WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

Review of
Moral Controversies in American
Politics, 4th ed.
Edited by Raymond Tatalovich and Byron W. Daynes;
Foreword by Theodore J. Lowi
Review by Michael W. Popejoy
JPAE Book Review Editor
Over the years, there has been rightfully and deservedly an increased
interest in and attention to ethics in public practice, as well as the moral issues
of governing and how policy in the public sector will be designed to address
these complex (“wicked problem”) issues. The scholarly interest in the moral
controversies of politics and society have intensified, and so have the course
offerings in university programs in public administration, public policy, political
science, public management, and so forth. Publishers are more eager than ever
to vet books in this broad area of study and practice, and M. E. Sharpe is one of
the best publishers in the field. They select only the best books for academics to
choose from, and this book is one of the best in the collection.
The foreword by Theodore J. Lowi, “New Dimensions in Policy and
Politics,” could stand alone as a foundation for a course in public policy; as
could the introduction, “Moral Conflicts and the Policy Process,” by the two
editors, Tatalovich and Daynes. I suppose it is rare that a book warrants a close
examination by potential adopters for the classroom based solely on the quality
of the foreword and the introduction. However, the attending professor in
a course in public policy, morality and ethics, and the like can find much to
present to undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral students before the book even
gets to chapter one. Indeed, together the foreword and the introduction form
the theoretical foundation and scope of the book; they are followed by eight case
studies that may be critically examined by students in the classroom within the
theoretical concepts presented by Lowi, Tatalovich, and Daynes.
What do Lowi, Tatalovich, and Daynes have in common? They are interested
in expanding knowledge and models of “morality policy in America.” What
JPAE 18(1), 239–241
Journal of Public Affairs Education 239