Lay summary
Economic policy remains one of the most powerful levers governments can pull to shape societal outcomes. Yet, existing research has largely remained within the boundaries of traditional economic paradigms, focusing narrowly on indicators such as GDP growth, employment rates, and corporate behaviour. While these outcomes are important, they reflect a market-centric and siloed view that overlooks a critical question: How do economic policies affect the health and wellbeing of people? This project offers a transformative shift by reframing economic policy not merely as a tool for managing markets, but as a determinant of public health and individual wellbeing. We propose an integrative, multidisciplinary framework that brings together economics and public health to understand how shifts in fiscal and monetary policy—such as changes in interest rates and local taxation—reverberate through household finances, housing stability, and ultimately, mental and physical health outcomes.