Ethics and Public Policy

What are the ethical dimensions of public service? How should people act when faced with ethical dilemmas in public life? This course will engage those broad questions beginning with an examination of five modern day political scandals: Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Keating Five, the Clinton impeachment, and the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections. We will then consider various issues in regulating ethics from nepotism and conflicts of interest to the revolving door and financial disclosure. Finally, we will consider several ethical values that are relevant to public service, including loyalty, honesty, and the role of official disobedience.