Ethics and Values

1. Ethics and Values in Public Policy

2. Welcome to the most important class in the GPPI Mark Carl Rom

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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 Mark Carl Rom

10. Ethics and Values in Public Policy • Ethics • May or may not lead to professional gain • May lead to personal well-being • Values • Essential to policy success Mark Carl Rom

11. 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

12. Are there any Fully Correct Answers to these Policy Questions? • Yes: • God • Tradition • Science • No: • Impossible to demonstrate • Competition across and within Mark Carl Rom

13. 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

14. What are ‘Good Reasons’? • Involve argument andanalysis: • “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

15. Goals • To understand the roles of ethics and values in public policy process • Understanding of others • Self-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

16. Skills • Speaking • Debates (5 minutes for each side) • Final presentations • Writing • Four memos (750 words each) • Two policy briefs (750 words each) • Analysis • Reading • Reflection • Discussion • Blogs Mark Carl Rom

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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 stronger • Abortion is morally problematic • Abortion is never ideal • Abortion should be permitted in some circumstances • The exact circumstances are subject to debate Mark Carl Rom

20. 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

21. 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? Mark Carl Rom

22. Abortion • Should women be allowed to obtain abortions? No! • Abortion is murder • Should women and accomplices be charged with murder? Mark Carl Rom

23. 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

24. 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? Mark Carl Rom

25. Abortion • Central question: When does the “entity” become a human? • Conception • Heart beat • Viability • Birth Mark Carl Rom

26. 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

27. 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. Mark Carl Rom

28. How can we think about each policy question? • Consequentialism • Outcomes • Deontological reasoning • Rules • Casuistry • Situations Mark Carl Rom

29. 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

30. Example: Abortion • Who should make policy? • Courts? (Authorities) • Voters or legislatures? (Democracy) • Individuals? (Markets) • What are the likely consequences of each? Mark Carl Rom

31. 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

32. 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 Mark Carl Rom