Laws With Unintended Consequences

Laws with Unintended Consequences: When Good Intentions Go Wrong

Introduction:

We often hear about laws enacted with the noblest of intentions – to protect the environment, improve public health, or boost the economy. But what happens when these well-meaning regulations lead to unforeseen and sometimes devastating outcomes? This isn't a tale of legislative malice; it's a sobering exploration of the complex interplay between law, society, and unintended consequences. This post delves into numerous examples, exploring the root causes of these unexpected repercussions and offering insights into how we might better anticipate and mitigate them in the future. We'll examine case studies, analyze the underlying principles, and discuss strategies for crafting more effective and less harmful legislation. Get ready to unravel the fascinating – and often frustrating – world of laws with unintended consequences.


1. The Prohibition Era: A Classic Case Study

The infamous Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933), aimed at curbing alcohol consumption and related social ills, serves as a prime example. Instead of reducing alcohol use, it led to a surge in organized crime, bootlegging, and the production of dangerous, unregulated alcohol. The law, designed to promote morality and public health, inadvertently fostered violence, corruption, and a thriving black market. This unintended consequence highlights the crucial role of considering the potential responses of individuals and the market to new regulations. Prohibition didn't eliminate the demand for alcohol; it simply drove the supply underground, creating a more dangerous and less controlled environment.

2. The War on Drugs: A Continuing Struggle

The War on Drugs, initiated with similar intentions of reducing substance abuse, has had similarly devastating unintended consequences. The emphasis on incarceration has led to mass imprisonment, disproportionately affecting minority communities, and creating a cycle of poverty and crime. Furthermore, the focus on supply-side reduction has done little to curb demand, and has instead led to the emergence of more potent and dangerous drugs. The high cost of incarceration further strains already limited resources that could be better used on prevention and treatment programs.

3. Minimum Wage Laws: A Balancing Act

Minimum wage laws, intended to protect low-wage workers and ensure a living wage, can also have unintended consequences. While raising the minimum wage can improve the living standards of some, it can also lead to job losses, particularly in industries with tight margins, like fast food. Businesses may choose to reduce staff, automate tasks, or raise prices, offsetting the benefits for some workers while potentially harming others. The ideal minimum wage is a constant balancing act, and requires careful consideration of local economic conditions.

4. Environmental Regulations: The Unintended Burden

Environmental regulations, while vital for protecting our planet, can also impose significant burdens on businesses and industries. Stringent regulations can increase production costs, leading to job losses or higher prices for consumers. Moreover, businesses may relocate to countries with less stringent environmental regulations, leading to a phenomenon known as "regulatory arbitrage." This highlights the need for carefully designed regulations that balance environmental protection with economic viability.

5. Licensing and Certification: Barriers to Entry

While licensing and certification aim to protect consumers and maintain quality standards, they can also create barriers to entry for new businesses and professionals. The costs and time involved in obtaining licenses can be prohibitive, particularly for small businesses and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. This can stifle competition and limit consumer choice. The goal is to find a balance: sufficient regulation to ensure quality without creating insurmountable hurdles.

6. Understanding the Root Causes: Systemic Issues

The common thread running through these examples is the complexity of societal systems. Laws operate within a larger context, and their impact is often influenced by factors that are difficult to predict or control. Human behavior, economic forces, and unintended interactions between different laws all contribute to unexpected outcomes. A deeper understanding of these systemic issues is crucial in anticipating potential consequences.

7. Mitigating Unintended Consequences: Proactive Approaches

To minimize unintended consequences, policymakers need to adopt more proactive approaches. This includes: conducting thorough impact assessments before enacting new laws; engaging in extensive consultation with stakeholders; implementing pilot programs to test the effectiveness of new policies; and creating robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track the impact of laws over time. Flexibility and adaptability in legislation are also vital.

8. The Role of Data and Evidence-Based Policymaking

Evidence-based policymaking is essential in minimizing unintended consequences. Utilizing data to understand the complex interactions within a system and predict potential outcomes is paramount. This approach involves analyzing the potential impacts on different groups and sectors of society, taking into account not only the immediate effects but also the long-term consequences.


