Solomon Center Hosts Talk with Professors Lewis Grossman and Peter Swenson

The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy hosted a book talk on Oct. 31 the featuring Lewis Grossman, Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law, and Peter Swenson, Charlotte Marion Saden Professor of Political Science and Professor in the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University. 

Together, Grossman and Swenson discussed their books, Choose Your Medicine: Freedom of Therapeutic Choice in America and Disorder: A History of Reform, Reaction, and Money in American Medicine, respectively. While each book takes a different approach to exploration of its core topics, Grossman and Swenson focused their discussion on overlapping themes in their books. These include the role of medical libertarianism and progressivism; examples and challenges of licensing; the impact of direct regulation; the relationship between government, medical professional associations, and the medical professional itself; and the ways in which politics have influenced access to healthcare/medicine in America.

Both authors talked about the role of trust, or lack thereof, and power, specifically how those in power have acted in such a way to erode public trust in the U.S. medical system(s). For Grossman, this lack of trust has influenced the increasing demands from patients and advocates to determine the best course of treatment independent of government overreach. Swenson similarly explored the concept of distrust, but through examples of how professional associations have wielded their immense power to influence decision-makers and healthcare professionals throughout the evolution of our healthcare system. Swenson, like Grossman, highlighted the important role reformers and advocates have played in changing historic trends.