Public health and political science: challenges and opportunities for a productive partnership

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We aim to advance productive collaborations between public health and political science by highlighting key challenges to an effective partnership between these fields and examining the opportunities that exist to overcome them. STUDY DESIGN: This short communication takes a descriptive analytical approach. METHODS: We synthesize conceptual insights drawn from (1) a recent international workshop that brought together researchers at the intersection of public health and political science and (2) the emerging literature on 'public health political science.' RESULTS: Although public health and political science would appear to be natural partners, work typically occurs in parallel rather than in partnership, resulting in missed opportunities for productive collaboration. We identify three key challenges to an effective partnership between political science and public health. These include the need for a common language and shared understanding of key concepts; mutual recognition of the complexity and diversity within each field; and a deeper engagement with their conceptual and methodological complementarities and differences. We also identify the area of evidence-informed policymaking as particularly ripe for productive collaboration between public health and political science. CONCLUSIONS: As the roles of politics and scientific evidence in public health policy grow ever more contentious, public health and political science need to move beyond their disciplinary comfort zones and engage productively with the different perspectives and contributions that each field has to offer.

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