ABSTRACT
In the current United States (U.S.) context, we are facing a constitutional crisis with frequent government shutdowns and new debates surrounding immigration, climate change, budgeting practices, and the balance of power. With competing interests, unclear policy, and inconsistent leadership directives, the question becomes: How do contemporary bureaucrats make sense of this ethically turbulent environment? This collection provides a lens for viewing administrative decision-making and behavior from a constitutional basis, as contemporary bureaucrats navigate uncharted territory.
Ethics for Contemporary Bureaucrats is organized around three constitutional values: freedom, property, and social equity. These themes are based on emerging trends in public administration and balanced with traditional ethical models. Each chapter provides an overview of a contemporary ethical issue, identifies key actors, institutions, legal and legislative policy, and offers normative and practical recommendations to address the challenges the issue poses. Rooted in a respected and time-tested intellectual history, this volume speaks to bureaucrats in a modern era of governance. It is ideally suited to educate students, scholars, and public servants on constitutional values and legal precedent as a basis for ethics in the public sector.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|65 pages
Freedom: Calling Health, Safety, and Financial Security into Question
chapter 1|23 pages
Civil Servants on the Front-Lines of Greenhouse Gas Regulation
chapter 4|16 pages
Freedom v. Fairness
part II|53 pages
Property: New Forms of Property Reinvigorating Long-standing Debates
chapter 7|11 pages
Privacy as a Supra-Regime Value
chapter 8|15 pages
Property and Emerging Institutional Types
part III|71 pages
Social Equity: The New Frontier of Diversity and Inclusion