EBOOK Governing Animals:Animal Welfare and the Liberal State

What is the role of government in protecting animal welfare? What principles        should policy makers draw on as they try to balance animal welfare against human        liberty?Much has been written in recent years on our moral duties towards animals,        but scholars and activists alike have neglected the important question of how far        the state may go to enforce those duties. Kimberly K. Smith fills that gap by        exploring how liberal political principles apply to animal welfare policy. Focusing        on animal welfare in the United States, Governing Animals begins with an account of        the historical relationship between animals and the development of the American        liberal welfare state. It then turns to the central theoretical argument: Some        animals (most prominently pets and livestock) may be considered members of the        liberal social contract. That conclusion justifies limited state intervention to        defend their welfare - even when such intervention may harm human citizens. Taking        the analysis further, the study examines whether citizens may enjoy property rights        in animals, what those rights entail, how animals may be represented in our        political and legal institutions, and what strategies for reform are most compatible        with liberal principles. The book takes up several policy issues along the way, from        public funding of animal rescue operations to the ethics of livestock production,        animal sacrifice, and animal fighting.Beyond even these specific policy questions,        this book asks what sort of liberalism is suitable for the challenges of the        twenty-first century. Smith argues that investigating the political morality of our        treatment of animals gives us insight into how to design practices and institutions        that protect the most vulnerable members of our society, thus making of our shared        world a more fitting home for both humans and the nonhumans to which we are so        deeply connected.