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ETHICS IN GOVT.
Term Paper ID:24730
Essay Subject:
Examines theory & practice in Nixon, Reagan, Bush & Clinton administrations, abuses of power, political & sexual scandals, role of media.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Examines theory & practice in Nixon, Reagan, Bush & Clinton administrations, abuses of power, political & sexual scandals, role of media.
Paper Introduction:
The purpose of this research is to examine the issues concerning ethics in government. The plan of the research will be to set forth the context in which the subject of government-related ethics issues have achieved importance, and then to discuss the variety of views, some of them controversial, surrounding such subsidiary topics as a hierarchy of ethical priorities as against the priorities of governance.
There appears to be an inherent tension between the idea of democracy and that of ethics in governmental principles and priorities in the modern period. Boundaries between democratic values, ethics, and power to influence government seem blurred. De Tocqueville famously remarked about 1830s America that successful foreign relations demands scarcely any qualities democracy is noted for but almost all it is deficient in (De Tocqueville
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Marcus sums up the scope of a $26-million inquiry, which began as an examination of a 1978 Arkansas land deal and has since metastasized to encompass the firing of White House travel office employees, the gathering of FBI files on Republican White House aides, the possible perjury of President Clinton's former White House counsel and the mysterious reappearance in the White House of Rose Law Firm billing records two years after they were subpoenaed (Marcus A1).Published reports (e.g., Headden, Bowermaster, and Ferguson 24-6) citedcharges that the Rose Law Firm, where first lady Hillary Clinton practicedlaw in the 198 s, had shredded documents relating to the Whitewaterinquiry, which entailed assertions of political favoritism, insiderinvestment, and illegal campaign contributions. . Present procedures should be changed to permit intensification of coverage of individuals and groups in the United States who pose a major threat to internal security. Whitehead's remark (21), thoughreferring to a slightly different political context, is apt: "It may bebetter that the heavens should fall, but it is folly to ignore the factthat they will fall." Works CitedBalz, Dan. . . "In Week Two, Velocity of Allegations Slows And a Clinton Survival Strategy Emerges." The Washington Post 1 February 1998: A1.Barnes, James A. "Putting Vets in the Shredder." Nation 245 (14 Nov. A linchpin allegation was a sweetheart book deal Gingrich saidhad unethically enriched Wright. Black-letterlegality aside, the fact that such deliberate government initiatives roseto the level of national policy debate seems ethically problematic, ifsearch-warrant-related protections guaranteed by (for example) the FourthAmendment and Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination aretaken to have ethical provenance. . A previous primary campaign had been marked by his success atlicking whipped cream off the chests of two women (Grove E1). That campaign, which began in the late 198 s,deflected then-current democratic exploitation of the GOP sleaze factor(Borger 2 ). 1987): 554- 7.Pizzo, Stephen. . What is decisively onpublic record is extensive, fractious, and detailed mass-media discourseabout the allegations (Roberts B1, et passim; Balz A1). . Mail Coverage. Lewis cites "what Bert Lance has not done [compared to Watergateplayers]. By the time thatoccurred, Nixon's vice president, Spiro Agnew, had already resigned inconsequence of a whole range of charges regarding ethical violations,including bribery. "The Newt Gingrich Book Deal Controversy: Self-Defense Rhetoric." Southern Communication Journal 62 (Spring 1997): 197-216.Kissinger, Henry. . Yet the preoccupation also seemsto have displaced meaningful discourse of the content of politicalintegrity. . De Tocqueville famously remarked about183 s America that successful foreign relations demands scarcely anyqualities democracy is noted for but almost all it is deficient in (DeTocqueville 42). of the communications of U.S. Henry Kissinger, Nixon's secretary of state, justifies American covertoperations against Chilean president Salvador Allende in 1973 based on aview of the immorally radical (duly elected) Chilean ideology andgovernment structure (658-9). Nixon's administration