PLCY203

Liberty and Justice for All: Ethics and Moral Issues in Public Policy

Students will broaden their understanding of the moral dimensions of public policy as well as their own individual moral perspective. Discussions will include the ideal of a just society, and the place of liberty and equality in it, while focusing on contemporary theories of ethics and justice. It will develop students' appreciation of the ethical challenges unique to the public service sector while building their skills in ethical analysis and decision-making. We will explore the increasing ethical challenges in a world in which technology, global risks, and societal developments are accelerating faster than our understanding can keep pace. A framework for ethical decision-making underpins the course.

Spring 2026

1 review
Average rating: 5.00

Fall 2025

16 reviews
Average rating: 2.13

Spring 2025

1 review
Average rating: 5.00

Past Semesters

16 reviews
Average rating: 2.13

1 review
Average rating: 5.00

16 reviews
Average rating: 2.13

1 review
Average rating: 5.00

1 review
Average rating: 5.00

16 reviews
Average rating: 2.13

0 reviews
Average rating: N/A

2 reviews
Average rating: 2.00

0 reviews
Average rating: N/A

1 review
Average rating: 5.00

1 review
Average rating: 5.00

0 reviews
Average rating: N/A

0 reviews
Average rating: N/A

0 reviews
Average rating: N/A

During the Spring 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, students could choose to take some of their courses pass-fail mid-semester which skews grade data aggregated across multiple semesters.

Average GPA of 3.26 between 1,032 students*

PLCY203 Grade Distribution+-051015202530354045505560% of studentsABCDFWother
A-: 13.76%
A: 30.81%
A+: 14.24%
B-: 5.14%
B: 9.11%
B+: 10.37%
C-: 1.36%
C: 3.1%
C+: 2.23%
D-: 0.19%
D: 0.39%
D+: 0.39%
F: 2.81%
W: 4.55%
other: 1.55%
* "W"s are considered to be 0.0 quality points. "Other" grades are not factored into GPA calculation. Grade data not guaranteed to be correct.