Feature

The UK's Royal College of Defence Studies Visits the Harris School

Harris School faculty members spoke to students of the Royal College of Defence Studies earlier this month about American policymaking and how key social policies could change with a new administration. Many of the visitors were senior-level military officials from the United Kingdom, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Jens Ludwig, the McCormick Tribune Professor of Social Service, Law, and Public Policy, discussed major crime-related issues-incarceration, drug, and gun policies-and the possible impacts of a new president. U.S. incarceration rates and gun-related crimes are higher than many foreign countries. But it is doubtful that either Senator John McCain or Senator Barack Obama will make significant changes to these policies as president. Additionally, both McCain and Senator Joe Biden are seen as tough on drug-related crimes. In the end, any modifications would likely be to spending on police and to social policies that help the poor and minorities.

Charles Wheelan, senior lecturer, addressed a handful of structural reasons for why it is so difficult to make communal decisions-which he calls the "essence of public policy." Disgruntled citizens often ask why it is so difficult to make the world a better place, but the term "better" first needs to be defined. Public policy usually requires choosing a single shared course of action, despite deep differences in ideology and world view. In addition, progress in any other field-science, medicine, technology-usually brings new public policy challenges. For example, genetic testing is a great medical breakthrough, but it is the policy professionals who have to figure out which test results should be shared with insurance companies.