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Perhaps the most extraordinary feature of modern democracies and democratic republics is the assumption that election or appointment to public office—however narrow the margin of victory—confers upon the officeholder the authority to make medical decisions for the entire population.

That the officeholder—medical doctor or not, and frequently lacking any meaningful research credentials in the matter being decided—is nevertheless regarded by other officeholders and much of the media as possessing near-infallible judgment is among the more remarkable assumptions of modern governance.

That such individuals often present themselves with moral certainty and public righteousness; that they portray their actions as the most compassionate and responsible course under difficult circumstances; and that many citizens sincerely believe them—may indeed contain some truth. But the willingness of so many people to transfer deeply personal medical judgment to political authority raises serious questions about the condition of civic independence and critical thought in modern society.

But to many others, such conduct creates the appearance that these institutions are operating in service to interests other than those of the general public, and that the citizen’s role is reduced largely to observation, criticism, and periodic elections whose practical effect may be limited.

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