ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses upon the use of formal, compliance-based rules as a response to corruption. The regulation of corruption in public administration is often, and arguably increasingly, managed through formal rules, laws and codes. The chapter discuss the distinctions between anti-corruption approaches and pro-integrity approaches to public-sector regulation. The 'goal' of public ethics may seem obvious - to enforce ethical behaviour in the public sector. The practical regulation of public-sector ethics has often been conceptualized in terms of two traditions: a values-based approach to regulation, and a compliance-based approach to regulation. This chapter has also presented empirical data, albeit small-scale, to show that, in the United Kingdom at least, there appears to be a strong appetite for greater use of values-based policies among senior public officials. The conclusion of this chapter is that formalized rules are at best a partial and imperfect mechanism through which to promote integrity within public life.
