Legislating Morality in America

This title undertakes an impartial authoritative and in-depth examination of the moral arguments and ideas behind the laws and policies that govern personal corporate and government behavior in the United States. This AZ encyclopedia surveys the moral arguments that provide the foundation for many of the most important and/or divisive laws policies and beliefs that govern modern American society. The work discusses such controversial and important issues as abortion civil rights drugs and alcohol euthanasia guns hate crimes immigration immunization natural resource use and protection prostitution same-sex marriage and workplace laws. In the process of surveying historical and current beliefs about appropriate legislative responses to these issues this work will help readers to understand how conservative and liberal conceptions of justice fairness and morality are at the center of so many hot-button political and social issues in 21st century America. The essays featured in the volume cover wide-ranging and controversial topics related to constitutional and religious freedoms crime and punishment sexuality and reproduction environmental protection and public health national security and civil liberties social welfare programs and education.