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. A Liberty-Equality Tradeoff?
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
Mark Carl Rom

13. An Equality-Efficiency Tradeoff?
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
Mark Carl Rom

14. Liberty and Security Two dilemmas: Dependence: Paternalism
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. A Security-Efficiency Tradeoff?
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
Mark Carl Rom

16. A Liberty-Security Tradeoff?
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
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