ECONOMICREASONINGANDTHEETHICSorPOLICY45healthprogram.Theyaredirectlyinvolvedindecisionsfortrafficlights,airportsafety,medicalresearch,fireandCoastGuardprotec-tion,andthesafetyofgovernmentemployees.Theyareimplicitlyinvolvedinregulationforoccupationalsafetyorsafewatersupplies,inbuildingcodesandspeedlaws,evenhelmetsformotorcyclistsbecausesomebodyhastopaythecosts.Itischaracteristicofpolicymakers,especiallyatthefederallevel,thattheyusuallythinkofthemselvesasmakingdecisionsthataffectothers,notthemselves.Hurricaneandtornadowarningsareforthoselivingwherehurricanesandtornadosstrike;minesafetyisaresponsibilityoflegislatorsandofficialsabovegroundconcerningthelivesofpeoplewhoworkunderground.Policiestowardthesenile,thecomatose,theparalyzedandtheterminallyillaredeliberatedbypeoplewhoarenoneoftheabove.Occasionallythelegislatorde-batinga55-milespeedlimitpausestothinkwhetherthebenefitsinsafetytohisownfamilywillbeworththeaddeddrivingtime,butifheorsheisconscientiouseventhatcalculationmaybesurrep-titious.Thesituationisdifferentwhenasmallcommunityconsidersamobilecardiacunitoranewfiretruck.Thequestionthenisnotwhatweoughttospendtosavesomeoneelse'slifebutwhatwecanaffordtomakeourlivessafer.
The first thing that popped into my head was the Standpoint Theory especially when I read the example about the 55-mile speed limit. Imagining a policy maker stopping to consider whether or not that decision will be beneficial or an inconvenience to them is crazy. The next paragraph explains that the situation would be different in a small community. Based on the example listed it seems as though the smaller community is more interested in how the group of them will benefit from something as opposed to how it affects "one of them." Very interesting.