Introduction

The Introduction frames the constitutional approach to public service ethics and presents the plan for this book. The authors cover the history and utility of constitutional ethics using the “Blacksburg Manifesto,” in Refounding Public Administration, and John Rohr’s, Ethics for Bureaucrats: An Essay on Law and Values (2nd ed., 1989). Key principles of the constitutional approach covered include: establishing a constitutional basis for public administration, acting as a constitutional officer, minding the public interest, structuring agencies, having an agential perspective, calling for a committed public service, creating effective authority and effective participation, and encouraging active citizenship. Finally, the organization of this volume into three sections: freedom, property, and equity with individual chapter topics and authors is detailed.