Public Policy Design

Categories: Ethics/Morals, Tax

For the government, laws and public policy are two sides of the same coin. Laws are actually written down, very official-like. In the US, federal laws had to go through a long process of being a bill before getting to become a law. Bills have to go through Congress, sit on the President’s desk, and jump through all kinds of hoops before turning into laws.

Public policy is how those laws are actually carried out. Oftentimes, the laws we create are more idealistic than realistic: we just don’t always have the resources to enforce all of the laws. This means that, as in all of economics, we have to pick and choose how we spend our limited resources in the face of unlimited wants. Of course, different political leanings at different times result in different public policy design. While most laws are staying the same, how those laws are carried out via public policy design can vary drastically, depending on policy goals of who's in power at the time.

Example:

The mean, green controversial machine, and fastest-growing industry in the U.S.: marijuana. U.S. federal law defines marijuana as a Class One drug, which means it’s on the “worst of the worst” list. Class One drugs are drugs deemed by the federal government to have no medicinal purpose, and should not be used ever, even under the supervision of a doctor. Meanwhile, states around the U.S. have been increasingly passing laws saying that medical marijuana (and in some cases, recreational marijuana) is totally, uh...chill. The federal law (that whole “class one” classification thing) says that federal law enforcement legally has the right to bust any marijuana businesses or users...or even doctors...that they want. From a recreational 20-something pot smoker to a 60-something medical user with cancer, the federal government could enforce the federal law.

But...they haven’t really done it. There are limited federal cops on hand. They’re not going to bust down Granny’s door while she’s taking her doctor-prescribed pot-pills for her chronic back pain. No siree.

In 2013, the head of the Department of Justice issued this thing called the Cole Memo, named after the author, Attorney General Cole. The memo is a unique written example of public policy design. The memo stated that the U.S. Justice Department of Justice, with its limited resources, would not enforce the federal illegality of marijuana in states where marijuana was voted legal...assuming these states were being responsible about it. As long as the states were regulating their growth, distribution, sale, taxes, etc., the Justice Department would be hands-off on state-legal marijuana businesses and consumers. Instead, the Justice Department said it would use its limited resources to help states make sure marijuana was not crossing state borders illegally, not causing violence and accidents, and not making profits for gangs and cartels.

In 2018, there was a new sheriff...er, Attorney General...in town. Being a known critic of marijuana, AG Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo. It was his way of changing the public policy on how the federal government would handle marijuana.

Since the marijuana industry in the U.S. has a lot of momentum (and is making lots of tax-money for states), governors and senators from marijuana-legal states said “That’s not very dope of you, sir.” Some political critics say the Cole Memo was an overreach of political power, since it varied so much from the written law, which made it a-okay to rescind. Some economists say the Cole Memo was on the right track, since bringing marijuana into the legal sphere makes it regulatable and taxable, which could reduce cartel violence and pump money into the U.S. economy instead of into cartel pockets. Everyone else says, “Well, if that’s not the federal policy on marijuana now...what is?” Many believe the actions of the DOJ won’t change too much, mostly because they’ve got bigger fish to fry with their limited resources.

So far, not too much of a kerfuffle has been made. Since the Cole Memo was shut down, states and cities are still making moves to make marijuana legal, and the DOJ is mostly spending their energy elsewhere.

So yeah...public policy design can completely change how a law is interpreted and carried out in the real world. Unlike the Cole Memo, most public policy design and communication is less clear-cut. With so many actors involved, from firms and regulators to people and politicians, public policy is a messy, complicated, and infuriating process.

Hm, “messy, complicated, and infuriating.” Sounds like our Tinder profile.

Related or Semi-related Video

Econ: What is Public Policy Design?2 Views

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And finance Allah shmoop What is public policy design for

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the government Laws and public policy are two sides of

00:11

the same coin laws are actually written down you know

00:14

very official like in the U S Federal laws had

00:17

to go through a long process of being a bill

00:19

before getting to be a law Will bills have to

00:22

go through Congress sit on the president's desk a while

00:24

gathering dust and then jump through all kinds of food

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before turning themselves into laws Public policy is all about

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how those laws air actually implemented or carried out Oftentimes

00:36

the laws we create our more idealistic rather than realistic

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like we just don't always have All the resource is

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to enforce all of the laws that means like in

00:45

all of economics we have to pick and choose how

00:48

we spend Our limited resource is in the face of

00:51

unlimited wants And yes of course different political leanings at

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different times result in very different public policy design While

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most laws air staying the same well how those laws

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or carried out via public policy designed can very drastically

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depending on policy goals of well who is in power

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at that time mean green Controversial machine and fastest growing

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industry at the moment in the U S Marijuana US

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federal law defines marijuana as a Class one drug which

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means it's one of the worst of the worst class

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one drugs or drugs deemed by the federal government to

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have no medicinal purpose and should not be used ever

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even under the supervision of a doctor Well Meanwhile states

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around the US have been increasingly passing laws saying that

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medicinal marijuana and in some cases recreational marijuana is totally

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chill Well the federal law that whole Class one classifications

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think it says that federal law enforcement legally has the

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right toe bust any marijuana business or users or even

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doctors that they want from a recreational twentysomething pot smoker

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to a sixty something medicinal You use your whip cancer

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or block homer or something Well the federal government could

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enforce the federal law but they really don't There are

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limited federal cops on hand They're not gonna bust down

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granny's door while she's taking her doctor prescribed pot pills

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for her chronic back pain you know sory Well In

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two thousand thirteen the head of the Department of Justice

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issued this thing called the Coal memo Named after the

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author Attorney General Kohl Wolf the memo is a unique

02:24

written example of public policy design That memo stated that

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the U S Department of Justice with its limited resource

02:31

is would not enforce the federal illegality of marijuana in

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states where marijuana was voted to be legal Assuming these

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states were being will generally responsible about it As long

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as the states were regulating their growth distribution sale taxes

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in someone the Justice Department would be hands off on

02:49

state legal marijuana businesses and consumers Instead the Justice Department

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said it would use its limited resource is to help

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states make sure that marijuana was not crossing state borders

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illegally not causing violence and accidents and not making profits

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for gangs and mobs and cartels Right In two thousand

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eighteen there was a new sheriff in town attorney general

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that is being known A critic of Marijuana KG Jeff

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Sessions rescinded the cold memo It was his way of

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changing public policy for how the federal government would handle

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the distribution of marijuana Well since the marijuana industry in

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the U S Has a whole lot of momentum and

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is making a lot of tax money for states governors

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and senators from marijuana legal states said That's not very

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dope of you sir Well some political critics say the

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cold memo was an overreach of political power since it

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varied so much from the written law which made it

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a okay to rescind some economists Ava Calm Emma was

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on the right track Since bringing marijuana into the legal

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sphere makes it regulate herbal and taxable which could reduce

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cartel violence and pump money into you know the U

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S economy instead of well you know into those cartel

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pockets everyone else says Well if that's not the federal

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policy on marijuana now what is the policy Well many

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believe the actions of the DOJ won't change too much

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mostly because they've got bigger fish to fry with Their

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limited resource is so far not too much of a

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kerfuffle has been made since the Cold memo was shut

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down Well states and cities are still making moves to

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make marijuana legal in the DOJ is mostly spending its

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energy elsewhere So yeah public policy designed can completely change

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how laws interpreted and carried out in the real world

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Unlike the coal memo most public policy design and communication

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is way less clear cut with so many actors involved

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you know from firms and regulators To people and politicians

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public policy is a messy complicated and infuriating process So

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messy complicated and infuriating Yeah sounds like our tinder profile 00:04:43.578 --> [endTime] Please wipe right

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