4-Wknd
Format Summer
03
University
of Utah Master of Public Administration Program
SYLLABUS
POLS
6870 SEMINAR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND ETHICS
Instructor: Richard
(Rick) Green, Associate Prof.
Office: OSH
214.
Mail: Center
for Public Administration & Policy, OSH 214, 260 So. Central Campus
Dr., University of Utah,
SLC,
84112
Home
Address:4976
Spring Run Dr., SLC 84117
Email: rick.green@cppa.utah.edu
Web
Address: www.cppa.utah.edu/~rg4280
Phone: 581-6781
ofc;277-6861 hm
Office
Hours:Wednesdays,
1:00-6:00pm or by appointment.On
Fridays before exec cohort classes, I will be available in my office from
2:00-5:30pm Please call for an appointment if office hours are inconvenient.I
am also happy to correspond via email.
Robert
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons: A Play in Two Acts.New
York: Vintage Books/Random House, 1962. ISBN 394?70321?9 pbk
Sissela
Bok, LYING: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life. New
York: Vintage Books/Random House, 1978. ISBN 0?394?72804?1 pbk
John
A. Rohr, Public Service, Ethics & Constitutional Practice.
Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 1998.ISBN:
0-7006-0926-1 pbk.
Electronic
Documents Readings:A
collection of readings is available through Marriott library reserve web
access at www.lib.utah.edu/circ/reserve/student.html.You
can access the collection from your home or work computer after establishing
a network ID. Follow instructions on the Web or call the Help Desk at 581-6802
or 585-6727.
This
course is designed to familiarize students with the ethical nature and
dilemmas of public administration in American society.Current
approaches to ethics in government focus most on avoiding impropriety.This
is generally a negative and technical dimension stressing ethical boundaries
defined by law.Typical examples
include conflict of interest, misuse of public resources for private ends,
whistleblowing, and resignation in protest.Though
these issues are at times important, they arise infrequently relative to
the dilemmas faced in day?to?day decision making, and are seldom as grave
in their implications beyond the career of the affected administrator.
This
course takes a very different approach.It
focuses on ethical dilemmas and concerns arising from the daily exercise
of legitimate discretionary power.We
will, therefore, address positive and negative uses of administrative discretion,
discussing questions such as: "How do I make `right' or `wise' decisions?""What
is a `wise' decision?""To what
and to whom do my obligations extend?" "Should/do I have sufficient authority
to make a decision?""What values
do I serve, and what are their priorities?"“When
should I engage in compromise, and when not?"“Can
I legitimately deceive others in the public interest?""What
role should character and status play in public life?"“Is
there a meaningful distinction to make between public and private ethics?”The
questions go on and on, and though most cannot be answered definitively,
we must nevertheless ponder them if we, as public administrators, are to
perform their duties effectively and appropriately.
More
specifically, this course will address:
·The
nature and types of ethical obligation involved in American public administration;
·The
integration and application of various types of moral judgment in administrative
contexts;
·The
relation of American constitutional and political theory to the ethical
obligations and loyalties of public administrators;
·The
character and ethical relation of administrative politics to electoral,
judicial, and pluralistic politics;
·Typical
moral dilemmas in public?sector decision making.
Students
will read a variety of texts, articles, and cases that can help them learn
about and apply various types of moral reasoning to specific administrative
situations.The principal goals
of this course are to
·Help
students develop a reflective capacity concerning decisions in the public
sector;
·Give
students a sense of the types of character and excellence that are desired
of them as professional
public
administrators; and
·In
the process, they will also become familiar with the emerging literature
on ethics in the field of Public
Administration.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
This
course will be highly discursive and exploratory.Emphasis
will be placed upon the joint contributions of students and instructor
in developing further the capacity for ethical reflection.Regular
class attendance and participation in discussions will, therefore, be necessary
to secure a satisfactory grade. The following requirements are intended
to enhance the student's ability to participate meaningfully in the course.
(1)
Students must prepare answers to the study questions (attached) by the
date on which they are assigned for class discussion.Each
answer should NOT exceed two type-written pages (they may be shorter, but
must be answered completely).The
answers should be assembled in the order they are assigned, and should
be stapled or bound for easy handling (I hate those plastic covers with
the clip bar!).They may be handwritten
(legibly) or word processed -- I prefer word processing.
