I have issues with some of the absurd aspects of 'A Death in the Family' (The Joker with diplomatic immunity? Really?) to say nothing of the racism and underwhelming conclusion to the story. Jason's resurrection was not editorially mandated, but when you read interviews from the parties involved in the plotting prior to 'A Death in the Family' it becomes obvious that he was intentionally hamstrung as a character to the extent that his death pretty much was guaranteed by editorial. I find that much more cheap than his resurrection.
I feel there were few positive (story wise) lasting effects after Jason's death. There wasn't any great change in Batman's character, he continued down the dark path he had been set upon years before, his relationship with the Joker is as stagnant as ever, and he went on to endanger not one, but two more children in his crusade. In reality Batman has still lost Jason, his return from the dead did not change the fact that Batman failed to protect him and has now lost the war for the boy's soul, so to speak. I think the poignancy of the separation can still exist, and Jason functioning as a dynamic character rather than an empty symbol alleviates a lot of the bitterness I feel about the way the character was mishandled in the name of 'drama.'