Private Problems and Public Policy Issues

In the early 1970s, Norma McCorbey alias Jane Roe, wanted to terminate her pregnancy. Legal abortion for non-rape victims was illegal in the state of Texas where she resided. She eventually sought legal representation to be granted the right to have a medically safe and legal abortion. Her case became the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade and made abortion legal throughout the country. This is an illustration of how Norma McCorbey's private problem demanded a legislative response. This response is an example of how a private problem can become a major public policy issue. The controversy surrounding this issue continues today.

1. Select one specific private problem that became a major public policy issue to use for this Discussion.

2. Think about how that problem became a public policy issue requiring a legislative response.

Support your work with specific citations from the Learning Resources. You are allowed to draw from additional sources to support your explanation, but you must cite using APA standards. All quoted material must be identified, cited, and referenced per APA standards.