9. Conclusion: The Imperfect Science of Lawmaking

Lawmaking is, at its core, an imperfect science. It's a continuous process of learning, adapting, and refining our approach to addressing societal challenges. By acknowledging the potential for unintended consequences, embracing proactive strategies, and utilizing data and evidence, we can strive to create laws that are not only well-intentioned but also effective and less harmful. The journey towards better governance is a continuous one, requiring vigilance, critical analysis, and a commitment to learning from both successes and failures.


Book Outline: "The Unseen Hand: Unintended Consequences in Law and Policy"

Introduction: Defining unintended consequences and their significance.
Chapter 1: Case studies of laws with unintended consequences (Prohibition, War on Drugs, minimum wage, environmental regulations, etc.)
Chapter 2: Analyzing the root causes: systemic issues, human behavior, and economic factors.
Chapter 3: Mitigation strategies: impact assessments, stakeholder consultation, pilot programs, monitoring and evaluation.
Chapter 4: The role of data and evidence-based policymaking.
Chapter 5: Case studies of successful mitigation strategies.
Conclusion: The importance of continuous learning and adaptation in lawmaking.


(The detailed content for each chapter would expand upon the points made in the blog post above, providing deeper analysis, additional case studies, and more detailed explanations of the concepts discussed.)


FAQs:

1. What is the most significant unintended consequence of a law you've studied? The mass incarceration stemming from the War on Drugs is arguably one of the most significant, impacting communities disproportionately and creating a cycle of poverty and crime.

2. How can we better predict unintended consequences? Through thorough impact assessments, stakeholder consultations, pilot programs, and rigorous data analysis before legislation is enacted.

3. Are there any examples of laws that have had mostly positive unintended consequences? While rare, some regulations initially aimed at one thing have spurred innovation in unexpected ways, leading to positive outcomes. However, these are often secondary benefits rather than primarily intended positive effects.

4. What role does lobbying play in the creation of laws with unintended consequences? Lobbying can influence legislation, sometimes prioritizing narrow interests over broader societal well-being, potentially leading to overlooked unintended consequences.

5. How can citizens participate in mitigating unintended consequences? Through active engagement in political processes, advocating for evidence-based policymaking, and demanding transparency and accountability from policymakers.

6. Is there a specific type of law more prone to unintended consequences? Laws that attempt to regulate complex human behavior or market forces often have higher risks of unintended consequences.

7. Can economic models help predict unintended consequences? Economic models can offer valuable insights, but they are not perfect predictors and must be considered alongside other factors.

8. What is the role of ethics in anticipating and mitigating unintended consequences? Ethical considerations are paramount in designing laws; policymakers must consider the potential impact on various groups and strive for fairness and justice.

9. How can we balance the need for regulation with the potential for unintended consequences? Finding the right balance necessitates careful consideration of various factors and a flexible, adaptive approach to policymaking, always open to revisions based on real-world outcomes.


Related Articles:

1. The unintended consequences of zoning laws: Discusses how zoning can inadvertently limit housing affordability and create urban sprawl.
2. The unforeseen effects of social media regulation: Explores the challenges of regulating online content and its impact on freedom of speech and misinformation.
3. The unintended consequences of patent laws: Examines how patent protection can stifle innovation and create monopolies.
4. How well-intentioned environmental regulations backfire: Analyzes cases where environmental regulations have led to unintended economic or social costs.
5. The unintended consequences of welfare reform: Discusses the impact of welfare reforms on poverty and family stability.
6. Unintended consequences of education reform: Explores the effects of standardized testing and other reforms on education quality and equity.
7. The hidden costs of anti-terrorism laws: Examines the impact of security measures on civil liberties and privacy.
8. The unforeseen effects of immigration policies: Discusses how immigration laws can affect labor markets, social cohesion, and national security.
9. How good intentions paved the road to hell: Case studies in policy failures: A broader overview of policy failures stemming from unforeseen consequences.


