Do Morality Policy Debates Involve Morality? A Framing Analysis of Medical Assistance in Dying and Cannabis Legalization in Canadian Public Policymaking

Abstract

Since its emergence in the 20th century, a variety of definitions and distinctions were made by scholars to define morality policy. This study examines these conceptions and offers a definition that more accurately reflects the multidimensional nature of policies. As a contribution to the literature, this study further investigates morality policy with an application to Canadian public policymaking. A discourse analysis of Canadian parliamentary debates on cannabis legalization and Medical Assistance in Dying revealed how morality policies are framed within the Canadian public policy environment. The findings show the framing strategies used by policy actors within these debates and the frequency of each frame used. We discovered that moral frames were used by policy actors ~20% of the time on these subjects, well below the frequency of non-moral frames used (i.e., instrumental and procedural frames). Furthermore, this study reveals a novel finding: when the judiciary influences the introduction of a morality policy issue onto the government agenda, non-supporting policy actors adjust their framing strategies within debates. Ultimately, the findings reveal the significance of framing in morality policy and identifies areas for future research within Canada and comparatively between Canada and the United States of America.