The Goal of Public Policy – The Law of God and Public Policy

The Goal of Public Policy
The Law of God and Public Policy

All public policy must aim at justice.

“You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land the LORD your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 16:19, 20

What is the goal of public policy? That is, what should they who have been entrusted with making public policy seek as its proper outcome?

Our text precludes mere “special interest” with its warning against partiality and bribes. Public policies are not to be made because they favor one group over another to the advantage or aggrandizement of policy-makers. Any public policy that is tainted by partiality, favoritism, or catering to special interests does not conform to the requirements of God’s Law and cannot expect the blessings of God.

The goal of public policy is justice, not the satisfaction of various interest groups.

It’s difficult to see how policy-makers in American government can keep from bending policies to special interests when (a) lobbyists take up so much time and demand so much of the attention of policy-makers, and (b) corporations and other moneyed interests play a significant role in political campaign funding. These two institutions—the lobby and political campaign contributions—invite policy-making according to interests, if not bribes. Partiality, it is clear, is the order of the day in American politics.

Can we achieve justice nonetheless? Yes, if we are willing to guard the policy-making process. Since justice is a function of the decisions of men, the best solution to overcoming the sinfulness and partiality inherent in the American public-policy system is to elect people to office who understand and embody the principles and practices of justice, and who can show a credible record of justice in all aspects of their lives.

At the same time, we must work for reforms in campaign financing and the business of lobbyists. This can help to ensure that policy-makers are swayed neither by the interests of their supporters or their own interests, but by the requirements of justice first and always.

Any practices that transgress the boundaries of justice and can be demonstrated to be motivated primarily by self- or special-interest should be regarded as perversions. They should be challenged in courts and corrected according to the terms and demands of justice—which may include the exercise of justice against those who have perverted the public-policy process.

But this assumes that the public has a taste for true justice and disdains all special-interest politics. It’s clear we have a long way to go in this area as well.

Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T. M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.