Public Policy

Emely Melendrez

Mr. Jung

AP Language Arts per.6

19 December 2016

Public Policy

The development of public policy has been seen in government throughout history as demonstrated in the readings of A Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift, The Morals of a Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli, and Letter from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr. Each article describes the effectiveness of the public policy as it is indeed helping the growth of the government and the economy in its different forms. The downside of these public policies is the lack of information or the cruelty of the deeds being done which can cause a nation to rise or fall.

In A Modest Proposal, the narrator takes on the role of corrupt politician in order to give us a bird's-eye view of hardhearted British public policy. The public policy was to take the children from the streets that are begging and make use of them by fattening them up and then using them as food for the wealthy citizens. This is seen as a bizarre and extreme measure to use as a public policy although the author described the several methods that could improve the living situations such as when he stated, “ I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance.”(Swift pg.861) The benefits are clearly stated as reducing the population numbers and increasing the food sources, but this is cruelty.

The Morals of a Prince, is in essence a handbook outlining the characteristics of an effective ruler. In the first chapter, “On Why Men Are Praised or Blamed - Especially Princes”, Machiavelli insists that a prince be good, only when it is useful to his state while avoiding the vices that would cost him his state. In the following chapter, “On Liberality and Stinginess”, Machiavelli argues that the true virtue does not exist in a ruler - any virtue shown is a means to bolster a ruler’s reputation. When trying to attain power, it is important to be generous; however this generosity must end once power has been obtained. The chapter, “On Cruelty and Clemency: Whether It Is Better To Be Loved or Feared”, asserts that it is generally better to be merciful, but this mercy must be moderate and cruelty is acceptable when the fate of the state is on the line. The final chapter,”The