Why polarization is bad for our health

Issue 145: Connecting beliefs about public health policies to partisan identities has likely killed thousands of people—we explain why it's dangerous

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services—one of the US’s most influential leadership roles in health. This is particularly terrifying for many doctors and public health experts because RJK Jr. is an anti-vaccine advocate with a shaky grasp on science.

Jay was recently interviewed by VOX in an article titled, “America is incredibly polarized. It’s bad for our health.” The article noted that “a public that sees everything through a red-or-blue lens is more likely to distrust experts, dislike policies with clear health benefits, embrace policies with clear health risks, and make self-destructive choices.”

These dynamics aren’t exclusive to a single party: Nobody is immune from the tricks polarization plays on the brain. Trump’s appointments look poised to make things particularly bad on the right—with Republican states and districts rolling back vaccine schedules which will almost certainly lead to preventable disease…