wasthe period of the so-called "Enemies List," comprising the names of some2 persons, many engaged in opposition political activity, the White Houseconsidered appropriate surveillance targets (Bishop 247). "Judging Mr. Lance." Editorial. C. In the years following Nixon's resignation, ethics in government atthe federal level has remained problematic, although scandals by and largehave not risen (sunk) to the Watergate level. Sexual morality seems to haveas it were given legs to questions of financial and political morality thatmight otherwise already been disposed of. . However, the advantages to be derived from its use outweigh the risks. Both women are liars." Many others, particularly among the boomers and Generation X, bury their doubts about Clinton beneath their deep distaste for self- appointed moral monitors. Acknowledging that Packwood's ouster wasappropriate, one commentator deplored the very existence of congressionalethics committees, favoring instead electoral, referendum, or judicialprosecution of corrupt or otherwise undesirable public officials (Grann 11-12). . In 1995, Sen. News & World Report 28 Feb. Equally, it is difficult to see how this state of affairs can beviewed as either intended consequence or appropriate avenue of vigorousethical concern in affairs of state. Ethics-in-government issues are not confined to White House politics.Bruck cites House Speaker Newt Gingrich's "consuming struggle to achievehis goal" (5 ) of Congressional leadership: "For someone who has risen topower in large part by launching prosecutorial attacks on others' ethics,Gingrich has been remarkably willing to exploit those gray areas that callinto question his own ethics" (Bruck 67). Jones and Lewinsky also became attached to the Whitewater inquiryowing to the investigative diligence of one Linda Tripp (erstwhile WhiteHouse secretary and Pentagon-secretary and tape-recorder-bearing colleague-confidante of Lewinsky), who appears to have offered her data-gatheringexpertise to Kenneth Starr, independent counsel heading the Whitewaterinvestigation, and to the legal team representing Jones in the civil matter(Balz A1). Citing highly publicized accusations of ethics violations in theReagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations, Barnes says (746) that a "strongscent of scandal is not necessarily fatal in national politics." Ethicsissues in the Clinton administration, however, appear to have become suigeneris. There appears to be an inherent tension between the idea of democracyand that of ethics in governmental principles and priorities in the modernperiod. "The Firm Under Fire." U.S. Roberts says that political sex stories sell; somebelieve public-official infidelity is strictly personal, while others seemoral/ethical implication for cultural behavior standards and public trust(B1). 1995): 11-12Grove, Lloyd. By February 1993, OGE had tied allexecutive-branch agencies to a uniform ethics standard: "Administrationofficials are restricted from accepting any gift from a prohibited source[lobbyists, journalists, news organizations] who is offering anythingsolely on the basis of an employee's official position" (Roberts C1). government to compensate thesubjects and/or families, based chiefly on the medical-ethics conception ofinformed consent. 1993): 17-28.Kennedy, Kimberly A., and Benoit, William L. Tocqueville's America: The Great Quotations. It is difficult to see, for example, a moral/ethical equivalencein revelations about the Huston plan and revelations about Lewinsky andsundry. "The Politics of Perception." The New Yorker, 9 October 1995, 5 -77.Grann, David. In late 1993, federal officials disclosed thatresearchers in the 194 s and 195 s exposed some 8 subjects, includingterminally ill patients, prison inmates, and retarded children, toradiation in medical tests (Neibuhr A6). "Clinton's Public Enemy Even Before Monica Lewinsky, Bob Barr Had Impeachment on His Mind." The Washington Post 1 February 1998: E1.Headden, Susan, Bowermaster, David, and Ferguson, Greg. "Sink or Swim." National Journal 26 Mar. Kennedy and Benoit (2 ff) cite conflict-of-interest issues arising from a much-publicized (later canceled)multimillion-dollar book deal between Gingrich and publisher RupertMurdoch, who at the time of the deal had business pending before theFederal Communications Commission and involving an executive job obtainedby Gingrich's wife at the publishing house. In the modern period, the same appears to hold true of thesuccessful conduct of government policy more generally. Roberts also quotes press spokesman forformer