ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with various aspects of this relationship, namely, health and different forms of political participation, health, political interest and efficacy and the impact of the social environment. It applies the individual-level analysis to a cross-national comparative perspective by assessing the impact of contextual factors, such as the electoral system, on the linkage between health and the four measures of political participation. The book takes a different approach by looking at the political representation of different health groups on health-related issues. It examines the impact of health on getting one's voice heard in a democratic society. The book discusses the consequences for democratic politics, particularly from the viewpoint of political inequality. It attempts by political scientists to offer a comprehensive account of how personal health and political engagement are related.
