摘要：This paper examines the politics of government response to health epidemics in the United States and Brazil. Using a global structural approach, it explains why, despite their various similarities, Brazil has been a bit better at responding to both sexually transmitted (STDs), while the U.S. has been better at responding to non-STDs, such as the specter of avian flu and bioterrorism. The paper closes with a discussion of why democracies are biased in the types of epidemics they respond to and what this means for democratic equality and commitment to its citizenry.