first lady Rosalynn Carter and wife of presidential candidateMichael Dukakis: "You walk down a slippery slope when you equate privatemorality with public leadership." One could add that, in the so-calledWhitewater matter, private morality has been conflated with public trust,with the result that sexual behavior has become, perhaps permanently, thechief or only index of ethics and morality. . [w]ith heavy sarcasm" Rupert Murdoch's$4-million "Christmas gift." Defenses of President Clinton's integrity,meanwhile, have been formulated as morality-based counterattacks: For the moment at least, hard-core Democrats accept Hillary Clinton's contention that this is a "right-wing conspiracy." A woman from Tennessee writes, "I believe from the beginning Paula Jones and Gennifer Flowers were bought and paid for by the Republican Party and the Religious Right. In 1995, Gingrich engaged in a nationalbook tour for To Renew America despite criticism from the House ofRepresentatives ethics committee. . A coterie of Reagan's aides, advisors, and partisans fostered whatcame to be known as the Iran-Contra scandal, secretly and illegally sellingarms to the declared "outlaw" state Iran, in turn secretly and illegallydiverting proceeds to rebels in Nicaragua. Gingrich found nationalprominence by leading attacks on House Speaker Jim Wright and successfullyforcing him from office. Use of this technique is clearly illegal: it amounts to burglary. . . . Athens, Ohio: Ohio UP, 1983.Whitehead, Alfred North. . Exploitation of opponents' ethical problems appears as a persistentfeature of government-ethics discourse. citizens using international facilities. "Charles Colson--Superspy." Big Brother and the Holding Company: The World Behind Watergate. Steve Weissman. Unethical activity as an instrument of public policy in the NixonWhite House was well documented. Bob Packwood was forced from the Senate on thestrength of congressional ethics committee findings regarding patterns ofsexual harassment while in office. During the Reagan administration (198 -88) the phrase "sleaze factor"entered American political discourse, owing to indictments orinvestigations of advisors and members of Reagan's cabinet for questionableloans and sweetheart deals on government contracts (Barnes 746; Martz 18-19). . "Dirty Justice." Mother Jones 18 (March-April 1993): 18-19.Priest, Dana. [I]t is also the most fruitful tool and can produce the type of intelligence which cannot be obtained in any other fashion (Weissman 321-2).The top-secret memorandum was approved, then rescinded by Nixon in 197 (Weissman 327; 51-2). "Washington pretends to be shocked each andevery time," writes Roberts (B1) of revelations of sexual misbehavior onthe part of public officials. Adventures of Ideas. At the forefront of impeachmentefforts against Clinton for abuses of power across several scandals is Rep.Bob Barr, who in 1995 "championed" the Defense of Marriage Act havingsurvived embarrassment over litigation with two ex-wives during the 1994election. . Writing in 1987, Perry (556-7) cites accusations that the VeteransAdministration during Reagan's presidency shredded documents of mishandledclaims relating to radiation exposure of American military veterans duringCold War-era nuclear tests. . Surreptitious Entry. D. It is not too much to suggest that ethics discourse in 1998 isdominated by (more exactly has degenerated into) discourse of sexualbehavior of public officials. "Deaver's Deals." Newsweek 5 May 1986: 18-2 .Niebuhr, Gustav. New York Times 5 Sept. . . "Shredded Justice." Mother Jones 18 (Jan.- Feb. . . "The GOP's Sleaze Pinup." US News and World Report 2 June 1988: 2 .Broder, David S. "If Clinton Has Lied." The Washington Post 18 February 1998: A21.Bruck, Connie. One memorandum read in part: A. . The purpose of this research is to examine the issues concerningethics in government. Elsewhere, Kissinger justifies his domesticwiretaps on government colleagues while Nixon's Secretary of State byreason of what he declares to be his understanding of previousadministrations' policy and in the name of tracking down immoral pressleaks about American military operations in Vietnam (Kissinger 252-3). . . Between 199 and 1992, the Office of GovernmentEthics doubled in size (Priest A21). . Present interpretation should be broadened to permit and program for coverage by N.S.A. . . Covert coverage is illegal and there are serious risks involved. David Bonior, then Majority Whip, "held a televisedpress conference to announce . "The End of the News Schmooze? . Writing in 1977, about oneyear into the