  laws with unintended consequences: The Nature of Change Or the Law of Unintended Consequences John Mansfield, 2010 An Introductory Text to Designing Complex Systems and Managing Change --
  laws with unintended consequences: Unintended Consequences of Domestic Violence Law Heather Nancarrow, 2019-09-07 This book addresses the intersection of two current major concerns in Australia: law and justice responses to domestic violence - including harsher punitive measures - and the over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal justice system, which are similar concerns in New Zealand, Canada and the US. Nancarrow re-conceptualises typologies of violence and provides a means of understanding and explaining female use of violence without undermining the hard-won gains of the women’s movement. It does, however, argue for a paradigm shift, which has implications for every aspect of the system we have built to stop men’s violence against women (law, police policy and practice, counselling and advocacy for victims, and interventions for those who perpetrate violence). The book is based on quantitative and qualitative research and explores the nature of Indigenous intimate partner violence and the types of violence that domestic violence law sought to address.
  laws with unintended consequences: Wars of Law Tanisha M. Fazal, 2018-05-15 This book assesses the unintended consequences of the proliferation of the laws of war for both interstate and civil wars over the past two centuries--
  laws with unintended consequences: Unintended Consequences John Ross, 1996 A rising by the pro-gun lobby brings the government to its knees. The story begins when Henry Bowman, a geologist in Iowa, fires on federal agents, thinking they are terrorists. The conflict escalates, agents and congressmen die, and to bring peace the president agrees to repeal anti-gun laws and pardon the rebels.
  laws with unintended consequences: Unintended Consequences Edward Conard, 2012-05-07 In the aftermath of the Financial Crisis, many com­monly held beliefs have emerged to explain its cause. Conventional wisdom blames Wall Street and the mortgage industry for using low down pay­ments, teaser rates, and other predatory tactics to seduce unsuspecting home owners into assuming mortgages they couldn't afford. It blames average Americans for borrowing recklessly and spend­ing too much. And it blames the tax policies and deregulatory environment of the Reagan and Bush administrations for encouraging reckless risk taking by wealthy individuals and financial institutions. But according to Unintended Consequences, the conventional wisdom masks the real causes of our economic disruption and puts us at risk of facing a slew of unintended-and potentially dangerous-consequences.
  laws with unintended consequences: Sociological Ambivalence and Other Essays Robert King Merton, 1976
  laws with unintended consequences: The Great Mental Models, Volume 1 Shane Parrish, Rhiannon Beaubien, 2024-10-15 Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.
  laws with unintended consequences: Unintended Consequences of Constitutional Amendment David E. Kyvig, 2000 Constitutional amendments, like all laws, may lead to unanticipated and even undesired outcomes. In this collection of original essays, a team of distinguished historians, political scientists, and legal scholars led by award-winning constitutional historian David E. Kyvig examines significant instances in which reform produced something other than the foreseen result. An opening essay examines the intentions of the Constitution’s framers in creating an amending mechanism and then explores unexpected uses of that instrument. Thereafter, authors focus on the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, addressing such subjects as criminal justice procedures, the presidential election system, the Civil War’s impact on race and gender relations, the experiment in national prohibition, women’s suffrage, and, finally, limits on the presidency. Together these contributions illuminate aspects of constitutional stability and evolution, challenging current thinking about reform within the formal system of change provided by Article V of the Constitution. Forcefully demonstrating that constitutional law is not immune to unanticipated consequences, the eight scholars underscore the need for care, responsibility, and historical awareness in altering the nation’s fundamental law.
  laws with unintended consequences: This Is Your Brain on Birth Control Sarah Hill, 2019-10-01 An eye-opening book that reveals crucial information every woman taking hormonal birth control should know This groundbreaking book sheds light on how hormonal birth control affects women--and the world around them--in ways we are just now beginning to understand. By allowing women to control their fertility, the birth control pill has revolutionized women's lives. Women are going to college, graduating, and entering the workforce in greater numbers than ever before, and there's good reason to believe that the birth control pill has a lot to do with this. But there's a lot more to the pill than meets the eye. Although women go on the pill for a small handful of targeted effects (pregnancy prevention and clearer skin, yay!), sex hormones can't work that way. Sex hormones impact the activities of billions of cells in the body at once, many of which are in the brain. There, they play a role in influencing attraction, sexual motivation, stress, hunger, eating patterns, emotion regulation, friendships, aggression, mood, learning, and more. This