Risk perception and the generation of public policy: Case analyses of smoking and septic system regulations in Massachusetts

The fundamental question addressed in this study concerns how governments make environmental policies that are efficient and protective of public and environmental health. What constitutes a "risk" is at the heart of determining which threats require intervention. As such, the link between science and policy has become a common backdrop for policymakers charged protecting the public.; Using a multiple case study methodology, this study illuminates the factors that shaped three risk-based policy processes---local smoking regulations in Cambridge and Brookline, Massachusetts, and Massachusetts' statewide environmental code. Overall findings reinforce the conclusion that environmental policy making in a democratic society involves tradeoffs between economic rationality, science, and normative considerations.; More specifically, evidence from two ETS cases suggests that local regulation of smoking in restaurants can be a relatively "easy", though largely symbolic, tactical victory for antitobacco advocates. This is especially evident in communities, like Brookline, that have large legislative bodies and where popular anti-smoking sentiment is strong. Conversely, Cambridge provides an equally compelling example on the other side. In the larger scheme of protecting those most at-risk from ETS exposure---small children and those with heart conditions---regulations focused on restaurants, bars, and youth access to cigarettes, provide little protection. In addition, local regulations can generate policy disadvantages, including implementation inefficiencies.; The Title 5 policy process is a good example of tradeoffs between scientific and economic rationality. Government officials failed to communicate the benefits of a new code, while other policy actors---constituencies, the media, and the Lieutenant Governor---focused on cost issues. As a result, regulators were forced to compromise both their means and objectives.; It is clear from these cases that many factors affect policy processes and mold final policies. Risk-based policy questions are more challenging because policymakers, need to also assess technical information. Ultimately, policy processes should attempt to reconcile the differences between technical and non-technical dimensions of risk and acknowledge the tradeoffs embodied in policy alternatives. In doing so, risk management policies can balance the collective level of protection that can be achieved, the efficient use of public and private resources, and individual rights.