Public Administration Ethics in Public

Public Administration

Ethics in Public Administration and Government

Unethical behavior and individual and organizational dishonesty exist in all societies, no matter what the political or economic system happens to be. Yet, if the public organizations accountable for controlling corruption are themselves unethical and corrupt, citizens will have little faith in the government, the ties of trust that connect a society together will be damaged, and the potential progress and well-being of a nation's people will be jeopardized. One of the most significant roles of a public administrator is to help guard citizens from the negative effects of corruption and unethical behavior in the marketplace, the workplace, and the society. In order to be trusted in this role, the honesty and fairness of public administrators themselves must be beyond reproach. Incompetent, unethical, unfair, or arbitrary public administration undercuts the people's trust and diminishes the economic and social vitality and morale of the society.

The sudden increase of new information and communication technologies is also contributing to a rapid, global diffusion of ideas and practices that enables the public to insist on higher standards of ethics, transparency and accountability in the public sector. These conditional values of good governance and sustainable development not only support responsive public policy and high levels of public sector performance but also play a vital role in foiling the start of systemic corruption. There is now global recognition that corruption obstructs economic development, weakens stability and corrodes trust in public organizations. The destructive effects of corruption like the lack or poor quality of necessary public infrastructure and services are borne by those the least able to do so (Ethics, Transparency and Accountability, 2010).

The 1980's were a time characterized by privatization, materialism and self righteousness. These things brought about a lot of fraud on Wall Street, embezzlement at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, scandals among the clergy, influence advocating at the U.S. Justice Department, profiteering among defense contractors, tasteless presidential campaign tactics, and resignations in Congress and contempt for the Constitution inside the White House. Deceit and insincerity in major social organizations wears away the American spirit and the longing to add to the commonwealth by way of commitment, compassion and conscience. Government plays a considerable role in creating feelings of shared obligation and respect in society. People must have confidence that it will defend the public interest, since representative democracy rests on officials and the trust they provoke (Bowman, 1990).