Ethics in Public Policy

Catalog description

Public policy is built around widely shared values—welfare, liberty, justice, equality, and democracy—but people rarely agree on what those values mean. Competing interpretations shape real policy debates, influencing what counts as effective, fair, or legitimate. In this seminar, we will explore major theories of these values, the arguments for and against them, and their implications for public policy. Rather than advocating a single viewpoint, the course aims to help you identify the values underlying policy debates, examine your own assumptions, and develop stronger, more defensible policy arguments.