HOW HEALTHY IS DEMOCRACY: The Role of Healthcare and Social Equity Considerations in the Governance of People
Book Chapter
Johnson, D, Longmore, S. (2023). HOW HEALTHY IS DEMOCRACY: The Role of Healthcare and Social Equity Considerations in the Governance of People
. 345-369. 10.4324/9781003434290-18
Johnson, D, Longmore, S. (2023). HOW HEALTHY IS DEMOCRACY: The Role of Healthcare and Social Equity Considerations in the Governance of People
. 345-369. 10.4324/9781003434290-18
Some scholars have argued that democracy is under threat. Others warn that democracy is being reshaped and redefined in the midst of the complexities within which it operates in the 21st century. In this article, we consider what conditions might be necessary for the preservation of democratic governance. Put differently, what tools and strategies might be employed to make democracy work better for people especially amidst the rising threats. A nuanced definition of democracy embraces the idea that it should be concerned with enhancing human dignity and their quality of life especially in the midst of 21st-century challenges. The idea is to provide avenues for the actualization of each citizen, equitably. In this consideration, it really is to see to the best health of each individual in all deliberations of health. We therefore explore the utility of holistic healthcare considerations as a driver of democratic governance in the 21st century. We argue, and find, that keen attention to healthcare can be both a tool and a conduit through which governments engineer democratic outcomes, even a fundamental requirement. We find that if governments are attentive to the holistic health, namely the physical, mental, social and spiritual healthcare of its citizens, democratic governance will be hitting the target pointedly in what matters as a reflection of the effectiveness of said governance with concomitant better outcomes.
