Should public policy reflect the interests of the individual or of the state?

Question

Should public policy reflect the interests of the individual or of the state?

Answer 1

Neither, when you think about it.  What I mean is this:

Government exists to serve the interests of the citizens, not the other way around.  Our whole system of government in the US is based on that as a central principle.  That being so, public policy clearly should place the interests of the state at a lower priority compared to the interests of the citizens.

Now, it would be great if public policy could reflect the intrests of each individual.  The reality is that that isn't possible.  People have different interests--and sometimes different individals have entirely legitimate interests that come into conflict.  For example, a person who owns a piece of property may have very good reason to keep that land the way it is--using it for whatever purpose he has chosen.  But tha tland may sit directly in the way of a planned road which will provide significant economic benefits to thens of thousands of persons.  

Public policy should never put the interests of the state (which rally means whatever politicians happento be in power) ahead of the citizens. But public policy must, of necessity, try to balance the overall interests of the public and the interests of the individual--you can't say "the individual always comes first" because the question then becomes, "which individal?" In general, the idea is that we try to accomplish the greatest good for the most people, while limiting policy in that regard so that the "greater good" doesn't ignore inficidual rights.

We are seeing a god example of this right now.  For all I rant against the unethical behavior of the oil companies, they (tha tis, the individuals who are stockholders) do have a legitimate right to make a fair profit (my gripe is that the money they are making isn't being earned fairly).  Be that as it may, the individual stockholder's interest in earning money is, in and of itself, entirely legitimate. But, on the other hand, we all have  an interest in protecting the environment--and that interest is also entirely legitimate.  Our public policy in the future will have to balance those competing interests without disregarding either.

Answer 2

Public policies are about people.

State is too greedy to do it.

Answer 3

State

Answer 4

state

reason being, you have to consider vast majority, not a select few

Answer 5

the state??? lol, that my friend would be a totalitarianism, or a tyranny. public policy should ALWAYS have the people as it's best interest. that's the way the forefathers wanted it. people today have seemed to forget about that. the people are what matter, the gov't is solely there to assist the people, not the other way around. "a gov't of the people, by the people and for the people"

Answer 6

individual---WE THE PEOPLE

Answer 7

state..

Answer 8

Public policy is about people, but the state should be a reflection of the people.  They are elected officials.  

That is what the Founding Fathers were trying to do in writing the Constitution, to prevent the Federal Gov. from ruling over the State Gov. That is the idea behind States Rights.  By the people and for the people.

Answer 9

The interests of the individuals in the state.  Public means the people and policy means what the people want, a plan of action by a group.