Public Administration and Ethics
Public Administration & Ethics
In public administration, decisions are a lot of times made based upon ethical principles, which are the perception of what the general public would agree is correct. This helps keep the administrators ethical because they first must ask themselves if they will be under public scrutiny if they don’t make an ethical decision. Ethics has also placed additional burden on public administrators regarding how they handle their personal lives. When a person enters into the public realm, a lot of the details that would normally be private from their individual lives become made available for public record. These ‘details’ are things such as the individual’s health, finances, any misconduct on record, etc.
There are many assets of public administration that need to be taken into consideration when considering ethical obligations of the administrator himself. Administrators face many challenges in their day-to-day decision making. They have to find a balance with efficiency and responsibility.
Public interest refers to the general well-being of society. Taxes are an example of public interest. Society as a whole doesn’t like to pay taxes, but their tax monies pay for things that benefit them as a society such as education for their children, the military who protects them, and improvements to the society as a whole. Having a democracy gives the citizens the responsibility to act accordingly if the administrators aren’t making the proper decisions that best reflect the public’s best interest. Administrative responsibility to the society as a whole is very important. Administrative responsibility within that democratic government keeps the government working in the public’s best interest.
Society a lot of times expects the government to make quick decisions, but this isn’t always in the best interest of society. Sometimes it is best for the government administrators to have longer deliberations and make more sensible,
In public administration, decisions are a lot of times made based upon ethical principles, which are the perception of what the general public would agree is correct. This helps keep the administrators ethical because they first must ask themselves if they will be under public scrutiny if they don’t make an ethical decision. Ethics has also placed additional burden on public administrators regarding how they handle their personal lives. When a person enters into the public realm, a lot of the details that would normally be private from their individual lives become made available for public record. These ‘details’ are things such as the individual’s health, finances, any misconduct on record, etc.
There are many assets of public administration that need to be taken into consideration when considering ethical obligations of the administrator himself. Administrators face many challenges in their day-to-day decision making. They have to find a balance with efficiency and responsibility.
Public interest refers to the general well-being of society. Taxes are an example of public interest. Society as a whole doesn’t like to pay taxes, but their tax monies pay for things that benefit them as a society such as education for their children, the military who protects them, and improvements to the society as a whole. Having a democracy gives the citizens the responsibility to act accordingly if the administrators aren’t making the proper decisions that best reflect the public’s best interest. Administrative responsibility to the society as a whole is very important. Administrative responsibility within that democratic government keeps the government working in the public’s best interest.
Society a lot of times expects the government to make quick decisions, but this isn’t always in the best interest of society. Sometimes it is best for the government administrators to have longer deliberations and make more sensible,
References: Stillman, R., & , (2010). Public administration. (9th ed., p. 410). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.