Ethics and Values

1. Ethics and Values in Public Policy

2. Political Values • Policy debates focus on political values • Political actors favor different values • Political actors interpret values differently Mark Carl Rom

3. Policy Paradox • A paradox is something that is two things at the same time. • Goals of book: • Politics is not obstacle to good policy, but a creative and valuable feature of social life • We do not live just in ‘economic markets’ but ‘political communities’ • Values are not objective, but contingent Mark Carl Rom

4. Policy Paradox • Politics not logical and rational • Identify goals • Specify alternatives to obtaining goals • Predict and evaluate consequences • Select “best” policy • Politics is creative and social • Multiple meanings • Strategic Mark Carl Rom

5. Ideas: Concepts of Society • Market model • Polis Model Mark Carl Rom

6. What Political Values Matter? • Equity • Efficiency • Liberty • Security Mark Carl Rom

7. Equity • How should we divide the cake? • Simple definition: Equal slices for all. But…. • Equal slices based on size • Equal slices based on hunger • Equal slices based on value • Equal slices based on rank • Equal slices over time • Equal slices based on groups • Equal slices based on contributions • Equal slices based on opportunities • Equal slices based on access • Equal votes Mark Carl Rom

8. Equity • Each form of distribution is equitable in some ways and inequitable in other ways • There is no way to design policies that will be viewed equitably by all Mark Carl Rom

9. Efficiency • What is an efficient library system? • Simple definition: Getting the most output for a given input. But… • What are the correct outputs (objectives)? Who decides? • How do we value multiple objectives? • How do different outputs benefit different groups? • How should we count inputs (e.g. labor costs) that are also outputs (jobs)? • How should we decide which of the many outputs of any input to count in the equation? Mark Carl Rom

10. Liberty • Simple definition: People should be free to do what they want unless their activity harms other people. But… • Material harms • Elevated risk of harm • Amenity harms • Emotional and psychological harms • Spiritual and moral harms • Accumulative harms • Harms to a group caused by the actions of a group member • Harms to society caused by individual failure to undertake helpful actions • If multiple people are involved, whose liberty should be curtailed? Who should bear the burden of change? Mark Carl Rom

11. Security • What kind of needs should society provide? • Simple definition: minimum requirements for biological survival. But… • Should we count only material resources or symbolic meanings? • Should we measure needs on a fixed or relative standard? • Should we provide only for immediate, direct needs, or also for broader goals? • Should society provide only for current needs, or also for future needs? • Should society secure only individual needs or also relational needs? Mark Carl Rom

12. Yes Redistribution reduces liberty Liberty is all or nothing Liberty is decreased when people are coerced by public policies No Power, wealth, and knowledge are prerequisites for true liberty Liberty has degrees; reducing it for some can increase it for others Human freedom can be increased by solving collective problems A Liberty-Equality Tradeoff? Mark Carl Rom

13. Yes Maintaining equality eliminates people’s motivation to work Maintaining equality requires government interference with individual choice, and choice is necessary for efficiency Maintaining equality requires large bureaucracy A trade-off is inevitable No People are motivated by inherent satisfaction, self-esteem and sense of belonging Redistribution does not stifle experimentation and innovation, but can stimulate it Administration can itself be a productive activity Society can have both equality and efficiency by managing policy choices An Equality-Efficiency Tradeoff? Mark Carl Rom

14. Liberty and Security • Two dilemmas: • Dependence: • People cannot be free unless they have some security • Security can undermine liberty • Paternalism • Can the government legitimately keep people from harming themselves? Mark Carl Rom

15. Yes People are not motivated to work when they are secure The more security in a society, the bigger the (unproductive) service sector Efficiency requires changes that make some people worse off No Human productivity increases with increased security Productivity is low in the service sector only because of the way productivity is defined Public policies can mitigate some of the insecurities caused by economic change A Security-Efficiency Tradeoff? Mark Carl Rom

16. Yes Security creates dependence People need to be self-sufficient in order to be truly free If the government protects people from harming themselves, it must restrict liberty No Insecurity deprives a person of capacity to make free choices Humans inevitably are communal, and depending on others allows freedom Public policy can make honest decisions to protect those incapable of protecting themselves A Liberty-Security Tradeoff? Mark Carl Rom

17. Conclusion: Political Reason • “Reasoned analysis is necessarily political” • Policy analysis is political argument, and vice versa. • All categories are human creations • Political reasoning is metaphoric • High stakes • Conflict • Strategic • Political reason is a process of persuasion: searching for criteria, justifying choices Mark Carl Rom