Abstract:
ABSTRACT
THE ESSENCE OF BAD DECISIONS: UNITED STATES
DRUG CONTROL POLICY IN LATIN AMERICA
by
Michael R. Henneberry
Master of Arts in Political Science
California State University
Spring 2011
In this study, I seek to evaluate United States-supported efforts to stem drug production and trafficking in two Latin American countries. The countries selected are Colombia and Mexico, which are the two largest suppliers of illicit narcotic drugs to the United States. I find that these policies are not at all effective in reducing production and distribution and that they contribute to social, economic, and political problems in both countries. In the next section I analyze the most current iteration of U.S. drug policies in Colombia and Mexico, respectively. I conduct an inquiry into why policies geared toward reduction of production and trafficking of illicit narcotics have not undergone significant changes to reflect the lack of progress in reducing the global supply in narcotics. I find that the fragmented nature of political power within the United States government
contributes to a status quo bias in favor of existing drug policies. The concluding section offers proposals designed to both reduce the demand for illicit narcotics as well as the harms associated with drug abuse, thereby reducing the incentives for participating in the illegal drug trade.
