Teaching Health Policy and Politics in U.S. Schools of Public Health

Because most public health endeavors in the United States are funded by the public sector, public health practitioners need to be adept at working within the political system. However, the 1988 Institute of Medicine report, "The Future of Public Health," found that many public health professionals are ignorant or disdainful of political processes and will not participate in activities that they perceive to be political. Our study examined the health policy and politics curricula of the 24 accredited schools of public health in the U.S., finding that most public health students are not exposed to these areas during their graduate coursework. Moreover, those students who do take health policy and politics courses study these areas within the context of health care delivery; the politics of public health and prevention are ignored by most schools of public health. Recommendations for improving public health curricula in health policy and politics are presented, including linkages with prevention activities.