POLI 2200

This course will examine political controversies that raise fundamental ethical issues in contemporary public life and the political choices of public officials. The course will analyse the ethical dimensions of public policy and examine basic questions such as the proper place of ethics in politics, the difference in ethical behaviour in the public and private spheres, and whether the state should be neutral with respect to moral beliefs. Specific topics and issues will include, for example, the limits of political power, the rule of law, conflict of interest, minority cultural rights, health care, and debate over the welfare state.