Conceptualizations of “public health” and government action among U.S. adults in 2025
Lauren N Yan, Emily Cramer, Peter J Winch, Emily A HurleyAbstract
Introduction
Understanding how Americans think about public health and the role of government institutions is crucial for informing effective health communication in a polarized political climate.
Methods
We deployed an open-ended national survey of 1,004 adults in October 2025 to assess public perceptions of these topics.
Results
Respondents associated the term “public health” with health for everyone (44%) and health of everyone (23%), alongside healthcare (20%) and other themes. The most common perceived government benefit was facilitating access to healthcare (39%)—particularly by addressing cost (16%). Among perceived government harms, more Republicans than Democrats cited overregulation (16% vs. 8%, p<0.01), limiting personal freedoms (16% vs. 6%, p<0.001), and inefficiency (10% vs. 4%, p<0.01); more Democrats than Republicans mentioned dismissing science (7% vs. 2%, p<0.01) and defunding (7% vs. 2%, p=0.02). Weighted analyses yielded minimal substantive differences from unweighted findings.
Conclusion
Findings reveal both cross-partisan common ground in term associations and divergent concerns regarding government action. Public health messaging should leverage shared priorities and acknowledge partisan concerns about government roles.