Public Policy Commons^™

A Decade Of A Maturing Epidemic: An Assessment And Directions For Future Public Policy, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The author's goal in this article, is not merely to propose public health strategies for the future, but also to examine why government has been so slow, so equivocal, in its public health response to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. He argues that there has been a fundamental ambivalence in perceptions of the epidemic. For some, AIDS is perceived as a disease, with sympathy for sufferers. Once AIDS is viewed as a disease, like other catastrophic diseases, it follows that public policy will be based upon science and epidemiology--health education, research and treatment.

For others, AIDS is caused …

The Politics Of Aids: Compulsory State Powers, Public Health, And Civil Liberties, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article argues that compulsory public powers are justified only if they meet the following criteria: there is a significant risk of transmission of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus; the public health response is efficacious in preventing a primary mode of transmission of the virus; the economic, practical, or human rights burdens are not disproportionate to the public health benefits; and the public health power is the least restrictive alternative that would prevent viral transmission.

The author carefully examines the levels of risk posed by behavior which can potentially transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and demonstrates that compulsory …

Policy, Procedures, And People: Governmental Response To A Privately Initiated Nuclear Test Monitoring Project As A Case Study In National Security Decision-Making, Philip G. Schrag

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article applies the Allisonian framework to the U.S. Government's response to a private arms control initiative undertaken in 1986 by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental organization. This case lends itself to fruitful analysis for several reasons. First, while it fits the criteria for second-level decisions, it also involves a critical area of international relations-the control of nuclear weapons. Second, the involvement of numerous government agencies in the project presents ample opportunity to examine processes within and among agencies. Third, the reaction of the United States appears, at first blush, to have been ambivalent or inconsistent, for …

The Nucleus Of A Public Health Strategy To Combat Aids, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Since acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first identified in I98I, its rate of spread among a primarily young and vibrant population has chilled the medical and lay communities. Today, the public response is sober and oriented toward the examination of specific policies that could lessen the impact of the disease. After six years' experience it is now feasible to propose a strategy for combating AIDS. Consensus around the policies outlined in this article should form the nucleus of the public health strategy to combat AIDS before the intervention of an effective vaccine or treatment.

A Mental Patient's Right To Vote: An Analysis Of The Wild Case, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article is an analysis of the Wild case that was heard on 15 June 1976 by Judge Lloyd Jones of the County Court, Warrington.

In order to vote, the person's name must appear on the register of electors as a resident of a particular locality. Any place where the elector legitimately resides (even a hostel, a general hospital or a university) may be used as an address which qualifies a person for entry onto the register. The one exception is found in section 4(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1949, as amended by the Mental Health Act, …