Public Policy Exam 2 Study Guide Values Morals and Ethics Values Morals Ethics Fundamental beliefs of what a person holds of value Determines how a person actually behaves behavior being ethics Values are never wrong Values attributed to a system of beliefs Authority comes from something outside the individual o E g a religious or political system Morals are based on values Refers to principles that define behavior actions as right good and proper Can be regulated The terms Values Morals and Ethics are NOT interchangeable Ethics Behavior Values Beliefs Our beliefs DRIVE our behavior Example When Ms Flannigan was interviewing a pedophile to decide whether he was going to a halfway house her own values made her want to harm him and make his life miserable but this was not ethical so she left the case for someone else Ch 7 Families as a Legitimate Focus of Public Policy NEED TO KNOW Example where the government should be involved o 68 of Americans say that government should decide that people should be vaccinated o 30 say that parents should decide How Does The American Penchant For Individualism Shape The Role That Gov t Should Play In American Society Due to the influence of individualism in the U S family policy as a specific field did not begin till 1973 1 1 There was so much debate throughout the 70s 80s which revolved around determining whether families are an important policy issue that family issues were taken off the agenda for about a decade Politicians were hesitant to embrace family policy due to the potential challenges to their political beliefs and re election Family policy didn t re emerge till the late 80s early 90s Are Families Primarily A Private Matter Or Are They Also A Legitimate Target For Public Policy The majority of Americans feel that a presidential candidate s position on family values is important regardless of political party When families were asked what they think family values mean the most common answers included the family unit family structure or strong families o Others associated family values with healthcare or health insurance morality or abortion Families feel that political candidates should address family issues o Do not support programs that help the poor Families more supportive of policies that influence their values or needs What Role If Any Do The American People See For Government In Family Life Beyond issues that impact the poor American families do believe that there is a role for gov t o Childcare funded by gov t or businesses o Paid family medical leave required of businesses by gov t o Paid sick leave enforced by gov t Most families would agree that parenting is primarily the family s responsibility not the gov t but Americans do see a role for gov t in helping create conditions where families can do their best What Roles Are Played By Philanthropy Int l Conventions Federal Laws And State Laws in Building Public Policy For Families Philanthropy Roles o Generating new ways of thinking about family issues o Finding new ways to support families o Collecting different types of data about families o Casey Foundation foundation that addresses family issues through philanthropy One of the largest philanthropic organizations Kids Count initiative 2 2 Provides state legislators public officials and child advocates with reliable data policy recommendations and tools needed to advance policies that benefit children and families Roles of State Laws o Devolution has led to more family policies being handled on the state level except for decisions made by the supreme court federal gov t It has provided state legislatures and governors with more responsibility and decision making Int l Convention Roles o Hague Convention Multi country agreement about how to treat child custody abduction issues The primary purpose of this convention is to preserve the current custody arrangement of a child to deter parties from seeking more favorable arrangements in other countries Moreover children who are wrongfully abducted must be Roles of Federal Laws immediately returned o Growth in child related policies expenditures throughout 1990s 2000s o Growth in policies related to performance of family functions in 2000s to now o Family policies have provided gains in health education SES of families Some of the earliest policies were more geared toward improving the lives of children over families because the well being of children is something that more policymakers can agree on Although focusing policy creating on children is still individual focused children are dependents of the adult caregiver and so the benefit of helping the child may have a systemic influence on the family overall o Think systems theory helping one individual or influencing one member of the family can have a beneficial impact on the rest of the family as well o This can be extended to the larger system by thinking that helping an individual child or family could also have a positive influence on the community as well Ch 8 How Current Policy Issues Can Benefit From the Family Impact Lens Contributions of the Family Impact Lens FIL Reveal who is is not eligible to receive benefits o An FIL in one state revealed that a mother and father who live with their child are eligible for the State Children s Health Insurance Program whether or not they are married 3 3 Enhance effectiveness in achieving policy program goals o According to 3 welfare reform studies investments in parental employment particularly among fragile families improved their children s school performance and social development Increase efficiency in reaching policy program goals that provide a greater return on investment o In criminal justice prevention intervention programs the most cost beneficial prevention and rehabilitation programs were family focused approaches Inform program design o Programs are more effective when targeting families than individuals o In responsible fatherhood programs little headway is made in improving fathers relationships with children without involving mothers Guide program implementation o Family centered approaches result in higher satisfaction resource levels and services o They were also more effective Indicate whether some families benefit others do not o Without the FIL policies or programs can advertently or inadvertently target only some relationships in families and overlook others Understanding and Insights of the Family Impact Lens on Family Policy Four major family policy areas have