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UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public Policy - myCSU · In public policy, a code of ethics or ethos is meant to guide the behavior of its ... UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public

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Page 1: UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public Policy - myCSU · In public policy, a code of ethics or ethos is meant to guide the behavior of its ... UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public

PUA 5306, Public Policy 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Define “ethics” in public policy. 2. Identify the increasing importance of ethics in public policy. 3. Analyze the role of ethics in public policy analysis.

Reading Assignment Chapter 3: Toward Professional Ethics

Unit Lesson In Unit II, ethics will be defined as it relates to public policy. This includes understanding and identifying the current and future importance of ethics in public policy and analyzing the relationship between ethics and public policy analysis. There are various definitions for ethics. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ethics as, “an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior; a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong” (para. 2). Some people hold that ethics is about always doing the right thing even when no one is looking. In public policy, a code of ethics or ethos is meant to guide the behavior of its members (Weimer & Vining, 2011). Ethics and public confidence have been around for many years. In 1952, Adlai Stevenson, Governor of Illinois, said, “Public confidence in the integrity of the government is in-dispensable to faith in democracy, and when we lose faith in the system, we lose faith in everything we fight and spend for.” Ethics are the standards of behavior that guide people in their personal and business lives. Ethics is applied individually, organizationally, and throughout our society. Ethical standards are the bridge between the public and government. The bond of trust between those who make decisions and the public is a mirror of the ethical standards portrayed by our officials. A vital component of ethics is the understanding of values. An example of public sector values can be seen in Table 3.1 of Weimer and Vining (2011). In Table 3.1, Weimer and Vining (2011) characterize three views of the policy analyst in respect to values. These views or perspectives are objective technician, client advocate, and issue advocate. Which view do you relate to in this table? Why?

UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

Ethics and Public Policy

Page 2: UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public Policy - myCSU · In public policy, a code of ethics or ethos is meant to guide the behavior of its ... UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public

PUA 5306, Public Policy 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

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A code of ethics is another example of ethics in public service. This code outlines the expected ethics of those who serve the public. The purpose for this ethical code is to guide the behavior of the employees of the organization. A code of ethics usually outlines the common ethical issues faced by the organization and provides some guidance on how to address them. If you would like to see how government employees and elected officials implement codes of conduct, consider visiting the below links.

Government Code Section 8920, Code of Ethics (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=08001-09000&file=8920-8926)

State of Georgia - Code of Ethics for Government Service (http://www.cityoftybee.org/Assets/Files/HR/Section4-GeorgiaCodeofEthics.pdf)

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida (State Board of Education Rule 6B-1.001) (http://pers.dadeschools.net/prodev/about_code_of_ethics.htm)

The City of San Antonio - Ethics Code (http://www.sanantonio.gov/Ethics/About/EthicsCode.aspx) It is important to note that the adoption of a code of ethics does not guarantee the success of ethical practices. The success of an organization in following ethical practices falls within the leadership of the organization. There are five-key factors to good work ethics. They include competence, company loyalty, communication, time management, and decision making (Falk, 2014). When it comes to ethical organizations, the five-key factors are leadership, commitment, collaboration, implementation, and reflection and renewal (American Society for Public Administration, 2012). With government always being in the spotlight of the media, ethics has become an increasingly important aspect of the public policy making process and public service in general. Government officials and agencies are being held to higher standards. Ethics is consistently being debated in the political process. The development of a code of ethics assists stakeholders in dealing with ethical issues involving government affairs.

Note: This table was taken from page 42 of Weimer and Vining (2011).

Page 3: UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public Policy - myCSU · In public policy, a code of ethics or ethos is meant to guide the behavior of its ... UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Ethics and Public

PUA 5306, Public Policy 3

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References American Society for Public Administration. (2012). About ASPA. Retrieved from

http://www.aspanet.org/public/ASPA/About_ASPA/ASPA/About_ASPA/About_ASPA.aspx?hkey=98af1db8-67b2-4ac6-9731-953b52f982db

Ethic. (2014). In Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/ethics Falk, C. (2014). Five key factors to developing and keeping good work ethics. Retrieved from

https://suite.io/christine-falk/5rts2e1 Weimer, D. L., & Vining, A. R. (2011). Policy analysis: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). New York, NY:

Longman.

Suggested Reading In order to access the resource below, you must first log into the myCSU Student Portal and access the Business Source Complete database within the CSU Online Library. Amy, D. J. (1984). Why policy analysis and ethics are incompatible. Journal of Policy Analysis and

Management, 3(4), 573–91. Harrington, K. L. (1996). Ethics and public policy analysis: Stakeholders’ interests and regulatory policy.

Journal of Business Ethics, 15(3), 373-382.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) For this non-graded learning activity you are asked to further research the topics introduced and discussed in Unit II. Locate at least two articles that are related to concepts in Unit II that you are either interested in or maybe did not grasp entirely, and compare and contrast the ideas and concepts with what you learned in Unit II. Do the articles discuss different concepts? Do the authors present new ideas? Do you agree or disagree with the authors’ statements? What did you learn from the articles? The purpose of the non-graded learning activity is to widen your understanding and view of the concepts learned in Unit II and to compare your views to other scholars in the Public Policy field. If you are feeling creative, try creating a blog. Once you complete the course you will have compiled a list of resources on different public policy concepts, topics, and issues. Non-Graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions contact your instructor for further guidance and information.