I don't think we really "need" czars. But at the same time, I do think they are useful.

Without a drug czar, the jurisdiction of the war on drugs would be the Attorney General. And he has a lot of other things to worry about besides drugs (for example, his department's part in the war on terrorism). But the drug czar's entire mission is to fight drugs and drug crime. He can also work somewhat independently.

It can be a real benefit to have one person be responsible for a certain jurisdiction. Rather than reporting to supervisors and committees and commissions, it can just be one man or woman overseeing a set of activities. I think that's useful.
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