ABSTRACT
Since the 1960s, social equity has been deemed one of the most important principles for public administration. This chapter highlights that the additional consideration of race in research on health can yield significant insights when offering equitable care. After presenting a critical assessment of existing research on the political and policy determinants of health inequality and health care equity, this chapter compares trends in racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. population with the composition of health care bureaucrats and shows that the increased diversity of the public has not matched the growth of racial and ethnic minority health care workers. Discussions also focus on the racial bias that exists during policy implementation and the effect of race on the design of public policy. The chapter considers new frontiers in health inequality with a particular focus on (1) research on race, representative bureaucracy, and health inequality; and (2) intersectionality theory and health inequality across multiple academic disciplines. The chapter concludes with a discussion of unanswered questions that warrant additional attention by a variety of stakeholders.
