Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Discrimination Law In The United States: A Socioethical & Legal Analysis Of The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (Gina), Ken Lefebvre

School of Public Policy Capstones

In the last several years, genetic sequencing technologies have become widely accessible to consumers as prices have fallen at rates faster than the National Institute of Health had initially predicted. With these lower costs more patients now have access to their own genetic information than ever before, thanks to a host of new services.

Though objective in itself, genetic information is often regarded as an indicator of social and medical outcomes, with some associations substantiated and others largely reflecting social attitudes. Our understanding of genetic markers as forecasters for certain physiological disorders is still relatively limited, but associations between certain …

From Battery Cages To Barns: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of A National Standard For Cage-Free Egg Production, Jonathan Ward

School of Public Policy Capstones

Legislation concerning the well being of farm animals has become a major focus in the animal rights movement, especially as it pertains to intensive confinement systems, such as housing egg-laying hens in battery cages. Informational asymmetries in the market for eggs represent a market failure, as producers have few incentives to inform consumers on modern egg production methods, which they may perceive as cruel. This study uses cost-benefit analysis to examine the effects of a hypothetical U.S. ban on caged egg production to assess whether such a standard would produce use and non-use benefits in excess of producer and consumer …