U.S. Drug Policy and Supply Side Strategies: Assessing Effectiveness and Results

Abstract

The illegal drug trade in North America continues to prosper despite a 45-year war on drugs. Border enforcement is a key U.S. policy tool for preventing the flow of illegal drugs, and the U.S.-Mexico border has become the frontline in the war. Several scholars have questioned the ability of states, with their inflexible bureaucracies, tight budgets, and electorates, to effectively stop drug trafficking networks, which have considerable advantages, including flexibility, trans- national connections, and market forces on their side. This article uses statistical data to deter- mine if border enforcement along the southern U.S. border influences the illegal drug supply. Key words: border enforcement, drug trafficking, war on drugs, U.S.-Mexico border