You
may consult with other students in preparing your answers.Discussions
among students can be very helpful in learning the material.HOWEVER,
please do not treat this as an excuse to skip your own reading of and thinking
about the material.Answering the
study questions will help you organize and summarize reading material in
a manner that enhances understanding and retention.It
will also prepare you for some engaging class discussion.Answers
to study questions should be turned in at the end of the class session
for which they are assigned.
(2)
Students will write a very brief (10-12 page) "think-piece" in which
they analyze a public policy or administrative practice for its application
of three or more types of moral judgment or argument.Various
types of moral judgment, such as moral equations, analogies, "raisons d'etre
arguments", and philosophical principles, are routinely applied by public
agencies as a matter of public justification of policy and administrative
practice.Each of these types of
judgment will be covered in the course.Students
are strongly encouraged to analyze a policy or practice in their own organization
or work.
The
paper should include the following elements:
·Identification
of at least three types of moral judgment used in the organization, policy,
or practice.
·An
explanation of how they are applied.
·A
discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of these judgments as employed,
and a discussion of the type of judgment you think is wisest.
Grades
are based on the following criteria: Class Participation/Attendance = 30%;
Study Question answers = 50%; Paper = 20%.Class
participation will be assessed through attendance and participation in
class discussion. Because this course is scheduled on weekends, it is imperative
that you attend all sessions.Missing
an entire weekend session will, except in extraordinary circumstances,
result in a failing grade for the course.If
you must miss any part of a class session, please give me advance notice,
and make arrangements with a fellow student to take notes or tape that
part.
In
academic and journalistic writing it is required that all sources from
which ideas and words are drawn be fully acknowledged and cited.It
is also a basic principle that we should not represent someone else’s work
as our own. Therefore, make sure that you use quotation marks to indicate
use of someone else’s writing or words in your work, and provide a full
citation that identifies the author(s), title, publisher, location of the
publisher, year published, and page(s) at which the quotation may be found.If
you use WEB sources, make sure to include a full WEB address for the specific
work.When in doubt about a proper
citation form, consult a style manual, and be sure to use one style consistently
throughout any given paper.
A
citation should also be given when using someone else’s idea(s) or concept(s),
even if you are not quoting directly from their work.A
common form for such a citation is to put the author and year of his/her
published work in parentheses at an appropriate place in the sentence that
employs the concept. Then put the full citation of the work in the references.Consult
Turabian or some other style manual for specifics on proper styles of citation.
Academic
honesty is so important that severe sanctions exist in all universities
and colleges for cases of proven dishonesty.Expectations
of honesty are especially high for graduate students.Correspondingly,
abuses of academic honesty are not tolerated.If
you are in doubt as to a proper standard of honesty in a specific situation,
please consult your professor.
REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATION
In
accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I offer any
student with a disability the opportunity to communicate with me privately
to discuss receiving reasonable accommodation.Such
accommodations will be afforded based on the specific disability and as
agreed in writing.This statement
in no way asks that students identify themselves publicly as having a disability;
however, a request for reasonable accommodation can only be granted if
a student makes his or her disability known to the instructor.
COURSE
SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS
(Assigned
readings and answers to study questions are to be completed by the date
at which they are listed.)
May
13: Introduction
to course, review of syllabus. Discussion: “What is Ethics?”“What
is Moral Judgment?”
May
31:Theme I: Ethics
in ActionREAD: all of Robert
Bolt's play, A Man for All Seasons.In
E-READINGS: (1) David Norton, "Character Ethics and Organizational Life";
(2) Michael Walzer, "Political Action: the Problem of Dirty Hands" (3)
J. Patrick Dobel, “The Political Morality of Sleaze and Honor.” Answer
study questions 1-3.
Theme II:
Integrity and Public vs Private Moral Character. (Brief lecture on Public
Integrity.)READ:In
ROHR, chapter 10.Video:
"Politics,
Privacy, and the Press."Answer
study question #4.
