Drug Testing and Social Control: Implications for State Theory

• NCJ Number: 126363
• Journal: Contemporary Crises: Law, Crime and Social Policy Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1990) Pages: 243-258
• Author(s): J Gerber; E L Jensen; M Schreck; G M Babcock
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

A new War on Drugs became the rallying cry during the 1986 Congressional elections. One of the major components of this war was the call for mandatory drug testing.

Abstract

We argue that drug testing has more to do with power than with genuine efforts at reducing the consumption of illicit drugs and then proceed to analyze this expansion of power by capitalists and State managers. Contrary to Block's version of State theory, the power of capitalists and State managers expanded simultaneously. We thus conclude by calling for a partial modification of his model. 71 notes. (Author abstract)