Full Description
A bold vision for reimagining harmful public policies through prevention.
Public policies in the United States are built on certain assumptions: that long-term prison sentences deter crime, that corporate profits benefit everyone, that police are the best way to ensure safety, and that meritocracy ensures equal opportunity. Yet, as public health expert Paul J. Fleming reveals, mountains of evidence show that many of these widely accepted policies cause harm, perpetuate inequities, and even lead to premature death.
In Imagine Doing Better, Fleming offers a bold vision for change that's rooted in public health principles of prevention—addressing problems at their root before they occur. Combining rigorous research, historical analysis, and compelling narratives, he examines the deep flaws in policies governing health care, education, justice, and the environment. Fleming unpacks how these systems were built, why harmful assumptions persist, and how they can be reimagined to promote equity, sustainability, and human dignity. Fleming challenges readers to rethink entrenched ideas by exploring thought-provoking questions like "Are prisons a good investment?" and "Is education a ladder or a sieve?". He highlights how budgets and policies reflect moral choices, and he provides frameworks for advocacy and policymaking grounded in evidence and fairness.
Fleming paints a hopeful—yet urgent—picture of what's possible when societies invest in solutions that prioritize human dignity, equity, and sustainability. Accessible and inspiring, Imagine Doing Better offers a hopeful roadmap to a future where all communities have the resources and opportunities to thrive.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface: What will our great-great-great-great-great grandchildren say?
Imagination: Gaining a New Perspective
1. Possibilities
2. Roots
Reflection: The trees we have and the forest we need
3. Better healthcare: Is healthcare like kindergarten or like soybeans?
4. Better environment: Can we thrive in a burning world?
5. Better education: Are schools a ladder or a sieve?
6. Better justice: Are prisons a good investment?
7. Better public safety: What makes us feel safe?
8. Looking Back to Look Forward
Action: How to transform an environment
9. Getting to prevention-minded public policy
10. Where we transform, ourselves
11. Where we transform, our communities
12. How we transform
13. What we transform
14. Conclusions: Making a better world possible
Epilogue: 2225
Acknowledgments
Appendix
References
