BY: Seth W. Heath

 

FOR: Lisa Cacari Stone

 

Pol Sc 270 t-th 12:30-1:45

 

Assignment #3

 

Due: October 8 2002

 

1.                  I am interested in studying current and past governmental policy concerning illegal drug laws. My examination of the illegal drug policy area will focus on the effectiveness of past and present policies, the social influences on and impacts of these policies, scrutinize the various actors and their agendas concerning drug policy and finally present some possible adjustments and revisions of policy that would serve all parties involved in a more equitable manner.

 

2.                  There are several problems and or issues that exist within the arena of illegal drug policy. The foremost problem is the human cost of drug use; the violent crime associated with illegal drugs, and the absence of real effective treatment programs. The existence of a 19.2 billion dollar a year industry surrounding the laws concerning illegal drug policy often lead to self serving individuals effecting policy that doesn’t have the best interest of the general public in mind. Finally a lack of desire or an inability to understand the nature of drug addiction creates a situation in which policy is created without real effective solutions. The Conservative position seeks to maintain the current system and its primarily punitive nature by placing the responsibility for not using drugs on the individual. A Liberal perspective argues that it is not the states obligation to incarcerate people for having phisio-psychological problems. First we should treat and if there is no response we incarcerate.

 

3.                  Questions that need to be answered concerning drug policy are:

a.      Did past and is current illegal drug policy working?

b.      What are the societal influences that effect drug policy?

c.       What are the social impacts of past and current drug policy?

d.     Do lawmakers have ulterior motives for keeping things the way they are?

e.      Can a long-term reduction in drug use be accomplished? If so how?

 

4.                  Due to the moral nature of the problem a Normative/Prescriptive approach would be used in combination with a Historical, Econometric and Participatory approaches. The overarching theme would be normative in its tendency and so that approach would be the most apparent. During the normative evaluation historical studies, economic impacts and he interests of various parties would assume minor roles in the overall structure of the policy analysis.