Paper Summary:

This paper provides a review of Rosemary O'Leary's "The Ethics of Dissent: Managing Guerrilla Government," defining the work as a refreshing reminder that subversive activity should not be defined and treated through a narrow moral lens framed by the bureaucracies and institutional norms of capitalism. The paper explains that O'Leary's broader arguments are based in several bodies of theoretical literature, including her case that guerrilla activity is more common than people realize. The paper asserts that this book is a needed antidote to what are becoming dangerous corporate and governmental norms of corruption and exploitation as being expected and acceptable. In spite of a few limitations, the paper concludes, the book is a thought-provoking and interesting reminder of the tensions in bureaucracy and the timeless debates surrounding the politics-administration dichotomy, the appropriate level of discretion, and their concomitant ethical dilemmas.

From the Paper:

"O'Leary (2006) highlights the ethical ambiguities involved in many government guerrilla activities; however, she does not provide any suggestion as to how these dilemmas may be resolved. Of course, there is no definitive answer to moral questions, but the literature and laws on whistle blowing proffer some ethical standards under which such activity is protected (e.g., agency or company behavior that violates a law, rule, or regulation; egregious mismanagement; abusing authority; unethical use of funds; endangering public health or safety). All guerrilla activity may not be created equal, but the presence of moral ambiguity does not render questions of appropriateness entirely unanswerable."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Garcetti v. Ceballos 547 U.S. 410 (2006).
• Balfour, D. 2007. Book review: The ethics of dissent: Managing government guerrillas. The American Review of Public Administration, 37:114-116.
• Hoffman, A. 1971. Steal this book. Pirate Editions, New York.
• McGregor, E.B. 2007. Book review: The ethics of dissent: Managing government guerrillas. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 26(2): 431-441.
• O'Leary, R. (2006). The ethics of dissent: Managing guerrilla government. CQ Press, Washington, D.C.

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