This is the third of four milestones for your final project. This should include the following 1. What are the rules of the organization that influenced and impacted the decision, policy, program 2. How did the those impacted by this decision have input into the decision? 3. Which groups or people are mostly impacted by these decisions or policies? 4. What are some of the unintended consequences of these decisions or policies? Remember to include at least 2 references in APA format as well as in-text citations. Students should submit your own responses below:
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Milestone 3
Logan Reichelt
College of Arts & Sciences, Regent University
ECON 290: Political Economy
Dr. Bajah
October 2, 2022
Milestone 3
Goals for this Milestone
What are the rules of the organization that influenced and impacted the decision, policy, program?
In order to be made into a law, the bill must follow the voting process as outlined in the United States Constitution. The bill is first proposed by a sponsor within the House of Representatives and, if it passes the majority vote, it moves to the Senate. The Senate reviews the bill and conducts one final majority vote, where, if passed, the bill then becomes law. Another set of rules that impact the policy are federal drug laws. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 introduced the formal scheduling of drugs into different groups and outlined which substances were illegal to possess and/or consume within the United States (“Drug Policy”, n.d.). The bill seeks to alter the penalties associated with many drug crimes, as well as potentially remove certain drugs, such as marijuana, from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of scheduled drugs.
How did those impacted by this decision have input into the decision?
Citizens, especially those who support recreational drug usage, are able to vote in representatives and senators to advocate their views within the federal lawmaking process. State representatives and senators are also susceptible to lobbying by particular interest groups, such as the marijuana industry or law enforcement interest groups.
Which groups or people are most impacted by these decisions or policies?
Drug users, medical practitioners, and the criminal justice system. Drug users will directly reap the benefits of the bill, whereas medical practitioners will indirectly receive benefits by gaining government funding. The criminal justice system will be negatively impacted because law enforcement will have more trouble trying to counter drug crimes, and correctional facilities will potentially lose funding due to decreased incarceration rates.
What are some of the unintended consequences of these decisions or policies?
The intent of this bill is to decriminalize the use of illicit drugs at the federal level and allow for drug users to receive treatment and government benefits much easier, even after being convicted. However, this bill may result in widespread drug abuse, as there will be little to no consequences for using and people will therefore not be deterred.
Concept Questions:
Is there a voting aspect to this policy? If not directly maybe indirectly (maybe there was not a vote about the actual policy but the decision makers were voted on)
Yes, the policy is currently under review by several committees after being proposed by the sponsor to the House of Representatives.
What were the elections like? Are the decision makers truly representative of the group (even if there was not an election)
The elections have not yet occurred, and, given how divisive the bill is, groups may not be represented as well as they would like. While many liberals are in support of the bill, there are several Democratic representatives that would still vote against it. The same is true for Republicans. Highly controversial bills make it difficult to predict the voting outcome.
What are the compromises and being made? Is there resistance to the policy? How stable is the policy? Could it be changed with just a few votes?
Not many compromises are being made currently; both sides are fighting to win.
Law enforcement and conservative groups are resisting the policy. They believe that the bill will encourage widespread drug use and cause even more issues rather than fix them. Conservatives also point out the difficulty of funding such a large bill, as rehabilitation programs and increased benefits for drug users come at a high price. Overall, the bill is extremely unstable at its current stage. It does not have enough support to warrant a majority vote within the House or Senate yet, and it will most likely require changes and amendments to receive more support. Realistic compromises must be made to reach some sort of desired outcome.
Do some involved seem to have a disproportionate influence on the outcome? If so, who and why?
It does not seem that any one group has significantly more influence than the others. Many different interest groups are fighting for drug decriminalization, but they have the burden of proving that the bill is worth it. Meanwhile, law enforcement, correctional facilities, and others that oppose the bill only have to uphold the current laws. Change will be difficult.
References
Drug policy. DEA. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-policy
Straughan, D. (2021, June 17). The Drug Policy Reform Act would fundamentally change US Drug Policy. Interrogating Justice. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://interrogatingjustice.org/ending-mass-incarceration/drug-policy-reform-act/