Spring 2025 Seminar Series: Emma Zang Life-Course Exposure to State Policy Liberalism Contexts and Later-Life Cognitive Health

Polarization in U.S. state policy has driven geographic disparities in population health, but most studies focus on concurrent policy contexts rather than cumulative exposure over the life course. A life course perspective is crucial because individuals experience varied policy environments at different stages, shaping long-term health outcomes, including cognitive health. Using restricted-access data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2020) linked to state policy data (1936–2014), this study examines how life-course exposure to state policy liberalism affects later-life cognitive health.