Module 3 Active Recall

Which two Greek traditions are ethics grounded in? Describe them as well.

Teleological perspective, focuses on maximizing outcomes, consequences matter. Deontolological theory: motives and intentions are important factors in decision making.

What are the two main implications of ethics in public administration?

(1) Ethics are guidelines that describe how to resolve conflicts of interest to enhance societal well being and (2) are a body of principles/standards of conduct that govern behaviors of individuals and groups

Describe an ethical dilemma.

Ethical dilemma is a situation with options that have conflicting moral standards or where all options may be morally problematic; there is no 'best option'.

Give an example of an ethical dilemma.

Trolley problem. One person on one side, five on the other. Which way to divert? Most people divert to one, but there's questions that complicate the issue. Takeaway: there's no right or wrong answer.

What is Weberian bureaucracy?

Hierarchial structure, written rules/regulations, clear divisions of labor, defined authoriites and responsibilities.

What are benefits and critiques of Weberian bureaucracy?

Benefits are efficiency and predictability. Critiques are that unethical behaviors are enabled due to centralized power and unquestioning obedience at lower levels of bureaucracy.

What problems arise from sticking to all formal rules for bureaucracy and what are the implications of those problems?

Formal rules cannot predict every scenario, so bureaucrats must have power of discretion. The implication here is that administrative ethics are needed to guide discretionary decisions and prevent unethical behavior.

What are Strait’s three laws for public employees who balance competing demands? Which law is the most ethical action?

Loyalty to the organization, responsiveness to public needs, and employees' own objectives and desires. The law of prioritizing public interests is the most ethical.

What is the definition of corruption?

Betrayal of public trust for private interests.

How does corruption differ from legitimate political exchanges?

Legitimate exchanges serve broad public interests, while corruption violates trust.

Give an example of a legitimate political exchange.

A legislator votes for a tax cut because it benefits broad public interests.

Give an example of corruption.

Paying voters $200 to obtain votes.

Define bribery.

Giving, offering, or receiving something of value to influence public officials’ duties.

Why does bribery happen?

Greed and excessive desire; disrupts administration and harms the public.

What is whistleblowing?

Exposing organizational wrongdoing to the public or authorities when public interest outweighs personal/organizational interests.

What are positive effects of whistleblowing?

Promotes ethical culture, transparency, and protection of the public.

What are potential drawbacks of whistleblowing?

Retaliation fears, conflicts of interest, harm to chain of command, morale/trust issues.

How do legal systems protect whistleblowers?

Through landmark cases such as Pentagon Papers (Ellsberg) and Fitzgerald (reinstated and compensated).

What is the typical structure of ethics commissions?

Bipartisan commissions appointed by governors/legislators.

What is their jurisdiction?

Varies by state, but covers legislative/executive branches, candidates, officials, lobbyists, and vendors.

What roles do ethics commissions play?

Support ethics codes, monitor conflicts, adjudicate cases, impose penalties, provide training.

How does Cooper define ethics?

A system of moral principles and rules of conduct recognized for a group or culture.

What are the five normative foundations in administrative ethics?

Regime values, Citizenship, Social equity, Virtue, Public interest.

What are regime values?

Constitutional values (freedom, equality, property rights, individualism).

What does “citizenship” mean for public administrators?

Acting as representatives of citizens, being responsive, encouraging participation.

What is social equity in public administration?

Addressing equity in policymaking and implementation; rooted in justice theory and NPA.

How does virtue apply to public administrators?

Guiding decisions based on individual moral character.

What does Cooper say about global fit of ethics?

Some values (honesty, self-determination) are universal, promoted by treaties.

What do the Milgram and Zimbardo experiments show?

Authority/structure can push people toward unethical actions.

What is the implication for public administration?

Organizational design should consider how structures influence ethics.

What is equality?

Uniform treatment of individuals regardless of circumstances.

What is equity?

Fairness through addressing different needs (e.g., targeted benefits for vulnerable groups).

What is Fredriksen’s core idea about virtue?

Virtue should be understood within public life, not just individual morality.

What is “vulgar ethics”?

Everyday ethics guiding the common good and public service.

How does Fredriksen define public life?

Broadly: NGOs, public enterprises, contractors, and actors across a publicness spectrum.

What were the traditional ethics canons in PA?

Merit systems, standardization, ethics rules, professional codes.

What were limitations of traditional ethics canons?

Slower service, rigidity, narrow focus on resources misuse vs. broader issues.

How does Fredriksen differ from Cooper?

Cooper: individual moral compass; Fredriksen: collective virtue in public life.

What erodes public trust in governance?

Corruption and bribery.

Why is whistleblowing important?

Protects the public, promotes transparency, checks wrongdoing.

What must ethical governance promote?

Accountability, transparency, equitable treatment, ethical cultures.

How should public administrators approach ethical dilemmas?

By balancing outcomes, motives, and integrity, always considering the public good.

What core shift in service delivery frames Getha-Taylor’s article?

Public service relies on cross-sector networks (public, private, nonprofit) to deliver services and define the common good.

What do the authors urge scholars/practitioners to examine?

How cross-boundary service provision aligns with foundational public service values and obligations.

What three pillars frame the discussion?

Ethics, networks, and values.

What does Paul Light’s “can’t do government” diagnosis highlight?

Complex problems + shrinking resources → perceived incapacity and execution failures.

Name five troubling signs in public service performance.

Low morale, ethical misconduct, high turnover, weak leadership, erosion of public trust.

