Good Government

This is an applied ethics and public policy course focused on institutional issues in ethical government in the United States. The concept of “good government” connotes a normative and ideally nonpartisan view about the structural features that promote good public policy. The course surveys major scandals that have shaped public discourse about ethics and government, including Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Clinton impeachment, the Keating Five, and the Russian interference in the 2016 elections. We will also examine institutional responses to concerns about public ethics, from special prosecutors to disclosure requirements and ethics regulation. This course is intended for junior and seniors concentrating in the American Politics track. Enrollment will be limited to POLS concentrators.