Theme III: The Problem of Compromise. READ:
IN E-READINGS: J.Patrick Dobel, “The Trouble with Compromise.” Answer
study question #5.Video: “The
Whiskey Priest,” Yes Minister series.
Theme IV: Ethical Practice and Lying.READ:
Bok, LYING, chapters 1,2,3,6,7, 8 & 12. Case
Study, in E-READINGS: Bruce Payne's "Richard Helms and the Foreign
Relations Committee." Answer study questions 6-7. Video: “The
Tangled Web,” Yes Minister series.
June
7: Theme I: Citizenship
and Public Life.Read: In
ROHR, Public Service Ethics…, Chapter 8.In
E-READINGS, (1) Terry Cooper, "Citizenship and Professionalism in Public
Administration"; (2) Terry Cooper, "Hierarchy, Virtue, and the Practice
of Public Administration."Answer
study questions 8-10. Video: “The Deadly Deception” NOVA.
Theme II:
Ethical Dilemmas of Modern Professionalism.Read:
ROHR, Public Service, Ethics…, chapters 2 & 6; In E-READINGS:
Richard Green, et.al., "Reconstituting a Profession for American Public
Administration"; ASPA Code of Ethics.Answer
study questions 11-13. Video: "To Defend a Killer" (from Ethics in
America series).Brief Lecture:
“The Friedrich-Finer Debate.”
June
14: Theme I: Cultivating
Public Character.READ: Rohr,
Public Service Ethics…, Chapter 15; In E-READINGS: (1) John
Schaar, "The Case for Patriotism"; (2) Lewis Mainzer, "Honor in Bureaucratic
Life"; (3) Herbert Storing, "American Statesmanship: Old and New."Brief
lecture: “The ethic of structure and the ethic of neutrality.”Answer
study questions 14-16.
Theme II: Bureaucratic
Responsibility; The Problem of Discretion and Democratic Governance. READ:
ROHR, Public Service Ethics…,Chapters 1,9,11,12,13;Answer
study question #17.Brief lecture:
John Burke's "external" theory of bureaucratic responsibility.
Theme III: Thinking
Institutionally:READ: In
ROHR,Public Service Ethics…,
Chapter 13; In E-READINGS: (1) Wayne Leys, "Ethics and Administrative
Discretion"; and (2) York Wilbern, "Types and Levels of Public Morality".Brief
Lecture: On Prudence.Answer
study questions 18-19. Video: “Under Orders, Under Fire,” Part I, Ethics
in America Series.
June
21: Theme I: Developing
the Deliberative Art in Government: Learning to ask good questions.READ:In
E-READINGS: (1) excerpts from Wayne Leys, Ethics for Policy Decisions:
The Art of Asking Deliberative Questions;(2)
ROHR, chapters 3-5.Video:
"Under Orders, Under Fire," Part II.Brief
lecture: John Rohr’s “Regime Values Method” of Moral Judgment.Answer
study question #20.
Theme II: Regime
Values Analysis Illustrated.READ:
In E-READINGS: John Schaar, "Equality of Opportunity and Beyond”; Rohr,
chapter on property in Ethics for Bureaucrats.(Brief
lecture “The Tension of Individual Rights and Common Good in Civil
Society.) Answer study questions
21-22.
Aug
6:PAPER
DUE BY THIS DATE to avoid an "Incomplete" grade.
ELECTRONICREADINGS
1.David
L. Norton, "Character Ethics in Organizational Life," in Papers on the
Ethics of Administration. Provo, UT: Brigham Young Un. 1988.
2. Michael
Walzer, "Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands" Philosophy &
Public Affairs, Vol. 1, no. 2 (Winter 1972).
3.J.
Patrick Dobel, “The Political Morality of Sleaze and Honor,” in Public
Integrity. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
4.J.
Patrick Dobel. (1990). “The Trouble with Compromise,” chapter 7, pp.139-161,
Rowman & Littlefield.
5.Bruce
Payne, "Richard Helms and the Foreign Relations Committee." HBS Case Services,
Harvard Business School, Boston, Mass. 1981.
6.Terry
L. Cooper, "Citizenship and Professionalism in Public Administration."Public
Administration Review, Vol. 44, Special Issue (March 1984).
