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ETHICS IN PUBLIC SECTOR.
  Term Paper ID:24357 		Get This Paper Free! or
Essay Subject:
Compares local & federal levels, regulations, bureaucracy, history, movement to reinvent govt., personal accountability.... More...
6 Pages / 1350 Words
5 sources, 5 Citations, APA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Compares local & federal levels, regulations, bureaucracy, history, movement to reinvent govt., personal accountability.

Paper Introduction:
This research examines the validity of the statement: “there is more ethical accountability in local government than at the federal level.” This issue will be addressed first by describing the movement toward developing ethical codes for governmental officials, followed by an analysis of the “reinventing government” movement that has heightened the accountability of local governments. Talking about “ethical issues” is easier than defining “ethics” to everyone's satisfaction. As subjective judgments of competing values are involved, individual interpretations are characterized by continuing disagreement, ambiguity, and uncertainty. However within societies there tends to be acceptance that ethical issues are linked to a code of conduct. In the case of business associations and government bodies, this

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3-1 ). These different ethicalobligations, as compared with those of a private citizen, are often theonly useful distinctions between public and private administration. Inaddition, the connotation also includes the systems of guidance, training,and disclosure which implement these codes. The answer that each of us ultimately crafts for ourself mustsomehow distinguish between private and public worlds and must illuminatewhat we mean by the practice of management. Onetangible result of this process is the flattening of organizations andincreasing the span of control for supervision. To undo the damage done byPostmaster William T. Officeholders and public employees areless supervised as the free market approach to administration spreads.Consequently, it has become imperative that ethical codes be clearly andprecisely written and made widely available to all employees within thepublic sector. (1992). This research examines the validity of the statement: "there is moreethical accountability in local government than at the federal level." Thisissue will be addressed first by describing the movement toward developingethical codes for governmental officials, followed by an analysis of the"reinventing government" movement that has heightened the accountability oflocal governments. The search for municipal cowboys. Even with the advent of the civil service in the late 19th century,the "democratizing" makeup of government officials, selecting them from amultitude of social backgrounds, made these systems necessary. San Francisco:Jossey-Bass Publishers. 1). Localgovernments have proven far more accountable to public demands forcurtailing government spending and improving the efficiency of governmentagencies and administration. Although atfirst it might appear irrelevant, looking at the historical source of thisbureaucratic density provides a much better understanding of why ethicscodes are becoming so critical to governments (Terry, 1993, pp. & Gaebler, T. The philosophy espoused by David Osborne andTed Gaebler sent shock waves through bureaucratic and political circles.Their book was the first public administration text to become a best-seller, and their philosophy was given political legitimacy when it wasendorsed by candidate Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign(Gore, 1993, pp. Hereorganized the Post Office into an elaborate system of administrativechecks and balances among newly organized offices of accounts, appointment,contract and inspection, each watchful of the others. The practice of public management is radically dependenton ethical frameworks and cues (Cooper, 199 , pp. Talking about "ethical issues" is easier than defining "ethics" toeveryone's satisfaction. In thisera of reinvention public managers who ignore their ethical compass candestroy their careers, undermine programs or endanger the survival ofentire agencies. Reading:Addison-Wesley. (199 ). Reinventing government. Ethics codes at the federal,state and local governmental levels have become increasingly commonprimarily because of the "reinventing government" movement. (1994, December 8). Washington D.C.: U.S.Government Printing Office. References Cooper, T. As Jacksonsaid in his message to Congress, federal jobs must "admit of being made" sosimple that any intelligent person could do them. For Kendall,the code of conduct was the centerpiece of this program. This emerging generation of "reinventing"public sector entrepreneurs are attempting to manage governmentorganizations "like a business" with aggressive strategies to diversifyrevenues, privatize operations, tailor services to customer needs, andgenerally enhance government responsiveness and flexibility. (1993, August). However, the obligations of government officials are far moresophisticated today and neither Congress nor the president show any sign ofreducing the structural ethical burdens that they have imposed. NewYork Times, p. Laborwas to be divided, tasks narrowly defined, and jobs simplified. By the sheer "smallness" of local government,administrators have had a much easier time ferreting out duplicative andinefficient government agencies and dissolving unnecessary governmentservices. This "democratizing" ofadministration was an important innovation, but the rampant corruption thespoils system created made bureaucracy necessary. The responsible administrator. Why we should abandon the misconceivedquest to reconcile public entrepreneurship with democracy. Lower-level jobs wereredefined strictly to remove temptation: no longer would those who handedout mail contracts, for example, be the ones to oversee their fulfillment,an arrangement that had been an invitation to shady dealing. For purposes of this essay these will be