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Administrative Ethics

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Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance

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Synonyms

Administrative ethos; Administrative integrity; Administrative morality; Codes of conduct

Introduction

Texts that specifically address the question of ethics in the public sector identify a three-legged stool that focuses on the (1) consequences of action (utilitarianism), (2) inherent rightness or wrongness of actions (deontology), and (3) role of one’s character (virtue) (Geuras and Garofalo 2005; Koven 2015; Svara 2015). These guides to behavior are discussed below as well as specific efforts to define ethics through formal codes.

Utilitarianism

The philosophical theory of utilitarianism asserts that the worth of an action is determined solely by the consequences or end results of the action. Ethical behavior and proper action are linked to attain the greatest good for the greatest number. Two of the pioneer figures of utilitarianism Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) proposed that communities could be guided by the principle of maximizing pleasure...

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References

  • Cooper TL (2004) Big questions in administrative ethics: A need for focused, collaborative effort. Public Adm Rev 64:4

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  • Geuras D, Garofalo C (2005) Practical ethics in public administration, 2nd edn. Management Concepts, Vienna

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  • Hart DK (1984) The virtuous citizen, the honorable bureaucrat and ‘public’ administration. Public Adm Rev 44

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  • Josephson M (2006) The six pillars of character. In: West J, Berman E (eds) The ethics edge, 2nd edn. ICMA Press, Washington, DC, pp 11–17

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  • Koven SG (2015) Public sector ethics: theory and applications. CRC Press, Boca Raton

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  • MacIntyre A (1984) After virtue, 2nd edn. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame

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  • Rawls J (1971) A theory of justice. Belknap Press, Cambridge, MA

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  • Svara J (2014) Who are the keepers of the code? Articulating and upholding ethical standards in the field of public administration. Public Adm Rev 74:5

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  • Svara J (2015) The ethics primer for public administrators in government and nonprofit organizations, 2nd edn. Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urban and Public Affairs, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

    Steven G. Koven

Authors
  1. Steven G. Koven
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven G. Koven .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Ali Farazmand

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Koven, S.G. (2018). Administrative Ethics. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20928-9_929

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