means that being on the birth control pill makes women a different version of themselves than when they are off of it. And this is a big deal. For instance, women on the pill have a dampened cortisol spike in response to stress. While this might sound great (no stress!), it can have negative implications for learning, memory, and mood. Additionally, because the pill influences who women are attracted to, being on the pill may inadvertently influence who women choose as partners, which can have important implications for their relationships once they go off it. Sometimes these changes are for the better . . . but other times, they're for the worse. By changing what women's brains do, the pill also has the ability to have cascading effects on everything and everyone that a woman encounters. This means that the reach of the pill extends far beyond women's own bodies, having a major impact on society and the world. This paradigm-shattering book provides an even-handed, science-based understanding of who women are, both on and off the pill. It will change the way that women think about their hormones and how they view themselves. It also serves as a rallying cry for women to demand more information from science about how their bodies and brains work and to advocate for better research. This book will help women make more informed decisions about their health, whether they're on the pill or off of it.
  laws with unintended consequences: The Nature of Change Or the Law of Unintended Consequences John Mansfield, 2010 This absorbing book provides a broad introduction to the surprising nature of change, and explains how the Law of Unintended Consequences arises from the waves of change following one simple change. Change is a constant topic of discussion, whether be it on climate, politics, technology, or any of the many other changes in our lives. However, does anyone truly understand what change is? Over time, mankind has deliberately built social and technology based systems that are goal-directed there are goals to achieve and requirements to be met. Building such systems is man's way of planning for the future, and these plans are based on predicting the behavior of the system and its environment, at specified times in the future. Unfortunately, in a truly complex social or technical environment, this planned predictability can break down into a morass of surprising and unexpected consequences. Such unpredictability stems from the propagation of the effects of change through the influence of one event on another. The Nature of Change explains in detail the mechanism of change and will serve as an introduction to complex systems, or as complementary reading for systems engineering. This textbook will be especially useful to professionals in system building or business change management, and to students studying systems in a variety of fields such as information technology, business, law and society.
  laws with unintended consequences: Unintended Consequences Ray O'Hanlon, 2021-03-15 Unintended Consequences reveals how America’s door closed on legal Irish immigration in the 1960s, and how America’s Irish mounted a counterattack when nation-changing political forces were sweeping the country during the era of civil rights, political assassinations, and the Vietnam War. This book looks at the full historical background to Irish migration across the Atlantic, how it helped shape the young republic, and how the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 brought a near total halt to this westward flow. Nevertheless, the Irish would not be denied and continued to make the journey, no longer into the light of a full and legal American life, but rather into the shadows of an undocumented existence. Successive organisations championed the undocumented Irish, and the fight continues to this day, but this is a new America, where, in recent years, there has been growing hostility to immigrants of every nationality. Ray O’Hanlon has spent over three decades reporting on battles over comprehensive U.S. immigration reform, and Unintended Consequences is the story of the Irish past, its present, and most uncertain future in the ‘land of the free,’ now in the presidency of Joe Biden, a man who fully embraces his Irish immigrant family story. Through Biden, the great Irish of America story continues, and with renewed hope.
  laws with unintended consequences: No Place for the State Christopher Dummitt, Christabelle Sethna, 2020-04-15 “There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation,” Pierre Elliott Trudeau told reporters. He was making the case for the most controversial of his proposed reforms to the Criminal Code, those concerning homosexuality, birth control, and abortion. In No Place for the State, contributors offer complex and often contrasting perspectives as they assess how the 1969 Omnibus Bill helped shape sexual and moral politics in Canada by examining the bill’s origins, social implications, and repercussions. The new legal regime had significant consequences for matters like adoption, divorce, and suicide. After the bill passed, a great many Canadians continued to challenge how sexual behaviour was governed, demanding much more exhaustive changes to the law. Fifty years later, the origins and legacies of the bill are equivocal and the state still seems interested in the bedrooms of the nation. This incisive study explains why that matters.
