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
And finance Allah shmoop What is public policy design for
the government Laws and public policy are two sides of
the same coin laws are actually written down you know
very official like in the U S Federal laws had
to go through a long process of being a bill
before getting to be a law Will bills have to
go through Congress sit on the president's desk a while
gathering dust and then jump through all kinds of food
before turning themselves into laws Public policy is all about
how those laws air actually implemented or carried out Oftentimes
the laws we create our more idealistic rather than realistic
like we just don't always have All the resource is
to enforce all of the laws that means like in
all of economics we have to pick and choose how
we spend Our limited resource is in the face of
unlimited wants And yes of course different political leanings at
different times result in very different public policy design While
most laws air staying the same well how those laws
or carried out via public policy designed can very drastically
depending on policy goals of well who is in power
at that time mean green Controversial machine and fastest growing
industry at the moment in the U S Marijuana US
federal law defines marijuana as a Class one drug which
means it's one of the worst of the worst class
one drugs or drugs deemed by the federal government to
have no medicinal purpose and should not be used ever
even under the supervision of a doctor Well Meanwhile states
around the US have been increasingly passing laws saying that
medicinal marijuana and in some cases recreational marijuana is totally
chill Well the federal law that whole Class one classifications
think it says that federal law enforcement legally has the
right toe bust any marijuana business or users or even
doctors that they want from a recreational twentysomething pot smoker
to a sixty something medicinal You use your whip cancer
or block homer or something Well the federal government could
enforce the federal law but they really don't There are
limited federal cops on hand They're not gonna bust down
granny's door while she's taking her doctor prescribed pot pills
for her chronic back pain you know sory Well In
two thousand thirteen the head of the Department of Justice
issued this thing called the Coal memo Named after the
author Attorney General Kohl Wolf the memo is a unique
written example of public policy design That memo stated that
the U S Department of Justice with its limited resource
is would not enforce the federal illegality of marijuana in
states where marijuana was voted to be legal Assuming these
states were being will generally responsible about it As long
as the states were regulating their growth distribution sale taxes
in someone the Justice Department would be hands off on
state legal marijuana businesses and consumers Instead the Justice Department
said it would use its limited resource is to help
states make sure that marijuana was not crossing state borders
illegally not causing violence and accidents and not making profits
for gangs and mobs and cartels Right In two thousand
eighteen there was a new sheriff in town attorney general
that is being known A critic of Marijuana KG Jeff
Sessions rescinded the cold memo It was his way of
changing public policy for how the federal government would handle
the distribution of marijuana Well since the marijuana industry in
the U S Has a whole lot of momentum and
is making a lot of tax money for states governors
and senators from marijuana legal states said That's not very
dope of you sir Well some political critics say the
cold 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 Ava Calm Emma was
on the right track Since bringing marijuana into the legal
sphere makes it regulate herbal and taxable which could reduce
cartel violence and pump money into you know the U
S economy instead of well you know into those cartel
pockets everyone else says Well if that's not the federal
policy on marijuana now what is the policy Well many
believe the actions of the DOJ won't change too much
mostly because they've got bigger fish to fry with Their
limited resource is so far not too much of a
kerfuffle has been made since the Cold memo was shut
down Well states and cities are still making moves to
make marijuana legal in the DOJ is mostly spending its
energy elsewhere So yeah public policy designed can completely change
how laws interpreted and carried out in the real world
Unlike the coal memo most public policy design and communication
is way less clear cut with so many actors involved
you know from firms and regulators To people and politicians
public policy is a messy complicated and infuriating process So
messy complicated and infuriating Yeah sounds like our tinder profile 00:04:43.578 --> [endTime] Please wipe right