ethics and values in public policy. mark carl rom welcome to the most important class in the gppi
TRANSCRIPT
Ethics and Values
in Public Policy
Mark Carl Rom
Welcome to the most important class in the GPPI
Mark Carl Rom
Case
Jack and Sally are siblings, in their mid-20s. They love each other, and decide to have sex. They each use birth control. They both conclude it was a good experience. (Adapted from The
Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt)
Mark Carl Rom
Questions (A=Yes, B= No)
Were they wrong to do this? Why? Should incest among consenting adults be
legal? Why? Should incestuous marriages be legal?
Between siblings?Between parent and adult child?If no children are created?
Should they be punished? How?
Mark Carl Rom
Big Policy Questions Who should get what kind of medical care, and
how should they get it? What rules should we have for marriage,
childbearing, and divorce? How should children be educated? What are our responsibilities for the
environment and future generations? Should the US provide more foreign aid?
Should it seek to promote democracy?
Mark Carl Rom
Big “Values” Questions
Are these policy questions empirical matters?
Are there any fully correct answers to these questions?
Are all answers equally good? How can we decide what to do for each
question?
Mark Carl Rom
Big “Values” Questions
Is each method of deciding equally good? Should policy analysts attempt to get
involved in these matters? Do policy analysts have anything to say
about these issues?
Mark Carl Rom
But First: What is ‘Ethics’
The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person
The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession
Ethics are how we behave in politics Examples: honesty, integrity, empathy
Mark Carl Rom
Second: What are ‘Values’?
A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable
Values are what we want to achieve Examples: liberty, equity, security,
efficiency, justice
Ethics and Values in Public Policy Ethics
May or may not lead to professional gainMay lead to personal well-being
ValuesEssential to policy success
Mark Carl Rom
Mark Carl Rom
Are these Policy Questions Empirical Matters?
No: Empirical matters “are capable of being
verified or disproved by observation or experiment”
Policy questions are inherently political matters
Political matters inherently involve ethics and values
Mark Carl Rom
Are there any Fully Correct Answers to these Policy Questions? Yes:
GodTraditionScience
No:Impossible to demonstrateCompetition across and within
Mark Carl Rom
Are All Answers Equally Good? Yes:
As we cannot demonstrate the truth, all ‘truths’ are equal (mere ‘preferences’)
No:Answers are better or worse based on ‘good
reasons’
Mark Carl Rom
What are ‘Good Reasons’?
Involve argument and analysis: “We should ban smoking because it harms non-smokers”
Criteria: Public importance Logically connected Consistent with evidence
Normative and Empirical Is the action right or wrong? Does the action cause benefit or harm? But (for this class) not (in general) legal or constitutional
arguments!
Mark Carl Rom
Goals To understand the roles of ethics and values in
public policy processUnderstanding of othersSelf-reflection
To appreciate that value conflicts and ethical dilemmas are central to public policy
To make better policy recommendations and more sensible decisions…
Mark Carl Rom
Skills Speaking
Debates (5 minutes for each side)Final presentations
WritingFour memos (750 words each) Two policy briefs (750 words each)
AnalysisReadingReflectionDiscussionBlogs
Mark Carl Rom
Evaluations? Speaking (30 percent)
Debate (15 percent)Final presentation (15 percent)
Writing (50 percent)Policy memos (10 percent each)Policy briefs (10 percent)
Participation (20 percent)Blogs, peer evaluations, engagement
Mark Carl Rom
What are ‘Good Reasons’?
Involve argument and rationale: “We should ban smoking because it harms non-smokers”
Criteria: Public importance Logically connected Consistent with evidence
Normative and Empirical Is the action right or wrong? Does the action cause benefit or harm? But (for this class) not (in general) legal or constitutional
arguments!
Mark Carl Rom
Example: Abortions Extreme positions are not strong?
Based on a single value• Ignore competing values• Ignore values of others
Positions that respect multiple values are strongerAbortion is morally problematicAbortion is never idealAbortion should be permitted in some
circumstancesThe exact circumstances are subject to debate
Mark Carl Rom
Example: Abortion Should women be allowed to obtain abortions?
No! God holds that abortion is immoral
• What does God think?• What about those who believe in other Gods? Or none?
Killing a person is wrong (abortion = killing)• Is killing a person ALWAYS wrong?• Are there circumstances where killing might be
permissible? • What are these circumstances?• Do these circumstances ever exist for pregnant women?
Mark Carl Rom
Abortion Should women be allowed to obtain abortions?
No!Abortions harm women
• Evidence?• Countervailing harms?
Persons must be held responsible for their conduct• Is the pregnant women ALWAYS responsible for getting
pregnant? • If not, is it moral to force her to ‘be responsible’?• Do we hold the father equally responsible?
Abortion Should women be allowed to obtain
abortions? No! Abortion is murder
• Should women and accomplices be charged with murder?
Mark Carl Rom
Mark Carl Rom
Example: Abortion Should women be allowed to obtain abortions?
Yes! It is a matter of fundamental rights
• Where do these rights come from?
The fetus is not a human, and so has no rights• What makes a human ‘human’?• Does the fetus ever have these qualities?• Does abortion EVER involve taking a human life?• If so, is this killing ALWAYS permissible?
Mark Carl Rom
Abortion Should women be allowed to obtain
abortions? Yes!Women should have control over their
bodies; the fetus is an invader• Do women have the right to do ANYTHING they
want to the fetus? (Crack? Alcohol?)• Can women sell their bodies?
Abortion Central question: When does the “entity”
become a human?ConceptionHeart beatViabilityBirth
Mark Carl Rom
Mark Carl Rom
Example: Abortion Empirical policy research can also address
some questions: If abortion is allowed, does pre-marital sex
increase?Does abortion lead to long term health risks?
But even then empirical policy research cannot provide definitive policy answers: If abortion increases pre-marital sex, does that
mean it should be banned? If abortion does not increase long term health risks,
does that mean it should be allowed?
Mark Carl Rom
Example: Abortion There are better and worse arguments for and
against abortion These arguments should be examined Examining arguments can lead to better (more
consistent, more acceptable, more in accordance with moral principles) policy recommendations
Good arguments will not persuade everybody, or make disagreements go away.
How can we think about each policy question? Consequentialism
Outcomes Deontological reasoning
Rules Casuistry
Situations
Mark Carl Rom
Mark Carl Rom
How can we decide what to do for each policy question? We have three main options:
We can let each person decide: “markets”We can all decide together for everyone:
“democracy”We can have select individuals decide for
everyone: “authority”
Mark Carl Rom
Example: Abortion Who should make policy?
Courts? (Authorities)Voters or legislatures? (Democracy)Individuals? (Markets)
What are the likely consequences of each?
Mark Carl Rom
Is each method of deciding equally good? Each method will have different consequences Each set of consequences helps some people
and hurts others, promotes certain values and ignores others.
The consequences of each method depend on how markets, democracy, and authority are designed
Policy analysts can examine both consequences and methods, and provide arguments and evidence about how to them
Mark Carl Rom
In Conclusion Politics and policy are fundamentally
about ethical and value choices Policy analysts cannot avoid ethical and
value dilemmas Systematic study of ethics and values can
lead to better decisions