Since the War on Drugs began, U.S. drug policy has been dominated by a law and order policy model. The emphasis on incarceration and punishment as responses to drug use has resulted in the neglect of public health concerns related to drug addiction. In this paper I trace the development of drug policy in the United States and argue that the social construction of drug offenders as a deviant population has led to the dominance of the law and order approach to drugs. While other scholars have argued that perceptions of drug users affect drug policy, this analysis focuses specifically on the creation and consequences of social constructions for modern drug policy within the policy design framework. By analyzing current trends this paper identifies a way forward for drug policy reform and calls for the adoption of a public health approach to drug use.
The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in April 2010 resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. waters. In the aftermath of the explosion, many sought answers to what appeared to be a lack of effective oversight of the well's owner, British Petroleum (BP). Using multi‐actor principal–agent theory as our framework, we examine the relationships between citizens, the Minerals Management Service (MMS), BP, and BP's partners in the drilling operation. We find that principal–agent theory provides important insights into the case, and that a lack of monitoring, coupled with the willingness of MMS to align its goals with the oil industry rather than the public interest, resulted in a lax regulatory environment that allowed BP to operate largely without public oversight.Related Articles: Pautz, Michelle. 2009. "." Politics & Policy 37 (): 1047‐1072. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2009.00210.x/abstract
Elliott‐Teague, Ginger. 2011. "." Politics & Policy 39 (): 835‐861. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2011.00318.x/abstract Related Media: Maps/Photo Gallery: . 2012. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/gulf‐oil‐spill/gulf‐spill‐photography La explosión de la plataforma petrolífera Deepwater Horizon en Abril del 2010 resultó en el derrame petrolero más grande en aguas estadounidenses. Luego de la explosión, muchos buscaron respuestas a lo que pareció ser una falta de planeación efectiva por parte del dueño del yacimiento, British Petroleum (BP). Usando una la teoría del agente‐principal con múltiples actores como marco teórico, examinamos la relación entre ciudadanos, el Servicio de Manejo de Minerales (SMM), BP, y los socios de BP en la perforación de los pozos petrolíferos. Encontramos que la teoría del agente‐principal provee importantes perspectivas sobre el caso; y que la falta de monitoreo, junto con la intención de el MMS de alinear sus intereses con los de la industria petrolera en lugar del interés público, resultó en un ambiente regulatorio laxo que permitió a BP continuar con sus operaciones en gran parte sin una vigilancia regulatoria.
AbstractPopular financial reports are reports distributed to citizens and other interested parties who lack a background in formal government financial reporting but who desire an overview of the government's financial status and activities. This paper examines the current state of local government popular financial reporting in the U.S. The results of a survey of large cities and counties indicate that 75 percent of these local governments have issued popular financial reports and that the types of reports and methods of distribution vary. Many of the reasons for providing popular reports relate to providing information and improving transparency and accountability by providing more user friendly financial reports. This paper concludes with a discussion on popular financial reporting in the context of government transparency and accountability, and offers a research agenda for continued study of the topic.
Popular financial reports are reports distributed to citizens and other interested parties who lack a background in formal government financial reporting but who desire an overview of the government's financial status and activities. This paper examines the current state of local government popular financial reporting in the U.S. The results of a survey of large cities and counties indicate that 75 percent of these local governments have issued popular financial reports and that the types of reports and methods of distribution vary. Many of the reasons for providing popular reports relate to providing information and improving transparency and accountability by providing more user friendly financial reports. This paper concludes with a discussion on popular financial reporting in the context of government transparency and accountability, and offers a research agenda for continued study of the topic.
There has been little policy effort to address sea level rise in coastal states in the US. It is important to examine, at the state level, how the multitude of different (and changing) actors with different preferences and perspectives contribute to such inertia. This study examines state-level legislative inaction with regards to sea level rise. Using Kingdon's multiple streams framework, we draw a picture of the policy landscape in Virginia as one where the problem of sea level rise is perceived as a low priority, with little consensus on achievable policy solutions, and is politically controversial. We find that policy inertia in Virginia is a result of (1) fractious viewpoints regarding sea level rise as a problem, (2) a lack of clear consensus on policy solutions, and (3) conflicting perspectives of the role of the state.
There has been little policy effort to address sea level rise in coastal states in the US. It is important to examine, at the state level, how the multitude of different (and changing) actors with different preferences and perspectives contribute to such inertia. This study examines state-level legislative inaction with regards to sea level rise. Using Kingdon's multiple streams framework, we draw a picture of the policy landscape in Virginia as one where the problem of sea level rise is perceived as a low priority, with little consensus on achievable policy solutions, and is politically controversial. We find that policy inertia in Virginia is a result of (1) fractious viewpoints regarding sea level rise as a problem, (2) a lack of clear consensus on policy solutions, and (3) conflicting perspectives of the role of the state.
