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Article: Official U.S. Health Agencies
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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OFFICIAL U.S. HEALTH AGENCIES
The role of the U.S. government in health policies and programs has its roots in the Constitution. This role is made clear by Lawrence A. Gostin:
The Constitutional design reveals a plain intent to vest power in government at every level to protect community health and safety. By its very first sentences, the Constitution provides sole legislative or policy making authority in the Congress, and the first enumerated legislative power is to provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States. The legislative role is to enact laws necessary to safeguard the population from harms and promote health (e.g., food and drug purity, ...