ABSTRACT
American beliefs, wants and values appear again as the primary explanation of the events that took place in American medicine after World War II. American beliefs, values and wants are also perceived to be responsible for what happened in American medicine in the 1960s, with the establishment of new programs such as Medicare and Medicaid that were not allowed to interfere with the power relationships in existence in the institutions of medicine. The historical analysis of the United States shows that Americans have been and continue to be divided into classes, races, genders and other power groupings, each with its own interests, set of beliefs and wants that are in continuous conflict and struggle. American institutions, including the institutions of government and medicine, are the results of conflicts and struggles, of which class conflict is a key one.