  laws with unintended consequences: Bending the Law of Unintended Consequences Richard M. Adler, 2020-02-10 This title provides managers, executives and other professionals with an innovative method for critical decision-making. The book explains the reasons for decision failures using the Law of Unintended Consequences. This account draws on the work of sociologist Robert K. Merton, psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, and economist Herbert Simon to identify two primary causes⁠: cognitive biases and bounded rationality. It introduces an innovative method for “test driving” decisions that addresses both causes by combining scenario planning and “what-if” simulations. This method enables professionals to learn safely from virtual mistakes rather than real ones. It also provides four sample test drives of realistic critical decisions as well as two instructional videos to illustrate this new method. This book provides leaders and their support teams with important new tools for analyzing and refining complex decisions that are critical to organizational well-being and survival.
  laws with unintended consequences: At Home in the Law Jeannie Suk, 2009-01-01 place of prosecutorial discretion. Protection orders that prohibit all contact between suspected abusers and their partners are designed to end relationships - even over victims' objections. The law's rapidly changing picture of the home has fundamentally moved the boundary between public and private space. The result, unintended by domestic violence reformers, is to reduce the autonomy of women in relation to the state. --Book Jacket.
  laws with unintended consequences: Law and Economics of Regulation Klaus Mathis, Avishalom Tor, 2021-04-24 This book explores current issues regarding the regulation of various economic sectors, theoretically and empirically, discussing both neoclassical and behavioural economics approaches to regulation. Regulation has become one of the main determinants of modern economies, and virtually every sector is subject to general laws and regulations as well as specific rules and standards. A traditional argument to justify regulatory interventions is the promotion of public interests. Fixing markets that lack competition, balancing information asymmetries, internalising externalities, mitigating systemic risks, and protecting consumers from irrational behaviour are frequently invoked to complement the invisible hand of the market with the visible hand of the state.However, regulations can lead to unintended consequences, and serve the interests of powerful private interest groups rather than the public interest and social welfare. In addition, new insights from behavioural economics question the traditional regulatory approaches, most prominently in attitudes towards consumers. Furthermore, digitalisation and technological innovation in general present new challenges in terms of both the type of regulation and the regulatory process.Part I of this book discusses various theoretical approaches to the economic analysis of regulations, while Part II looks at specific applications of the law and economics of regulation.
  laws with unintended consequences: The Holocaust, the Church, and the Law of Unintended Consequences Anthony J. Sciolino, 2014 In this study, author Anthony J. Sciolino, himself a Catholic, cuts into the heart of why the Catholic Church and Christianity as a whole failed to stop the Holocaust. He demonstrates that Nazism's racial anti-Semitism was rooted in Christian anti-Judaism. While tens of thousands of Christians risked their lives to save Jews, many more including some members of the hierarchy aided Hitler's campaign with their silence or their participation. Sciolino's research and interpretation provide an analysis of Christian doctrine and church history to help answer the question of what went wrong. He suggests that Christian tradition and teaching systematically excluded Jews from the circle of Christian concern and thus led to the tragedy of the Holocaust. From the origins of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism and the controversial position of Pope Pius XII to the Catholic Church's current endeavors to hold itself accountable for their role, The Holocaust, the Church, and the Law of Unintended Consequences offers an examination of one of history's most disturbing issues.
  laws with unintended consequences: Barney Frank and the Law of Unintended Consequences Chuck Morse, 2005 Mr. Morse exposes the disastrous results stemming from the well-intentioned but inept meddling of Rep. Barney Frank in Immigration matters over his 25-year career in Congress. An understanding of the effects of Rep. Frank's legislation, which made it possible for terrorists and those who aid them to enter the United States with legal visas, will hopefully lead to corrective action.
  laws with unintended consequences: The Intended and Unintended Effects of U.S. Agricultural and Biotechnology Policies Joshua S. Graff Zivin, Jeffrey M. Perloff, 2012-03-15 Using economic models and empirical analysis, this volume examines a wide range of agricultural and biofuel policy issues and their effects on American agricultural and related agrarian insurance markets. Beginning with a look at the distribution of funds by insurance programs—created to support farmers but often benefiting crop processors instead—the book then examines the demand for biofuel and the effects of biofuel policies on agricultural price uncertainty. Also discussed are genetically engineered crops, which are assuming an increasingly important role in arbitrating tensions between energy production, environmental protection, and the global food supply. Other contributions discuss the major effects of genetic engineering on worldwide food markets. By addressing some of the most challenging topics at the intersection of agriculture and biotechnology, this volume informs crucial debates.
