Equality and Public Administration

Paper Summary:

This paper explores several barriers to an equitable public administration in the United States, such as racism and the Jim Crow laws and examines the steps taken to fix some of the problems. It then looks at the benefits and problems associated with affirmative action programs. The paper questions the role of honor in public administration and whether honor always interfere with the ethical implementation of public policy. Finally, the paper examines the lessons learned from the Watergate case concerning ethics and public administration.

From the Paper:

"Another lesson from Watergate is that politics still does have an influence in what happens to unethical public officials. Although Nixon resigned from office, he was almost immediately pardoned by his successor, saving him from further public humiliation and possible prosecution. He was then able to go on and rehabilitate his "honor" and become a respected, and consulted, elder statesman, although this took many years. This is one of the reasons that I question the Shafritz and Russell emphasis on the importance of honor. Honor seems like a good concept, but it does not necessarily have to do with moral or ethical behavior. Instead, it is more connected to the person's image in the world, his or her reputation or persona."

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