ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a description of some seminal work that sought to explain the declines in mortality in Britain in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century in terms of the economic and social factors operating during the period. One approach starts with the politics side of the equation, by selecting regions with differing political control but a similar level of deprivation, then comparing their health outcomes. This approach is problematic for the United Kingdom, where the regions and/or more local administrative areas have traditionally had limited political autonomy—major decisions about taxation, social policy, health, and welfare have been made centrally. The second approach starts with regions/areas with differing health outcomes and explores the political and policy influences to which they have been subjected. The chapter explores the influence of the political context in administrative areas that have better or worse health than expected, given their socioeconomic profile.