  laws with unintended consequences: Nature Of Change Or The Law Of Unintended Consequences, The: An Introductory Text To Designing Complex Systems And Managing Change John Mansfield, 2010-03-22 This absorbing book provides a broad introduction to the surprising nature of change, and explains how the Law of Unintended Consequences arises from the waves of change following one simple change. Change is a constant topic of discussion, whether be it on climate, politics, technology, or any of the many other changes in our lives. However, does anyone truly understand what change is?Over time, mankind has deliberately built social and technology based systems that are goal-directed — there are goals to achieve and requirements to be met. Building such systems is man's way of planning for the future, and these plans are based on predicting the behavior of the system and its environment, at specified times in the future. Unfortunately, in a truly complex social or technical environment, this planned predictability can break down into a morass of surprising and unexpected consequences. Such unpredictability stems from the propagation of the effects of change through the influence of one event on another.The Nature of Change explains in detail the mechanism of change and will serve as an introduction to complex systems, or as complementary reading for systems engineering. This textbook will be especially useful to professionals in system building or business change management, and to students studying systems in a variety of fields such as information technology, business, law and society./a
  laws with unintended consequences: Jurisdiction, Admissibility and Choice of Law in International Arbitration: Liber Amicorum Michael Pryles Neil Kaplan, Michael Moser, 2016-04-24 The distinguished international lawyer Michael Pryles, who launched a meteoric career as an arbitrator after many years of teaching and writing on conflicts of law and other topics, has made a mark on arbitral law and practice that is recognized worldwide. In this book, over forty prominent arbitrators and arbitration scholars offer insightful essays on the thorny matters of jurisdiction, admissibility and choice of law in arbitration – topics which have long interested Professor Pryles and are of wide interest. Among the specific issues and topics examined are the following: • res judicata; • investment arbitration; • free trade agreements; • party autonomy; • application of provisional measures; • issue estoppel; • evidentiary inferences; • interim measures; • emergency and default proceedings; • the intersection of financing and jurisdiction; • consolidation of cases; and • non-contractual claims. Remarkable for its roster of highly distinguished contributors, this book is the only in-depth treatment of its subject. By turns thought-provoking and practical, it is bound to appeal to and be put to use by arbitrators and other lawyers who handle international cases. It will also prove of great value to global law firms and companies doing transnational business.
  laws with unintended consequences: The Law of Good People Yuval Feldman, 2018-06-07 This book argues that overcoming people's inability to recognize their own wrongdoing is the most important but regrettably neglected area of the behavioral approach to law.
  laws with unintended consequences: Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Committee on the Science of Changing Behavioral Health Social Norms, 2016-09-03 Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.
  laws with unintended consequences: Reducing Underage Drinking Institute of Medicine, National Research Council, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Committee on Developing a Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking, 2004-03-26 Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous - both to themselves and society at large. Underage alcohol use is associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks †and the earlier teens start drinking, the greater the danger. Despite these serious concerns, the media continues to make drinking look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol. Why is this dangerous behavior so pervasive? What can be done to prevent it? What will work and who is responsible for making sure it happens? Reducing Underage Drinking addresses these questions and proposes a new way to combat underage alcohol use. It explores the ways in which may different individuals and groups contribute to the problem and how they can be enlisted to prevent it. Reducing Underage Drinking will serve as both a game plan and a call to arms for anyone with an investment in youth health and safety.
  laws with unintended consequences: Model Rules of Professional Conduct American Bar Association. House of Delegates, Center for Professional Responsibility (American Bar Association), 2007 The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.
