The Moral Imagination and Public Life

What is the relationship between ethics and the making of public policy? McCollough asserts that consideration of ethics is too far removed from the policy-making process. The result is less responsive agendas and decisions, as well as public policy that often goes against the grain of popular morality. Ethical consideration of public policy, usually in terms of classical philosophical tradition, often falls to professional policy analysts, technocrats studying policy making after the fact. This makes the American system less democratic and may help explain American citizens' political apathy. This tendency robs the American policy process of meaningful input, as the moral concerns of the community are glossed over at best. McCollough takes care to distinguish between morality and ethics, and important difference when considering the relations of ethics and public policy. He underlines the importance of community in effectively meeting the challenges of contemporary society.