Ethics and Politics in Organizational Behavior

Ethics in Public Administration

One of the most famous cases of ethics violations in public administration is the case of Watergate, involving the Nixon administration. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) provides rules by which public administrators are meant to exercise their office. Nixon violated numerous CFR rules. Additionally, he violated Biblical ethics, particularly that which is written in Romans 13: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” Nixon not only showed disregard for the laws of the land, and the CFR, but also for the Scripture that teaches how people should respect authority. Nixon was President and believed that as President he was above the law—but no public administrator is above the law, for the law is there to protect, and authority comes from God. An administrator is meant to serve others—not himself. Yet Nixon, in attempting to cover up the Watergate scandal, sought to serve himself, and in the end he lost the trust of the public.

Nixon’s involvement in Watergate has been the subject of much debate. While there is evidence that Nixon knew about the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, there is no direct proof that he ordered it. However, there are a number of indirect factors that suggest Nixon’s guilt. For one, Nixon was acquainted with several of the men involved in the burglary, including G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt. Additionally, Nixon had a history of illegal activity, including bugging his political opponents and using government resources for his own benefit. Furthermore, Nixon was known to be paranoid and resentful of those who opposed him, which could explain why he would want to sabotage his opponents. Ultimately, while there is no definitive proof of Nixon’s involvement in Watergate, the circumstantial evidence suggests that he was likely guilty and at the very least tried to cover up the scandal to protect his own administration (Morgan, 1996; Prasch, 2015).

When considering President Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal from a Biblical model of statesmanship point of view, it is important to first consider the definition of a leader. A leader, as described in the Bible, is one who rules with justice and righteousness (Proverbs 16:12). A leader is also someone who protects the innocent and vulnerable, and who acts with integrity (Psalm 72:4). In light of these definitions, it is clear that Nixon’s actions during the Watergate scandal were not in line with Biblical model of leadership. Instead of ruling with justice and righteousness, Nixon sought to cover up his own wrongdoing. Instead of protecting the innocent and vulnerable, he used his power to try to silence those who could expose him. And instead of acting with integrity, he lied and deceived the American people. As a result, it is clear that Nixon’s leadership during the Watergate scandal was not in line with what the Bible teaches about statesmanship.