  laws with unintended consequences: Why Things Bite Back Edward Tenner, 1997-09-02 In this perceptive and provocative look at everything from computer software that requires faster processors and more support staff to antibiotics that breed resistant strains of bacteria, Edward Tenner offers a virtual encyclopedia of what he calls revenge effects--the unintended consequences of the mechanical, chemical, biological, and medical forms of ingenuity that have been hallmarks of the progressive, improvement-obsessed modern age. Tenner shows why our confidence in technological solutions may be misplaced, and explores ways in which we can better survive in a world where despite technology's advances--and often because of them--reality is always gaining on us. For anyone hoping to understand the ways in which society and technology interact, Why Things Bite Back is indispensable reading. A bracing critique of technological determinism in both its utopian and dystopian forms...No one who wants to think clearly about our high-tech future can afford to ignore this book.--Jackson Lears, Wilson Quarterly
  laws with unintended consequences: Unintended Consequences of Peacekeeping Operations Chiyuki Aoi, Cedric De Coning, Ramesh Chandra Thakur, Ramesh Thakur, 2007 The deployment of a large number of soldiers, police officers and civilian personnel inevitably has various effects on the host society and economy, not all of which are in keeping with the peacekeeping mandate and intent or are easily discernible prior to the intervention. This book is one of the first attempts to improve our understanding of unintended consequences of peacekeeping operations, by bringing together field experiences and academic analysis. The aim of the book is not to discredit peace operations but rather to improve the way in which such operations are planned and managed.
  laws with unintended consequences: Drive Daniel H. Pink, 2011-04-05 The New York Times bestseller that gives readers a paradigm-shattering new way to think about motivation from the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.
  laws with unintended consequences: The New Financial Deal David Skeel, 2010-11-29 The good, the bad, and the scary of Washington's attempt to reform Wall Street The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is Washington's response to America's call for a new regulatory framework for the twenty-first century. In The New Financial Deal, author David Skeel offers an in-depth look at the new financial reforms and questions whether they will bring more effective regulation of contemporary finance or simply cement the partnership between government and the largest banks. Details the goals of the legislation, and reveals that how they are handled could dangerously distort American finance, making it more politically charged, less vibrant, and further removed from basic rule of law principles Provides an inside account of the legislative process Outlines the key components of the new law To understand what American financial life is likely to look like in five, ten, or twenty years, and how regulators will respond to the next crisis, we need to understand Dodd-Frank. The New Financial Deal provides that understanding, breaking down both what Dodd-Frank says and what it all means.
  laws with unintended consequences: Prevention, Policy, and Public Health Amy A. Eyler, Jamie F. Chriqui, Sarah Moreland-Russell, Ross C. Brownson, 2016 Prevention, Policy, and Public Health provides a basic foundation for students, professionals, and researchers to be more effective in the policy arena. It offers information on the dynamics of the policymaking process, theoretical frameworks, analysis, and policy applications. It also offers coverage of advocacy and communication, the two most integral aspects of shaping policies for public health.
  laws with unintended consequences: That's Not what We Meant to Do Steven M. Gillon, 2000 With a shrewd eye for historical absurdity, Gillon takes readers on a tour of this century's reforms and legal innovations--federal welfare policy, community mental health, immigration, and campaign finance reform, to name a few--and describes the unintended consequences of their enactment.
  laws with unintended consequences: Unintended Consequences Marianne Dickie, Dorota Gozdecka, Sudrishti Reich, 2016-08-23 This book arose from an inaugural conference on Migration Law and Policy at the ANU College of Law. The conference brought together academics and practitioners from a diverse range of disciplines and practice. The book is based on a selection of the papers and presentations given during that conference. Each explores the unexpected, unwanted and sometimes tragic outcomes of migration law and policy, identifying ambiguities, uncertainties, and omissions affecting both temporary and permanent migrants. Together, the papers present a myriad of perspectives, providing a sense of urgency that focuses on the immediate and political consequences of an Australian migration milieu created without due consideration and exposing the daily reality under the migration program for individuals and for society as a whole.
  laws with unintended consequences: Regulating Creation Trudo Lemmens, Andrew Flavell Martin, Ian B. Lee, Cheryl Milne, 2017-01-23 In 2004, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act was passed by the Parliament of Canada. Fully in force by 2007, the act was intended to safeguard and promote the health, safety, dignity, and rights of Canadians. However, a 2010 Supreme Court of Canada decision ruled that key parts of the act were invalid. Regulating Creation is a collection of essays built around the 2010 ruling. Featuring contributions by Canadian and international scholars, it offers a variety of perspectives on the role of law in dealing with the legal, ethical, and policy issues surrounding changing reproductive technologies. In addition to the in-depth analysis of the Canadian case the volume reflects on how other countries, particularly the U.S., U.K. and New Zealand regulate these same issues. Combining a detailed discussion of legal approaches with an in-depth exploration of societal implications, Regulating Creation deftly navigates the obstacles of legal policy amidst the rapid current of reproductive technological innovation.