referred to as structuralcodes. For example, the embezzlement of funds in the federal government canfrequently be buried in paperwork as the funds move from agency to agency.But in a streamlined, reinvented local government, the buck tends to stopwith the specific individual responsible for the unethical behavior. Though once relatively uncommon, public management today is almostalways subject to strict laws and regulations that dictate proper behavior.These codes are passed by federal, state, or local governments and impose aseries of obligations on their employees which are often called "ethicscodes" or "standards of conduct." Often these codes emphasize financialconflicts of interest and most include ethical standards governing thedynamics of human relationships. As subjective judgments of competing values areinvolved, individual interpretations are characterized by continuingdisagreement, ambiguity, and uncertainty. Although originally designed to streamline the federal government,reinventing has had its most dramatic impact on local governments. (1993). Carefully keptrecords of every official action were required of employees, and auditorswere hired to pore over them. Reinvention,reengineering, right-sizing are all terms that bring hope in some sectionsof the public administration community while producing fear in others. However within societies theretends to be acceptance that ethical issues are linked to a code of conduct.In the case of business associations and government bodies, this code maybe formalized in a written document, although the population at largefollows an informal code of ethical conduct. Amongtheir many recommendations are that management systems in government shouldbe less rule-driven and more mission-focused. The factor that is most significantly impacted by the size ofthe government is accountability. Essentially, they say thatgovernments can and should adapt business management principles to thepublic sector context in order to more effectively meet the needs ofcitizens, taxpayers, and future generations. Public officials, they argue,should be given more discretion and authority to develop strategies to earnmoney rather than simply spend money. Ironically, modern bureaucracy in the United States was createdbecause of the spoils system invented by President Andrew Jackson. Thesesystems go far beyond any notion of intuitive ethics. Perhaps the most corruptdepartment at the time was the Post Office. C1. Briefly, Osborne and Gaebler believe that government organizationsmust be liberated from the strangle-hold of regulations, bureaucraticprocedures, line-item budgets, and risk-averse organizational cultures ifthey are to be more entrepreneurial and customer-focused. Berry, Jackson imposed on his friend, and Navyauditor, William Kendall to take the postmaster's job. Wayne, L. The reinvention of local government has heightened the importance ofstrong codes of ethical conduct. With less government and less bureaucracy, individuals employed inlocal governments are more accountable for their own actions. Creating a government that works better and costsless: Report of the national performance review. A loose definition of a structural code would be a set of rules orlaws which purport to be obligations and that must be observed byofficeholders and public employees under specific jurisdictions. How do governments define what is ethics and ethical behavior inoffice? Gore, A. The authors of reinvention believe that one of the major burdens thatcan be reduced in government is the number of "guardians." As thesefunctions are stripped out of the fabric of government, the expectation isthat employees will become more creative and effective. PublicAdministration Review, 53, 389-398. This free-market, entrepreneurial paradigm of public management was givenintellectual credibility with the publication of Reinventing Government(Osborne and Gaebler, 1992). In addition, it is important that public administrators inlocal governments also provide training sessions for all public employeesso that the ethical rules are clearly understood (Wayne, 1994, p. The oversightmechanisms grew more intense and complex with every scandal, no matter howisolated. Generally, theseinitiatives aspire to strip out midlevel management and empower employees.What we forget is why there was a general tendency to "thicken" governmentin the first place--creating bureaucratic pigeonholes with limitedauthority and accompanying intense oversight over individuals. Not only are individuals within local governments moreaccountable for their actions, actions by individuals are also more easilyidentified by supervisors, other employees and/or the public at the locallevel. They arguepersuasively, and with many examples, that bureaucracy is the ultimateobstacle to improving government responsiveness and performance. Kendall was thefirst to see what had to be done to restrain official thievery. 59-62). As examples, theyidentify appearance of ethical violations as critically important as wellas a variety of nonintuitive (but significant) standards--such as post-employment restrictions. In localgovernment as opposed to the federal government, it is much harder for anofficer or employee to blame bureaucratic inertia for violations of thepublic trust. Perhaps this istrue for many people in more obvious areas; e.g., it is wrong to steal, totake bribes, etc. Undergirding any understandingof public management is an ethical foundation. Osborne, D. However, implied inthis process is the notion that employees' intuitive sense of ethicaljudgment will be enough to keep them out of difficulties. 393-395). The nuances of such structures require guidance onwhat minimally acceptable standards for public servants will be.Governmental codes of ethical conduct, however, are implemented withvarying degrees of success, depending significantly on the size of thegovernment. By the 197 s much of the federal system was made up of"guardians" who were responsible for ensuring the integrity of otherpeople's work. Terry, L.

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