Wanted: Ethical behavior in public service
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The recent news about Clarence Thomas, George Santos, Rudy Giuliani and Robert Mendez, among others, reminded me of Thomas Jefferson’s quote: “I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man.”
The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) also reaffirmed Jefferson’s thoughts when 35 years ago it crafted its laser-focused Code of Ethics to spotlight the practice of making moral public judgments about political action and political agents, especially the methods and judgments used to make policies, regulations and laws.
Today, ASPA’s Code of Ethics gives us eight standards for government workers and criteria for candidates for appointed and elected office to follow, expecting all public servants to:
Advance the public interest. Promote the interests of the public and put service to the public above service to oneself.
Uphold the Constitution and the law. Respect and support government constitutions and laws, while seeking to improve laws and policies to promote the public good.
Promote democratic participation. Inform the public and encourage active engagement in governance. Be open, transparent and responsive, and respect and assist allpersons in their dealings with public organizations.
Strengthen social equity. Treat all persons with fairness, justice, and equality and respect individual differences, rights, and freedoms. Promote affirmative action and other initiatives to reduce unfairness, injustice, and inequality in society.
Fully inform and advise. Provide accurate, honest, comprehensive, and timely information and advice to elected and appointed officials and governing board members, and to staff members in your organization.
Demonstrate personal integrity. Adhere to the highest standards of conduct to inspire public confidence and trust in public service.
Promote ethical organizations: Strive to attain the highest standards of ethics, stewardship, and public service in organizations that serve the public.
Advance professional excellence: Strengthen personal capabilities to act competently and ethically and encourage the professional development of others.
The vast majority of our 16 million state and local government, our 2.8 million federal civilian and 1.7 million military employees (Statistica 2022) are amazing public servants who daily assure America is great and advance our civil society.
Most are out-of-sight and mind until we need them. For most, their work is not a job. It is a way of life dedicated to advancing our society which every successful person knows achievement depends on people working together.
Surely, former President George H.W. Bush’s would have agreed. Recall his words: “Whoever says Americas best days are behind it are looking the wrong direction. The United States is the best and fairest and most decent nation on the face of the earth!”
But, the days between now and the 2024 elections will be rancorous. Serious domestic and international issues divide us. And some seeking to govern roil us because they unethically disparage our governments and our public servants, attacking others to mask their own unethical behavior, blurring right from wrong, virtuous from unvirtuous to advance their own vested interests.
All of us might recall there is nobody here but us to change that.
Perhaps by contrasting ASPA’s principles with what these folks say and do, we may, as Walter Cronkite urged during a previous troublesome time, reintroduce ethics into public service to restore people’s faith in government to fill a desperate need and assure democracy to continue to flourish.
Michael V. Reagen, Ph.D., now retired, was president of The Leadership Collier Foundation, a commissioner of Collier’s Mosquito Control District and a past recipient of ASPA’s National Public Service Award when he served as commissioner of Iowa’s Department of Human Services.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Wanted: Ethical behavior in public service
