The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem-Solving Guide

It's tough to be a manager in a public agency. In addition to obeying the law, public servants have an additional ethical obligation to "serve the public interest" and "uphold the public trust". Even the appearance of not serving the public interest is unethical for public servants. Thus, while it could be okay for a manager in a private company to hire relatives and to let employees sleep on the job, it would be unethical for a manager in a public agency to do so. This book was required reading for my graduate course in Ethics for Public Administrators. It should be required reading for every politician, public servant, and citizen, too.