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Public Policy

Public Policy

Public policy is a goal-oriented course of action that the government follows in dealing with a problem or issue in the country. Public policies are based on law, but many other than legislators set them. Individuals, groups, and even government agencies all play a part in the policy-making process, and they can bring about some positive, some negative, and often unintended impacts and outcomes.

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The topic that I chose to write about is Criminal Justice and the death penalty/ Capital Punishment. Since I am a paralegal with a law degree, I strongly believe in the Judicial system/ criminal justice. However, I know that the system is unfair to many people. If someone breaks the law, they should be held accountable for their actions under US Constitutional laws.

I also believe a person should have a fair trial and be innocent until proven otherwise; cases like murder have strict penalties under US policies. The maximum penalty is life in prison or death. There is a saying in the criminal justice system, “a life for a life,” or the bible, it says, “an eye for an eye,” but I am not in favor of capital punishment. Many people in the general public are in favor of the death penalty, but I oppose such a harsh penalty.

From an economic analysis, this policy is costly and a little inhumane punishment. It costs thousands of US dollars a year to execute prisoners on death row; instead of using this money to take lives, it should be used to improve prison conditions and restitution for the victims’ families. With this being said, it is less expensive to imprison someone for life than to execute them for a crime.

Scientifically a human life is to be valued, not destroyed/ diminished. This penalty goes against the laws of nature and is inhumane, and humans have the birthright to live until they expire. Retribution is not the solution, and from a scientific point of view, it is considered murder. The chemicals used for lethal injection are highly potent and fatal; this is not a natural way for a human being to die. Scientists have yet to prove that the death penalty helps decrease/reduce the murder rate in nations.

Many religious and interest groups oppose this policy; they believe it is not our duty to play God. These groups believe in the value of human life and think that life sentences are more of a “fitting or suitable” penalty. Such groups have gone to the extent of trying to abolish the death penalty in the US Constitution; examples of these interest groups are the NCAPD (National Coalition to Abolish the death penalty) and ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), which dedicate their time to ending capital punishment.

Society has various political views on this policy; in history, multiple crimes were punishable by death and deemed justified under the US Constitution. This ideology created the criminal justice system, and our nation’s government was formed around these principles. Laws were made to keep the social order in Society, and citizens that broke these laws were held accountable for their actions even if they cost their lives.

An example of how a public policy in my chosen topic might have unexpected outcomes or unintended consequences would be if Constitutional laws were changed and the death penalty would miraculously be abolished. For centuries, this nation has allowed the death penalty to be acceptable for crimes, and citizens have fought for this policy to be terminated. Taking a life for a life is unethical, inhumane, harsh, and expensive.

The death penalty solves nothing and does not bring Justice to the victims’ families. As crazy as it may sound, most people do not have control over their actions, and free will is just an illusion. “If humans have free will, then we have a peculiar way of showing it. We spend our adult lives working at jobs we often find extremely distasteful and which make us miserable. We waste our hard-earned money on objects we do not need or on transient experiences, and this over-consumption now threatens the environment that sustains our existence. Half of the planet is obese,,,,, while the other half starves. Viewed dispassionately, the way humans behave is utterly bizarre. Does it not seem probable that a greater proportion of us would choose to do something else with our lives if we truly had free will?” [Dixon, C. (2018, January 11). How much control do we have over how we think and act? Irish Examiner retrieved from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/cite-a-website/]

Humans can know wrong from right, but we are flawed by nature. We are prone to acting on impulse and emotions we can not control. Studies have shown that consciousness has control over our minds and actions. We do not maintain our awareness. People make mistakes at the moment only to realize the effects and consequences of their actions afterward. As humans, we often react before thinking.

I think the death penalty is unnecessary and needs to be abolished. People make mistakes in the heat of passion and are punished for seconds or minutes of their lives when they have no control over their thoughts and emotions. They black out or have emotional episodes where they are unaware of what they are doing. 2 minutes of your life can directly cost you your life. This is unfair treatment; they should be punished by taking away their freedom instead and living the rest of their lives in prison to think about the consequences of their actions.

Other Related Post: A Strategy Recommendation

References

 [Dixon, C. (2018, January 11). How much control do we have over how we think and act? Irish Examiner retrieved from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/cite-a-website/]

Oakley, D, Halligan, P [The conversation], (2017, November 22). What if consciousness is not what drives the mind? Retrieved fromhttps://theconversation.com/what-if-consciousness-is-not-what-drives-the-human-mind-86785

Death penalty-related websites. (n.d) Death penalty information center. Retrieved from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/resources/related-websites

Death penalty. (n.d) Equal Justice Initiative. Retrieved fromhttps://eji.org/issues/death-penalty/gclid=CjwKCAjwnK36BRBVEiwAsMT8WDGcvbUyyfguh4sKSgh0bk3XbhP1RvHe35NfQ2s7oG85MX2fu1l_KRoCfIcQAvD_BwE

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Question 


Public policy is a goal-oriented course of action that the government follows in dealing with a problem or issue in the country. Public policies are based on law, but many other than legislators set them. Individuals, groups, and even government agencies all play a part in the policy-making process, and they can bring about some positive, some negative, and often some unintended impacts and outcomes.

The Dynamics Of Public Policy In America

The Dynamics Of Public Policy In America

Write a 3-4 page paper in which you do the following:

  1. Select a topic from the following categories (for example, obesity from the health category):
    • Health: Obesity, opioid abuse, alcohol abuse, cigarette taxes.
    • Criminal Justice: death penalty, drug policy, and gun control.
    • Culture and Society: abortion, arts, and civil rights.
    • Economic Affairs: budget and taxes.
    • Education: school safety.
    • Environment: air quality and global warming.
  2. Explain why you chose the topic. Title this section Topic: Your Topic.
  3. Some outside influencers on public policy include public opinion, economic conditions, scientific findings, interest groups, political ideology, etc. How would each of these influencers impact your chosen topic? Use specific examples—title this section Outside Influencers.
  4. Give one example of how a public policy in your chosen topic might have unexpected outcomes or unintended consequences. Title this section Unexpected Outcomes of Unintended Consequences.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • At least three professional references (Wikipedia is not accepted in this class).

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

  • Evaluate the positive and negative influencers and a public policy’s intended and unintended impacts.

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