Public Health's Aspirational Identity: Who Do We Want to Be?

An editorial is presented which addresses what the authors refer to as the aspirational identity of U.S. public health, and it mentions an American public health and national identity crisis, life expectancy, and population health. The social aspects of medical care are examined, along with the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the rights of immigrants and LGBT people in America. Social movements, lawyers, and law students in the U.S. are assessed.