States gaining voice on drug laws When Richard Nixon declared a “War on Drugs” in June 1971, he had little idea that he was also engaging Washington in a war with the states. In the decades since, the federal government has frequently asserted its primacy over the states on drug laws, despite the opposition … Read more
How drug policy made in response to crisis misses the mark In 2008, 50,000 kilograms of cocaine and 660,000 kilograms of marijuana were seized within the United States. According to Drug Enforcement Administration statistics, that same year also saw 26,425 domestic drug arrests. These staggering numbers might seem to suggest that the United States is … Read more
American anti-opium efforts in Afghanistan Afghanistan’s war-devastated economy has one booming sector - the country produces 90 percent of the world’s opium. Money from this trade funds insurgents and terrorists, and encourages corrupt government officials to undermine security and the rule of law. Nevertheless, for decades U.S. policy towards Afghanistan failed to acknowledge the impact … Read more
How the debate over crack cocaine sentencing has moved beyond race In 1986, amid America’s crack epidemic and the associated violence in inner cities, Congress decided to punish possession of five grams of crack as harshly as it punishes possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine. Known as the 100:1 disparity, this law has inundated … Read more
The militarizing of Mexico’s police forces adds a new facet to the war against drugs In Mexico, the war against drug cartels has become more than a question of eradicating illicit substances or capturing criminals; with over 13,000 dead in the last three years, the fight now concerns the future of the country. Earlier this … Read more
Drug incarcerations, prison overcrowding, and community corrections America’s prisons are overflowing. According to the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2007 over 1.5 million people were imprisoned in state and federal jails, up from 320,000 in 1980. Twenty-five percent of current prisoners were convicted of drug crimes – possession and distribution – compared to … Read more
Brett McGurk on American Counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan Brett McGurk is the former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Senior Director for Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also the Director for Iraq on the National Security Council. The HPR sat down with him at the Harvard University’s Institute of Politics where he is … Read more
Rory Stewart on the current state of politics in Afghanistan Rory Stewart is the author of The Places in Between, a book about his solo walk across Afghanistan. He is also the founder of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation and currently the Director for the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Harvard Political … Read more
Howard W. Gutman on Brussels and working for President Obama Howard W. Gutman is the current U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. Before this position he worked for over twenty-six years as a partner at the law firm Williams and Connolly LLP. In an interview with the HPR, the ambassador spoke about his new position. Harvard Political … Read more