Jennifer Karas Montez, Syracuse

Title: Hypothesizing Upward: U.S. States Contexts and Inequalities in Life Expectancy
ABSTRACT: In the United States, life expectancy is increasingly being shaped by where we live and how much schooling we have completed. Why? Most speculation has focused on "micro-level" explanations, such as individuals' personal choices and lifestyle behaviors. This presentation will discuss the importance of macro-level explanations, particularly U.S. state policies. Weaving together results from several recent and ongoing studies, this presentation will build the case that the diverging policy contexts of U.S. states-resulting from decades of deregulation, devolution of political authority from federal to state levels, and state preemption laws-have likely played a critical role in the widening inequalities in life expectancy.