TITLE:
Beware the Nanny State: Neoliberal Ideology and American Health Law Reform
AUTHORS:
David Ray Papke
KEYWORDS:
Ideology, Neoliberalism, Motorcycle Helmet, Sugary Soft Drinks, Graphic Warnings on Cigarette Packages
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Political Science,
Vol.10 No.2,
March
31,
2020
ABSTRACT: This
article identifies neoliberalism as an important contemporary ideology and then
examines the impact of this ideology and its concomitant rhetoric on public
health law in the United States. In particular, the article considers the
impact of neoliberalism on laws restricting the size of sugary soft drinks,
requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, and mandating graphic warnings on
individual cigarette packages. In each area, neoliberalism helped thwart
efforts at law reform, much to the ultimate detriment of the public’s health.
When these developments are underscored, they bring into higher relief the
important relationship of ideology and law.