Ethics 90-97

Martin Luther King Jr. argued that it is acceptable to use immoral means to attain moral ends.

ASPA's ethics code requires members to exercise discretionary authority to promote their personal interests.

According to Aaron Wildavsky, the first question for public administrators is about accomplishing objectives, and the second is about deciding which objectives are right to pursue.

Managers often prioritize what is best according to some objective standard rather than doing what they can.

Contemporary thinking about decision making views the connection between ends and means as a separate process from routine decision-making.

According to Charles Lindblom, goals and methods are distinct and not interconnected.

Low ranking officials may feel weak and insecure due to their significant role in the organization.

Subordinates at the operational level can act reasonably well without the support of officials at higher levels.

Discretion and expertise primarily operate at the operational level in policy analysis.

Legal, budget, and personnel decisions do not have an impact on what goes out the door in public service.

Street-level bureaucrats include building inspectors, lifeguards, and park rangers among others.

Operational level employees rarely make daily decisions in public service according to the text.

According to George Graham, the administrator's role involves three sets of standards: compromise, advocacy, and implementation.

The administrator's role does not require them to testify falsely on facts or personal judgment.

An administrator should advocate based on personal values rather than the issue's importance and their own competence.

George Graham considers compromise as a necessity in organized representative government.

Participation, compromise, and implementation are the three categories into which Graham divides 'the hard questions'.

According to George Graham, administrators should not inform participants of significant information relevant to their role.

Guidance is preferred as key to the fusion route because it bridges compliance and wisdom.

The action guides in this chapter are geared to confuse public service obligations and responsibilities.

The ethical guidelines in this chapter have been developed over a few decades of professional public administration in the American democratic context.

The practical ramifications of the ethical guidelines in this chapter are never explored or refined.

The case that immediately follows the chapter does not depict the principles discussed in the chapter at work.

Compromising ethical judgment by signing off on a shoddy job irresponsibly hands ethical judgment over to others.

Signing and covertly filing a dissenting memorandum is considered a responsible and effective way to protect oneself.

Cooperating solely because one must support their child reflects an ethical stance according to the text.

Parental obligation automatically cancels all other obligations according to the text.

Blaming others by pointing to common practices as an excuse is considered a valid argument for ethical reasoning.

Hypocrisy is often justified and considered a tribute to virtue.

Wilma Petro, a Purchasing Department Head, suggests that reasoning and response may vary based on how high in the organization a public servant is.