When Congress in 1978 created the President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research, the federal government claimed unprecedented power over ethical issues in medical practice. The commission's term has recently expired, and proposals for a successor body are being considered. The question is whether the government should be making pronouncements on medical ethics and if so, how. This article argues for a government role of limited scope and evaluates the mechanism Congress chose, the independent advisory commission, against others recently proposed. We conclude that the alternatives will not fulfill a proper government role and that the temporary independent advisory commission is the most appropriate model.
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