Carter administration, Anthony Lewis alludes to "RichardNixon's . The revelations prompted heateddebate over the moral obligation of the U.S. . . New York: Ramparts P, 1974. . . Atleast one practical consequence of this standard was that it limitedhistorically routine press access to administration players while alsofostering cynical speculation about end-run strategies vis-à-vis the newethics rules. In 1998, one MonicaLewinsky, a former White House intern, was said to have been sexuallyinvolved with Clinton. Ed. 1994: 24-6.Hogan, Kevin, and Fricker, Mary. 243-5 .Borger, Gloria. Popular-culture and mass-media preoccupation with what Broder refersto as the "confusing and disturbing information coming out of Washington"(A21) is progressing in the context of ever-increasing ethics laws that canbe attributed at least partly to post-Watergate reformism but that have hadunintended consequences. Boundaries between democratic values, ethics, and power toinfluence government seem blurred. B. Investigation of Clinton's ethics as of early 1998 appears to havefocused on accusations of marital infidelity. He has not conspired to break into the headquarters ofthe opposition party, or tried afterward to keep the F.B.I. New York: Macmillan, 1933. "Kill the Ethics Committees." Weekly Standard 1 (2 Nov. "The Prosecutor: Following Leads Or Digging Dirt?" The Washington Post 3 January 1998: A1.Martz, Larry. White House horrors" (17) in describing a probe of BertLance, Carter's Budget Director, for self-enriching and suspect bankingpractices. . As of April 1998, the connection between either the allegationor fact of Clinton's marital infidelity and the ethical implications of the1978 land deal remains opaque to the public record. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1979.Lewis, Anthony. They write, as a Cincinnati man did, of "inquisitor" Kenneth Starr (Broder A21). But Nixon's White House approved piecemeal domesticintelligence, including illegal surveillance of American citizens andgroups deemed unfriendly to the administration. 1994: 746.Bishop, Stu. . . A pivotal event in regard to government ethics was theWatergate scandal, which has passed into popular imagination as an exampleof government misbehavior and which had the effect of forcing RichardNixon, facing impeachment, to resign from office. . The plan of the research will be to set forth thecontext in which the subject of government-related ethics issues haveachieved importance, and then to discuss the variety of views, some of themcontroversial, surrounding such subsidiary topics as a hierarchy of ethicalpriorities as against the priorities of governance. Moral issues been a persistent feature of political discourse in themodern period. Interpretive Restraints on Communications Intelligence. Electronic Surveillance and Penetrations. New Ethics Ruling Limits Press Dinners for Government Big Shots." The Washington Post 3 February 1993, C1.Tocqueville, Alexis de. Appearance of Rose Law Firmrecords, however late, belied shredding accusations. In 1992, Clinton's name was linked with one GenniferFlowers in a press conference given by Flowers for that purpose (Balz A1).In 1997-98, one Paula Corbin Jones sued Clinton in civil court for sexuallyharassing her during his governorship of Arkansas. Frederick Kershner, Jr. "Cold-War Tests Prompt an Ethics Debate." The Washington Post 4 January 1994: A6.Perry, Mark. The White House Years. Ed. Similar accusations haveappeared before. Restrictions on legal coverage should be removed. Bush administration (1989-1993)officials reportedly engaged in shredding of politically embarrassingdocuments relevant to the episode (Pizzo 18-19). "The singlemost important attack against Gingrich's book deal," say Kennedy and Benoit(2 1) came when Rep. "Suddenly 'Being Taken Seriously.'" The Washington Post 15 January 1992: A21.Roberts, Roxanne. 1977, late ed.: 17.Marcus, Ruth. What came to be known as the Huston Plan,a series of national-security memoranda written by White House aide TomHuston, were published by The New York Times in 1973, in the wake of myriadWatergate disclosures. Hogan and Fricker (25-8)describe intensified document shredding after the 1992 presidentialelection by Bush administration employees at the Department of Justice,implying that such documents might be evidence of corruption on the part offederal law enforcement officials who were appointees or advocates of Bush. "Adultery: Whose Business Is It?" The Washington Post 2 February 1998: B1.---. frominvestigating" (Lewis 17).
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