• Unit 3: Individual Liberty, Public Safety, and Justice

    In this unit, you will examine a few of the different types of ethical dilemmas that policymakers face in the areas of individual liberties, public safety, and criminal justice. This unit will focus on the rights based on the United States Constitution, such as the protection of speech and political acts under the First Amendment, the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, punishment of felons, and issues involving drugs and illegal immigration. This unit will examine questions like: How do individual rights need to be balanced with the security needs of the state? Where do the rights of individuals end and the rights of society as a whole begin?

    Each of these dilemmas may be examined under the five frameworks discussed in Unit 2, sometimes resulting in different outcomes. You will see which frameworks lawmakers, judges, and officials tend to apply to different types of issues and circumstances. Understanding how these dilemmas are approached and resolved in practice is important for students of political science and public policy; it is also essential knowledge for those planning to enter the legal, public service, or lobbying professions.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 16 hours.