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

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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?

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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