a wealth of theoretical insights from the policy process and legislative politics literatures."―Jake Haselswerdt, Journal of Politics\nHow partisanship, polarization, and medical authority stand in the way of evidence-based medicine\nThe U.S. medical system is touted as the most advanced in the world, yet many common treatments are not based on sound science. Unhealthy Politics sheds new light on why the government's response to this troubling situation has been so inadequate, and why efforts to improve the evidence base of U.S. medicine continue to cause so much political controversy. This critically important book paints a portrait of a medical industry with vast influence over which procedures and treatments get adopted, and a public burdened by the rising costs of health care yet fearful of going against "doctor's orders." Now with a new preface by the authors, Unhealthy Politics offers vital insights into the limits of science, expertise, and professionalism in American politics.