Importance Of Ethics In Public Administration

Decent Essays
URPA 5350 Midterm Exam

Module 1 Q1
I believe out of the following topics in public administration; administrative ethics, organization theory, bureaucratic behavior, personnel management, public finance and budgeting, policy analysis, program evaluation, administrative ethics is by far the most important. Although theorists like Machiavelli might disagree, I believe ethics is the foundation that all successful public administrators build their careers on. I believe all four levels of ethics are vital to be successful administrator, including personal morality, professional ethics, organizational ethics and social ethics. Ethics have a direct impact on all areas of public administration including organization theory, bureaucratic behavior, personnel management, public finance and budgeting, policy analysis, and program evaluation.
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In 1916 he stated “the nation’s honor is dearer than the nation’s comfort; yes, than the nation’s life itself.” The text argues that Honor comes before ethics because a person without honor has no moral compass and does not know which way to turn to be ethical. (Shafritz, Russell, Borick, 172) While Wilson placed a great value on administrative ethics he also placed a great deal of value on personnel management, as did many of his contemporaries at the time.
Leonard D. White is the author of the first text on Public Administration, like Wilson, White placed a high value on personnel management. According to the text, Leonard White was concerned with the “the new management” which spoke at length on management techniques. White published his views on the new management in the book Trends in Public Administration. (pg.

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