  laws with unintended consequences: What is Seen and what is Not Seen: Or Political Economy in One Lesson ... Frédéric Bastiat, 1859
  laws with unintended consequences: Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division, Board on Health Sciences Policy, Committee on Pain Management and Regulatory Strategies to Address Prescription Opioid Abuse, 2017-09-28 Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.
  laws with unintended consequences: The Unintended Consequences of Peace Arie Marcelo Kacowicz, Exequiel Lacovsky, Keren Sasson, Daniel F. Wajner, 2021-07 A rigorous global examination of the links between peaceful borders and illicit transnational flows of crime and terrorism.
  laws with unintended consequences: Studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics Friedrich August Hayek, 1980
  laws with unintended consequences: Choice Robert P. Murphy, Donald J. Boudreaux, 2015-07-01 Human Action—a treatise on laissez-faire capitalism by Ludwig von Mises—is a historically important and classic publication on economics, and yet it can be an intimidating work due to its length and formal style. Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action, however, skillfully relays the main insights from Human Action in a style that will resonate with modern readers. The book assumes no prior knowledge in economics or other fields, and, when necessary, it provides the historical and scholarly context necessary to explain the contribution Mises makes on a particular issue. To faithfully reproduce the material in Human Action, this work mirrors its basic structure, providing readers with an enjoyable and educational introduction to the life's work of one of history's most important economists.
  laws with unintended consequences: Preventing HIV Transmission National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Panel on Needle Exchange and Bleach Distribution Programs, 1995-09-14 This volume addresses the interface of two major national problems: the epidemic of HIV-AIDS and the widespread use of illegal injection drugs. Should communities have the option of giving drug users sterile needles or bleach for cleaning needs in order to reduce the spread of HIV? Does needle distribution worsen the drug problem, as opponents of such programs argue? Do they reduce the spread of other serious diseases, such as hepatitis? Do they result in more used needles being carelessly discarded in the community? The panel takes a critical look at the available data on needle exchange and bleach distribution programs, reaches conclusions about their efficacy, and offers concrete recommendations for public policy to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. The book includes current knowledge about the epidemiologies of HIV/AIDS and injection drug use; characteristics of needle exchange and bleach distribution programs and views on those programs from diverse community groups; and a discussion of laws designed to control possession of needles, their impact on needle sharing among injection drug users, and their implications for needle exchange programs.
  laws with unintended consequences: American Icon Bryce G. Hoffman, 2012 A riveting, behind-the-scenes account of the near collapse of the Ford Motor Company, which in 2008 was close to bankruptcy, and CEO Alan Mulally's hard-fought effort and bold plan--including his decision not to take federal bailout money--to bring Ford back from the brink.
  laws with unintended consequences: Lynching Photographs Dora Apel, Shawn Michelle Smith, 2007 A lucid, smart, engaging, and accessible introduction to the impact of lynching photography on the history of race and violence in America. —Grace Elizabeth Hale, author of Making Whiteness: The Culture of Segregation in America, 1890-1940 With admirable courage, Dora Apel and Shawn Michelle Smith examine lynching photographs that are horrifying, shameful, and elusive; with admirable sensitivity they help us delve into the meaning and legacy of these difficult images. They show us how the images change when viewed from different perspectives, they reveal how the photographs have continued to affect popular culture and political debates, and they delineate how the pictures produce a dialectic of shame and atonement.—Ashraf H. A. Rushdy, author of Neo-Slave Narratives and Remembering Generations This thoughtful and engaging book offers a highly accessible yet theoretically sophisticated discussion of a painful, complicated, and unavoidable subject. Apel and Smith, employing complementary (and sometimes overlapping) methodological approaches to reading these images, impress upon us how inextricable photography and lynching are, and how we cannot comprehend lynching without making sense of its photographic representations.—Leigh Raiford, co-editor of The Civil Rights Movement in American Memory Our newspapers have recently been filled with photographs of mutilated, tortured bodies from both war fronts and domestic arenas. How do we understand such photographs? Why do people take them? Why do we look at them? The two essays by Apel and Smith address photographs of lynching, but their analysis can be applied to a broader spectrum of images presenting ritual or spectacle killings.—Frances Pohl, author of Framing America: A Social History of American Art