7.Terry
L. Cooper, "Hierarchy, Virtue, and the Practice in Public Administration:
A Perspective for Normative Ethics," Public Administration Review,
Vol. 47, No. 4 (July/August) 1987.
8.Richard
T. Green, Lawrence F. Keller, Gary L. Wamsley. (1993). "Reconstituting
a Profession for American Public Administration," Public Administration
Review, Nov./Dec., Vol.53, No.6.
9.American
Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Code of Ethics
10.John
Schaar, "The Case for Patriotism," American Review, no.17, (May
1973).
11.Lewis
Mainzer, "Honor in Bureaucratic Life," Review of Politics, Vol.26,
1964, pp. 70-90.
12.Herbert
Storing, "American Statesmanship: Old and New" in Robert A. Goldwin, ed.,
Bureaucrats, Policy Analysts, Statesmen: Who Leads?Wash.
D.C.: American Enterprise Inst., 1980.
13.Wayne
Leys, "Ethics and Administrative Discretion," Public Administration
Review, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Winter) 1943.
14.York
Wilbern, "Types and Levels of Public Morality," Public Administration
Review, Vol. 44, No. 2 (March/April) 1984.
15.Excerpts
from Wayne A. R. Leys, Ethics for Policy Decisions: The Art of Asking
Deliberative Questions.New York:
Prentice?Hall, 1952.
16.John
Schaar, "Equality of Opportunity and Beyond," in Roland Pennock and John
W. Chapman, eds., Equality IX. New York: Atherton Press, 1967.
17.John
Rohr, “Property,” Chapter 5, in Ethics for Bureaucrats: An Essay on
Law & Values. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1989.
POLS
5480 ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT
STUDY
QUESTIONS
1.Describe
Norton's distinction between the ethic of character and the ethic of rules,
and briefly explain what difference each makes to organizational life.
2.Briefly
describe Michael Walzer's three approaches to the problem of "dirty hands."
Which approach does he favor, and why?
3.According
to Dobel, what are three types of “sleaze” in public office?
4.Per
Rohr’s chapter 10, explain why we should be cautious about demanding too
much “good character” of our public officials.
5.Per
J. Patrick Dobel, explain three major problems that typically accompany
the practice of compromise.
6.How
does Sissela Bok define lying?What
is her general approach to lying?Explain
her moral analogy of lying as matter of exercising force or violence. How
might this analogy offer excuse or even justification for some lies?
7.What
is Sissela Bok's approach to "lies in a crisis" and "lies for the public
good?"When might lying be justified
in these situations?
8.According
to John Rohr (Chapter 8), citizenship doesn't mean much in this country.Why?Then
explain why bureaucrats shouldn't consider themselves "second?class citizens."
9.According
to Terry Cooper, what is "high citizenship?"Why
are utilitarian decision techniques such as cost/benefit analysis unsuited
to our political heritage?
10.Explain
Terry Cooper's concept of "practice?" What are "internal" and "external
goods."How should these goods guide
the public official's sense of ethical responsibility, i.e., which are
the leading criteria, if any?
11.John
Rohr (chapter 2) questions whether financial disclosure requirements and
other intrusions on the private affairs of public officials might actually
lead them to become insensitive to the privacy interests of the people
they govern.Explain.
12.According
to John Rohr (chapter 6), why do professional statements or codes tend
to be self-serving, and what problem does this pose for public administration
as a profession?
13.Per
Green, et.al., briefly explain why professionalism is at once troublesome
and beneficial in government.
14.According
to John Schaar, what is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?Also,
what is the difference between "natural" and "covenanted" patriotism?Why
is covenanted patriotism more relevant to our society?
15.According
to Lewis Mainzer, why is "honor in bureaucratic life" difficult to achieve,
and why is it important?What does
this have to do with ethics in government?
16.According
to Herbert Storing, why do populism and scientific management detract from
good judgment in decision making?Why
did the founders distrust "democracy?"Why
does modern scientific decision theory, in effect, avoid decisiveness?
17.Per
Rohr’s chapters 1,9,11,12&13, summarize his constitutional theory of
public administration, showing how the oath and separation of powers set
up both the obligation and necessity to act fully as political officers
of the regime.
