Code Of Ethics In Public Administration

Question One Public administrators are challenged in the area of ethical behavior because of the ways administrators have to balance their own code of ethics with that of the general public. Public administrators must make rational decisions based on the knowledge they have at a given moment. This knowledge includes incorporating universal values into one’s own professional code of ethics. Additionally, societal ethics and morals can change over time, which requires the administrator to adapt to new changes and challenges.
Question Two The two explanations that can be used to examine the unethical behavior of public administrators are (1) the administrator makes “bad” choices that are unethical and (2) the circumstances play an intricate role in the action taken by the administrator. The first explanation argues that the administrator is not a “bad apple” or unethical, but made unethical decisions because of bounded rationality and a limited ethical conduct. The second explanation looks at how different environments and situations can lead administrators to make unethical decisions if they are not deeply rooted in an ethical code of conduct. Likewise, the situation or circumstance may …show more content…
The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) of 1989 demonstrates several strategies that can be enforced to protect whistleblowers. A major way to protect whistleblowers is to ensure that they are aware of the proper channels for reporting misconduct by an employer, including any retaliation tactics that are used against the whistleblower. In addition, policy changes (e.g. WPEA) have made it easier for employees to report retaliation against them. Nevertheless, there are restrictions placed on the ways in which whistleblowers can be protected. This also highlights the importance of the whistleblower preparing for potential negative outcomes before releasing information to the