Unit 6: Issues Involving Families and Relationships
Marital, personal, and family relationships are an area in which policymakers and officials often have to make difficult ethical and legal decisions. Should consenting adults be allowed to engage in sexual or marital relationships with whoever they choose? What are the limits that the government can/should place on such relationships? Whose interests are paramount in family relationships, those of the child or those of the parents and grandparents? What limits should the government place on procreation, contraception, and abortion?
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 9 hours.
Unit 6 Assessment
For this assessment, you will draft a 1- to 2-page memo based on the prompts and instructions provided. Once you have done so, please grade yourself according to the accompanying guide to responding.