“Everyday Ethics” is the Institute’s award-winning column. Every
two months, the Institute’s ethics program analyzes different
ethical dilemmas public officials are likely to face.
Some of these dilemmas have legal dimensions, some have ethical
dimensions and many are a combination of both. The column appears
in Western City
magazine, the monthly publication of one of the Institute’s
parent organizations, the League of California Cities.
This article examines the intriguing question of why some public
servants may fall into the trap of putting self-interests ahead
of the public’s interests.
The article draws heavily from the behavioral research presented
in Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do
About It.
This two-part article by Institute volunteer attorney Dan Purnell
explains what regulatory tools some local agencies have used to
create more transparency relating to efforts to persuade local
decision-makers.
The “front page” test is analytically useful because it
encourages a public official to think about how his or her
actions might look to the outside world.
In general, the public is skeptical about people trying to curry
favor with public officials through gift-giving. To understand
the complex rules related to gifts, it’s helpful to first
understand the key principles on which the rules are based and
what the rules are intended to accomplish.
Although the Institute endeavors to help local officials
understand technical and legal concepts that apply to their
public service, these materials are not technical or legal
advice. Officials are encouraged to consult technical
experts, attorneys and/or relevant regulatory authorities for
up-to-date information and advice on specific situations.