18.Per
Rohr, chapter 13, explain the tension in executive power between clerkship
and leadership, and how this muddles the institutional sources of responsibility
in the public administration.
19.Explain
the three types of discretion Leys sees as existing in public administration,
and why it is important to distinguish among them.
20.Per
Rohr, chapters 3 and 4, explain why grounding public administrative ethics
in philosophy, psychology, conflict of interest, resignation in protest,
or human decency is not as appropriate as constitutional principles (e.g.,
regime values).
21.Per
John Schaar, explain why we should be skeptical of the ideal of “equal
opportunity.”
22.Per
John Rohr, (in E-Readings) explain how the concept of “new property” came
about.
Major
Research Paper Guidelines
You
may pursue completion of your MRP in this course. You should contact me
very soon if you intend to do so.
Students
matriculated before Fall Semester 2002:
1.You
must register for POLS 6971.
2.You
must choose a regular faculty member as your supervisor.It
doesn’t have to be me.
3.You
should discuss possible topics with me.
4.You
should submit a brief written proposal (1-2 pages) that outlines the basic
contents and structure of the paper.
5.The
paper may expand upon the existing paper requirement for this course.This
could include identifying and discussing more types of moral judgment that
undergird a public agency/non-profit organization’s practices and policies.This
would also require research of relevant sources that would extend and deepen
your analysis of the agency’s policies/practices.
6.The
paper may address a topic unrelated to the course paper requirement, in
which case it would substitute for the course requirement.You
need not complete the paper in this course, but you must show substantial
progress on it beyond the initial proposal/outline.In
most cases the project should include the following elements:
a.An
introduction that summarizes the main purpose, topics, and structure of
the paper.
b.A
review of literature that is representative of scholarship on the topic.An
extensive or exhaustive literature review is NOT necessary.
c.A
fair/balanced portrayal and assessment of contending views on the topic.
d.Explanation
of your own views on the issues, defending them against reasonably anticipated
challenges.
e.A
conclusion that suggests lines of further inquiry and some likely trends
related to your research and analysis.
7.Recommended
length: approximately 20-25 pages.
8.The
MRP must have a cover page that clearly indicates that it is an MRP, and
gives the title, your full name, student ID number, and name of the MRP
supervisor.
9.Your
faculty supervisor must sign the relevant paperwork on the MRP and turn
it in at the MPA office.
10.You
must submit a hardcopy of the completed MRP to the MPA office.
Students
matriculated Fall Semester 2002 or later:
1.You
will complete the paper in this course, and I will be your supervisor.
2.You
should discuss possible topics with me.
3.You
should submit a brief written proposal (1-2 pages) that outlines the basic
contents and structure of the paper.
4.The
paper may expand upon the existing paper requirement for this course.This
could include identifying and discussing more types of moral judgment that
undergird a public agency/non-profit organization’s practices and policies.This
would also require research of relevant sources that would extend and deepen
your analysis of the agency’s policies/practices.
5.The
paper may address a topic unrelated to the course paper requirement, in
which case it would substitute for the course requirement. In most cases
the project should include the following elements:
a.An
introduction that summarizes the main purpose, topics, and structure of
the paper.
b.A
review of literature that is representative of scholarship on the topic.An
extensive or exhaustive literature review is NOT necessary.
c.A
fair/balanced portrayal and assessment of contending views on the topic.
d.Explanation
of your own views on the issues, defending them against reasonably anticipated
challenges.
e.A
conclusion that suggests lines of further inquiry and some likely trends
related to your research and analysis.
6.Recommended
length: approximately 20-25 pages.
7.You
must receive a grade of “B” or better on the paper to count it as your
MRP.
8.You
must notify the MPA office (Melanie or Juli) when you have successfully
completed your MRP in this class, and send them an electronic version with
the grade designated at the top of the cover page.The
staff will confirm the MRP status and grade with me.
9.The
MRP must have a cover page that clearly indicates that it is an MRP, and
gives the title, your full name, student ID number, name of the MRP supervisor,
and course number and title in which the MRP was completed.