Policy Outcomes

Policy outcomes for issues with religious interests don't vary too drastically. Gay marriage is the most obvious example of this, with elections being held in different states to pass gay marriage legislation. While some may put an unnecessary emphasis on these outcomes to sensationalize them. But those states, all of whom have opposed the legalization of gay marriage, are almost all very likely to pass civil unions that would allow gays to essentially be married in every sense other than title. While many people probably oppose these civil unions many would be hard pressed to justify their reasons. Not that gay people ruin marriage for straight couples is a logical argument. Anyway, a marriage equivalent civil union is an outcome that will become extremely common in the next couple years. I think it would be hard to use any sort of policy tool to change or reward any behavior since the benefits and negative consequences are solely related to the issues surrounding my different issues. Creationism being taught in public schools is practically an extinct practice, and it would be hard to change the outcome with inducements or sanctions. The only issue I could see sanctions being useful would be sex education, stopping funding for sex education to schools that use abstinence only education as their sole provider of sexual health related information. This could be mildly effective, but I think that would have to be the extent of it because I can't see rewarding schools for teaching kids how they should, not particularly well just how they should, is not a good political policy.