The Social Costs of Gun Ownership: Spurious Regression and Unfounded Public Policy Advocacy

The Legitimacy of Prohibiting Euthanasia

BioéthiqueOnline ◽

10.7202/1035512ar ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Gildenhuys

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Assisted Suicide ◽

Social Costs ◽

Active Euthanasia ◽

Physician Assisted Suicide ◽

Policy Debates ◽

The Social

John Arras argues against the legalization of physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia on the basis of social costs that he anticipates will result from legalization. Arras believes that the legalization of highly restricted physician-assisted suicide will result in the legalization of active euthanasia without special restrictions, a prediction I grant for the sake of argument. Arras further anticipates that the practices of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia will be abused, so that many patients who engage in these practices will lose out as a result. He refers to these losses as social costs to legalization. But the social costs at play in typical public policy debates are borne by individuals other than the agent who engages in the controversial activity, specifically by people who cannot be held responsible for enduring those costs. Even if plausible interpretations of Arras’ predictions about the abuse of the practice are granted, legalization of physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia brings no social costs of this latter sort. For this reason, and also because a ban on euthanasia is unfair to those who would profit from it, the losses in utility brought about by legalization would have to be very great to justify a ban.

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The social costs of gun ownership revisited

Empirical Economics ◽

10.1007/s00181-018-1496-6 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bernd Hayo ◽

Florian Neumeier ◽

Christian Westphal

Keyword(s):

Social Costs ◽

Gun Ownership ◽

The Social

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The social costs of gun ownership: a reply to Hayo, Neumeier, and Westphal

Empirical Economics ◽

10.1007/s00181-018-1497-5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 13-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Philip J. Cook ◽

Jens Ludwig

Keyword(s):

Social Costs ◽

Gun Ownership ◽

The Social

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The Social Costs of Gun Ownership

10.3386/w10736 ◽

2004 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Phillip Cook ◽

Jens Ludwig

Keyword(s):

Social Costs ◽

Gun Ownership ◽

The Social

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Criminology, Economics, and Public Policy

Crime & Delinquency ◽

10.1177/001112877902500201 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 137-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

John Conyers

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Criminal Justice ◽

Crime Control ◽

Policy Research ◽

Social Costs ◽

Criminal Justice Policy ◽

Economic Conditions ◽

Simplified Model ◽

The Social ◽

The Impact

Economic and crime issues are closely related, just as the disciplines of economics and criminology bear close resemblance in their approaches to public policy. Criminologists have neglected the impact of economic conditions on crime, just as economists often overlook the social costs—including increased crime—of the policies they prescribe. Professionals in both fields subscribe to an overly simplified model of human affairs that has the effect of protecting society's reputation while casting blame for society's ills on the victims. At a time when Congress is facing critical decisions with respect to criminal justice policy, the participation of crimi nologists in the formation of these policies remains negligible. A commit ment by criminologists to policy research that examines the links between economic conditions and crime would constitute an enlightened approach to crime control.

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