Democracy Social Values and Public Policy

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.