Policy, inequity, and the life course in the US

The modern US welfare state developed over the course of the 20th century to primarily support two stages of life: early childhood and old age. The collection of policies that comprise this welfare state, though, are fragmented due to state-level administration, electiveness, and within program variations. Accessing policy supports, then, is easier in early childhood and old age, but those supports are incomplete at every stage of life. In addition, policies in the US are rarely intended to reduce health inequities. There have been efforts to assess whether accessing US policies does improve health, but this is a developing area of research and there are exciting opportunities to ask and answer critical questions about US policy and health across the life course. This chapter offers an overview of the US welfare state, its impact on health and health disparities over the life course, and suggestions for future research.