"This excellent book provides a deep and subtle critique of the idea that when it comes to economic development, all good things go together. Troesken neatly separates and contrasts the public requirements for debate on individual liberties and rights that is an inherent part of a healthy democratic society, with the coordinated action necessary to address collective problems, where the actions of one individual affects the circumstances of another. The two are not always in line, as the recent difficulties with vaccinations for children makes clear. An insightful and timely book."

John Joseph Wallis, University of Maryland

“Troesken’s The Pox of Liberty fits into the broader category of works by Jared Diamond, David Landes, and Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, as well as others who attempt to understand the relationship between disease, institutions, and economic outcomes. What I like about Troesken’s book—and what I think fills a significant gap—is that instead of coming up with a singular story, he recognizes and elucidates with clear and careful prose the subtleties that exist in a complex relationship.”

Melissa Thomasson, Miami University

“Unquestionably an important piece of work. With The Pox of Liberty, Troesken successfully ties episodes in America’s public health history to its legal history and makes many interesting points about the impact of the legal system on public health. The book will appeal to a wide range of scholars with a historical bent.”

Louis Cain, Loyola University Chicago and Northwestern University

"The Pox of Liberty is the product of a daring, eclectic, and challenging mind. Troesken’s admirably interdisciplinary analysis and graceful prose will speak compellingly to a variety of audiences: economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, legal scholars, and public health policy makers. Above all, he asks: Could it be that democracy and constitutionalism actually promote disease? Troesken’s powerful argument that Americans can’t necessarily have both the liberty and the public health that they desire and expect is an intriguing and important intervention."

Robert D. Johnston, editor of The Politics of Healing

“A fascinating and insightful volume that provides balanced, highly readable analysis about the relationship among the US Constitution, American ideological beliefs about the nature and scope of individual liberty, and sociopolitical public health efforts to eradicate various diseases throughout the history of the country. . . . Troesken convincingly achieves his goal of demonstrating that constitutional interpretation is a very useful lens through which to examine governmental policies that addressed diseases like smallpox and yellow fever.  Overall, The Pox of Liberty is an engaging and educational read. Highly recommended.”

Choice

"The book continually challenges us to rethink the simple story that poverty equals disease and ill-health. It presents a much more complicated and nuanced view where institutions matter and there are trade-offs everywhere.... Too often when I talk to policymakers, they seem to think that one problem can be fixed without creating other problems elsewhere. This book is a great example of the very real and very complicated trade-offs that exist everywhere in policy."

Economic Record