Democracy, Social Values, and Public Policy

MILTON M. CARROW is Research Professor of Public Policy in the Graduate Program in Public Policy at The George Washington University.ROBERT PAUL CHURCHILL is Professor of Philosophy at The George Washington University.JOSEPH J. CORDES is Professor of Economics in the Graduate Program in Public Policy at The George Washington University.

Transcending the widespread concerns about deteriorating moral values in American society, this collection focuses on the common values of American society. Through the perspectives of philosophers, historians, political scientists, theologians, anthropologists, economists, and scientists, this book examines American social values and discusses how they are applied in current areas of public interest.American democratic ideals are not simply rooted in the conventional structural and institutional elements of a democracy, such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. American democracy, in fact, could not survive without a strong basis of social values that support community, tolerance, and cooperation. Since social values form the common bonds of society, and may not be supported by individual members, they are determined through a complex cultural, legal, and political process, as one of the contributors points out.The contributors to this book were assembled from a variety of disciplines and professions to examine social values and analyze their application in specific areas of current controversy. Through the perspectives of philosophy, anthropology, history, economics, political science, biomedical ethics, and religion, these discussions cover not only disciplinary perspectives but cover topics such as the environment, intergenerational interaction, social welfare policies, gender, and genetic engineering.

Examines the social values of the American people and their application to public policies.

Introduction by Milton M. Carrow, Robert Paul Churchill, and Joseph J. CordesA Framework for Democracy: Social Values and Public Policy by Milton M. CarrowThe Origin of Social Values by Jennifer TrustedThe Wellsprings of Social Values by James A. PeacockAmerican Democratic Institutions and Social Values by Timothy BrennanSocial Values and Public Policy: A Contribution from a Religious Tradition by J. Bryan HehirIn Search of Identity: Economics and Values by Arjo KlamerPolicy Analysis and Social Values by Mark SagoffThe Ethics of Cost-Benefit Analysis: Incommensurable, Incompatible, and Incomparable Values by Douglas MacLeanIntergenerational Interaction on Resource Allocation by Gene D. CohenSocial Welfare Policies and Values by Edward D. BerkowitzWomen, Gender, Values, and Public Policy by Cynthia HarrisonDemocratic Rhetoric and Genetic Engineering: Who Owns the Human Gene Pool? by Eric T. JuengstDemocracy, Social Values, and Public Policy: Concluding Commentary by Kenneth F. SchaffnerFor Further ReadingIndex