Political Determinants of Public Health Investment in China and India
Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1-2014
Abstract
This article examines long-term political determinants of divergent levels of public health investment in China and India. Addressing the welfare-state literature hypothesis that democracies tend to invest more than non-democracies in social services including public health, we hypothesize that in low-income countries the development ideologies held by political leaders and the degree to which lower classes pressure the state for public services may impact public health investment more strongly than regime type. We offer a test of this hypothesis through comparative historical analysis of democratic India and non-democratic China. Controlling for economic growth rates and including analysis of the outlying Indian state of Kerala, we find support for our hypothesis that development ideology and systematic pressure from the lower classes have a major impact on government investment in public health.
Keywords
China, Ideology, India, Public health, Social class
Discipline
Health Policy | Political Science | Public Health
Research Areas
Political Science
Publication
Asian Politics and Policy
Volume
6
Issue
1
First Page
59
Last Page
82
ISSN
1943-0779
Identifier
10.1111/aspp.12087
Citation
JOSHI, Devin K., & YU, Bin.(2014). Political Determinants of Public Health Investment in China and India. Asian Politics and Policy, 6(1), 59-82.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/1928
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1111/aspp.12087