Why revisit the “common good” today?

Results/cost focus and cross-boundary work blur what counts as the common good.

What are leaders urged to do when tackling shared problems?

Identify what must be done, not just what should be done.

Name three trends that pressure public service values.

Contractor growth, tight reward systems, increased cross-sector collaboration with divergent priorities.

What workforce shift raises capacity concerns?

Nearly half the federal workforce projected to retire in the next decade.

How did the contractor workforce change around 1999–~2009?

Grew from ~2.2 million to ~7.6 million; competition decreased.

Why does contractor growth raise accountability issues?

Harder to reward performance or hold contractors accountable; zone of discretion expands.

What did Menzel (2007) warn about?

Under-examined ethical implications of entrepreneurialization/privatization in the public sector.

What did ERC (2007) find about misconduct risk?

High risk across levels; 25% report misconduct-conducive workplaces.

Top ERC-identified violations?

Self-interest over org interest, lying, abusive behavior, safety violations, internet abuse.

What share witnessed but didn’t report misconduct?

29%, often due to fear of retaliation.

How many used hotlines?

Only about 1%.

What is “bureaupathological behavior”?

Unhealthy cultures lacking integrity/moral compass.

How are civil servants often perceived (Goodsell)?

Lazy/snarly; bureaucracy seen as overstaffed, rigid, unresponsive, dangerous.

What did Volcker emphasize?

Restoring/maintaining public trust is crucial despite reform challenges.

What does Waldo’s Map of Obligations list?

Duties to Constitution, law, nation, democracy, organization, profession, family, collectives, public interest, humanity, religion/God.

Why does sector matter for Waldo’s map?

Prioritization of obligations varies across public, nonprofit, and private actors.

What reintegration does Gawthrop call for?

Reuniting “good management” with democratic ethical values.

What is the central question moving forward?

What is the common good in a contracting, cross-sector environment?

What organizational step reduces misconduct?

Codes/programs that make ethics a top priority (ERC shows link to lower misconduct).

What is the manager’s role in cross-boundary work (Vigoda-Gadot)?

Teacher/gatekeeper: model integrity and enforce standards with partners.

What should PA curricula add?

Democratic/administrative obligations, ethics, and value congruence alongside management.

What practical strategies are recommended?

Implement ethics codes, foster ethical leadership, integrate ethics in education, enhance transparency/accountability, protect reporters.

What overarching aim (DiIulio/Garvey/Kettl)?

Improve performance without sacrificing democratic ethical foundations.

What final prescription does the article make?

Reassert democratic values and ethical consciousness across sectors to resist drift toward expediency/self-interest.

What does Frederickson survey?

Five conceptions of “the public” and a general theory for PA.

List the five perspectives.

Public as interest groups, consumer, represented, client, citizen.

Pluralism: what is “the public”?

Competing/organizing interest groups in government arenas.

One benefit of pluralism for PA?

Maps groups’ power, strategies, and agency linkages (e.g., iron triangles).

Core critique of pluralism?

Underrepresents deprived groups; net result may not equal public interest.

Public choice: what is “the public”?

Individuals as consumers making rational, self-interested choices.

Public choice implication for bureaucracy?

Officials/bureaus may pursue income, prestige, power (self-interest).

A key critique of public choice?

Can erode trust by normalizing self-interest; risks elitist outcomes.

Representational view: where does “the public” reside?

In elected bodies; admins implement laws and reflect legislative directions.

Limitation of the representational view?

Elections may not ensure ongoing engagement or minority inclusion; bureaucracy may be more representative.

Client perspective: who are “the public”?

Service recipients (students, patients, taxpayers) at street level.

Street-level paradox (Lipsky)?

Human care delivered through resource-constrained, rule-bound systems.

Practical weakness of client view?

Often politically weak; mediated by other perspectives and unions.

Citizenship perspective: core claim?

Active, informed citizen participation is essential in governance.

Barber’s “strong democracy” calls for what?

Institutions enabling engaged, direct citizen self-government.

Strength of citizenship view?

Aligns with common good; fosters virtuous, engaged public.

Weakness/constraint of citizenship view?

Complexity, expertise needs, leadership/participation hurdles.

What four requisites does Frederickson propose for a general theory?

Constitution; Virtuous Citizen; Responsiveness to collective/noncollective publics; Benevolence/love.

Constitutional requisite implies what for admins?

Fidelity to popular sovereignty, BoR, due process, separation of powers.

Virtuous citizen entails what (Hart)?

Knowledge of founding docs; belief in regime values; personal moral responsibility; civility/forbearance.

Responsiveness means what in practice?

Hearing organized publics and the inchoate public; protecting minorities.

Benevolence implies what attitude?

Service, respect for regime values, pursuit of citizens’ welfare.

How do requisites integrate with pluralism & public choice?

They constrain self-interest within constitutional bounds and civic virtue.

What perspective best aligns with all four requisites?

The citizen perspective (most comprehensive).

Big takeaway on single-lens theories?

None suffice alone; each illuminates facets but leaves gaps.

What is the ultimate aim for PA?

Effective government that advances particular and general interests, grounded in democratic values and the common good.

What enduring tension does Stewart examine?

Professionalism vs. democratic accountability (Friedrich–Finer debate).

Stewart’s central claim about administrative judgment?

Ultimately personal and moral, even with external/professional influences.

Friedrich’s view of responsibility?

Broader than rule-following; policy and execution are inseparable; peer/professional oversight matters.