Ethics in Politics : The Rights and Obligations of Individual Political Agents

Within the field of political philosophy, the role of states, governments, and institutions has dominated research. This has led to a dearth of literature that examines what individuals--e.g., voters, lobbyists, and politicians--ought (or ought not) to do. Ethics in Politics: The Rights and Obligations of Individual Political Agents meets this need, providing a timely discussion of normative questions concerning political agents and the systems in which they act. The book contains eighteen original chapters by leading scholars which cover a range of topics including irrational voting, bribery, partisanship, and political lying. Ethics in Politics is a unique and accessible resource for students, researchers, and all interested readers, and sheds light on important but underexplored issues in ethics and political philosophy.-- Provided by Publisher Political Ethics, A Subfield Of Applied (or Practical) Ethics, Is Concerned With Normative Questions About Voters, Politicians, Lobbyists, And Other Individual Political Agents. Compared With Other Fields In Applied Ethics (such As Biomedical Ethics And Business Ethics) Political Ethics Has Not Developed Into An Area Of Intense Interest In Academic Philosophy. Debates Over The Main Questions In Political Ethics Occur In Mainstream News, On Social Media, In Living Rooms And Neighborhood Bars, Etc., But For The Most Part Have Not Bled Over Into The Pages Of Philosophy Journals And Books. This Volume Aims To (begin To) Fill This Gap In The Philosophical Literature. It Contains Eighteen Original Papers By A Diverse Range Of Leading Scholars On Central Questions In Political Ethics. Murderers At The Ballot Box: When Politicians May Lie To Bad Voters / Jason Brennan -- The Greatest Liar Has His Believers: The Social Epistemology Of Political Lying / Kay Mathiesen And Don Fallis -- Nonideal Politicians Or Nonideal Circumstances?: Rethinking Dirty Hands / Jaime Ahlberg -- In Defense Of Partisanship / Neil Sinhababu -- A Defense Of Senate Obstructionism / Shane Courtland -- Conviction And Open-mindedness: A Lesson On Political Revision From Adam Smith / Jon Rick -- Voter Ignorance And Deliberative Democracy / Chad Flanders -- Must We Vote For The Common Good? / Annabelle Lever -- Gender And The Ethics Of Political Representation / Julinna Oxley -- A Demarcation Problem For Political Discourse / David Killoren, Jonathan Lang, And Bekka Williams -- Public Reason And Its Limits: The Role Of Truth In Politics / J.b. Delston -- Why Bad Votes Can Nonetheless Be Cast And Why Bad Voters May Cast Them / Patrick Taylor Smith -- The Rationality Of Voting And Duties Of Elected Officials / Marcus Arvan -- A Defense Of The Right Not To Vote / Ben Saunders -- Expanding On The Wrongness Of Bribery: The Morality Of Casting A Vote / Eric Roark -- Devil's Advocates: On The Ethics Of Unjust Legal Advocacy / Michael Huemer -- Prosecutors, Guilty Pleas, And The Consequences Of A Conviction / Zachary Hoskins -- Are Lobbyists Lawyers? / Suzanne Dovi And Jesse Mccain. Edited By Emily M. Crookston, David Killoren, And Jonathan Trerise. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 339-360) And Index. Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- PART I Lying in Politics -- 1 Murderers at the Ballot Box: When Politicians May Lie to Bad Voters -- 2 The Greatest Liar Has His Believers: The Social Epistemology of Political Lying -- PART II Nonideal Politicking -- 3 Nonideal Politicians or Nonideal Circumstances? Rethinking Dirty Hands -- 4 In Defense of Partisanship -- 5 A Defense of Senate Obstructionism -- 6 Conviction and Open-Mindedness: A Lesson on Political Revision from Adam Smith -- 7 Voter Ignorance and Deliberative Democracy -- PART III The Ethics of Voter Reasoning -- 8 Must We Vote for the Common Good? -- 9 Gender and the Ethics of Political Representation -- 10 A Demarcation Problem for Political Discourse -- 11 Public Reason and Its Limits: The Role of Truth in Politics -- PART IV Why Vote? -- 12 Why Bad Votes Can Nonetheless Be Cast and Why Bad Voters May Cast Them -- 13 The Rationality of Voting and Duties of Elected Officials -- 14 A Defence of the Right Not to Vote -- 15 Expanding on the Wrongness of Bribery: The Morality of Casting a Vote -- PART V Arguing on Others' Behalf -- 16 Devil's Advocates: On the Ethics of Unjust Legal Advocacy -- 17 Prosecutors, Guilty Pleas, and the Consequences of a Conviction -- 18 Are Lobbyists Lawyers? -- Bibliography -- Index