University of Wisconsin–Madison

The American Mortality Project

How Social Forces Shape Lifespan

What determines how long we live? The American Mortality Project explores this question through a wide-ranging research agenda that connects historical events, public health policies, family dynamics, and structural racism to life expectancy in the United States.

Using a data-driven lens, the project investigates how major forces such as the Dust Bowl, college expansion, Prohibition, polio vaccines, fertility patterns, and family education have left lasting marks on mortality outcomes. The work uncovers how both sweeping policy shifts and personal factors come together to shape who lives longer and why.

Organized into four core themes: Historical Events; Public Health Policies, Laws, and Practices; Family Factors; and Race and Racism, this research offers a deeper understanding of how the past continues to influence longevity today and provides clues into how current policy choices may affect our collective health for generations to come.

Learn more about a specific topic

Explore the themes shaping life expectancy in the United States.

  • Family factors

    Family structure and household dynamics play a powerful role in longevity. This theme explores how fertility patterns, parental education, and intergenerational resources shape health across the life course. By analyzing how families pass on advantages or vulnerabilities, the research uncovers the personal and social mechanisms that affect who lives longer.

  • Historical events

    Historical events leave lasting marks on how long Americans live. This theme examines how shocks like the Dust Bowl, Prohibition, and major educational expansions shaped mortality across generations. By tracing the long-term effects of economic upheaval, environmental disasters, and social reforms, the research shows how the past continues to influence life expectancy today.

  • Public health policies, laws, and practices

    Public health policies have transformed survival prospects in the United States. This theme investigates how initiatives like vaccine rollouts, sanitation improvements, and disease-prevention programs altered mortality patterns. By evaluating the effectiveness and unintended consequences of these interventions, the project shows how policy decisions can dramatically shift population health.

  • Race, racism and globalization

    Race racism and global forces shape access to health and opportunity. This theme examines how structural racism, migration, and international economic change drive mortality disparities. By tracing how discrimination and global integration distribute risks and resources unevenly, the research shows how social and geopolitical forces influence who lives longer.