Ariel White

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Website

Ariel White is the Silverman Family Career Development Associate Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She holds a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University.

Voting History

Marijuana reform

Pardoning federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana will have meaningful social benefits that exceed any social costs.

Vote Confidence
Neutral/No Opinion 9
Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree 8
Comments

I don't perceive large social costs to this reform; I'm just unsure how large/"meaningful" the social benefits will be. A small number of people will be directly affected by the president's actions, and even the number that would be affected if all states were to follow the federal government's lead would be quite small relative to the size of the criminal legal system. This doesn't mean it's a bad idea! I just don't want to overstate its significance compared to other possible reforms.

Pardoning state convictions for simple possession of marijuana will have meaningful social benefits that exceed any social costs.

Vote Confidence
Neutral/No Opinion 6
Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree 8
Comments

Moving marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a less-restrictive schedule or legalizing it at the federal level would have meaningful social benefits that exceed any social costs.

Vote Confidence
Neutral/No Opinion 2
Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree 8
Comments

I think we know much less about the possible impacts of legalization