Making public policy can involve exercising a great deal of power over citizens. In a democracy, this exercise of power is constrained politically. There also are, or at least should be, moral constraints on public policy makers. Given that Canada is marked by pluralism of cultures, religions, and values, making public policy is not a matter of simply applying commonly shared ethical beliefs to questions of public policy. Instead, a subset of moral questions apply particularly to public policy questions. In this course, we will explore the reasons for this constraint, some key moral questions applicable to public policy, and ways people have tried to answer those questions. Students will develop competence in examining public policy from a moral perspective and writing in the format of public policy analysis. This is a core elective course for second year MPP students.
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successful completion of at least 3.5 FCEs in MPP1 courses