Ethics Moments

The scenarios and case stories listed below have been published in the PA Times since February 1997 in the column "An Ethics Moment."

• Lying doesn’t come easy to me . . .       May 2008
• Information or advocacy—is there a difference?     April 2008
• Honest Leadership and Open Government     March 2008
• Ethics Reform in Indiana Municipalities: Full Speed Ahead!    February 2008
• No, Nada, Nay on Ethics Reform in Pasadena, Texas    January 2008
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• The U.S. Department of the Interior: A Model Ethical Workplace?    December 2007
• A Slippery Slope?    November 2007
• Those Three Little Words    October 2007
• Poor Judgment is not Unethical!    September 2007
• With-holding Information -- Is It Ethical?    August 2007
• San Diego on the Move!    July 2007
• City of Progress III    June 2007
• City of Progress II    May 2007
• City of Progress I    April 2007
• Ethics and Judges    March 2007
• When the Boss Marries a Subordinate    February 2007
• Politics Trumps Ethical Oversight    January 2007
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• Should You or Shouldn't You Accept a Pay Raise    December 2006
• Take the ASPA Ethics Quiz    November 2006
• The Unethical Fast Lane Isn't Cheap!    October 2006
• U.N. Ethics Office    September 2006
• Outsourcing City Management Ethics . . . New Age Leaders?    August 2006
• Sticks and Stones . . .     July 2006
• Bravo NASPAA!    June 2006
• MPA Student Code of Ethics    May 2006
• Moral Management: Fact or Fantasy?        April 2006
• Gifts and Lawmaking in Florida        March 2006
• Religious Expression in the Workplace    February 2006
• Codes and Oaths    January 2006
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• Mayors as Exemplars--fact or fiction?  December 2005
• Ethics Under-Pressure Training!    November 2005
• Building a City of Ethics    October 2005
• The Ethics of Privatizing Prison Services: Point/Counter-Point  September 2005
• Congressional Ethics--Missing in Action!  August 2005
• Privatization and Deathly Health Care in Prisons  July 2005
• Short Arm of the Law!  June 2005
• Holiday Ethics or Ethics on Holiday?  May 2005
• Goodbye Affirmative Action, Hello Diversity!  April 2005
• Moral Courage: Who Has It and Who Doesn't?  March 2005
• Hurricane Ethics?  February 2005
• Deception Management?  January 2005
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• When the County Knows Best -- or Does It?  December 2004
• Deception  November 2004
• Integrity at the United Nations  October 2004
• What would you do?  September 2004     Click HERE for reader responses
• Trusting Employees--should you or shouldn't you?  August 2004
• Greater Good versus Falsification  July 2004
• Product Endorsements: Are They Ethical or Unethical?  June 2004
• Knowingly Falsifying Documents for the Greater Good  May 2004
• What is a Whistle Blower to Do?  April 2004
• What's a Chapter President to Do?  March 2004
• Illinois' New Ethics Legislation  February 2004
• Dear Professor . . . I have an Offer You Can't Refuse  January 2004
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• Ethical Standards and Young Professionals  December 2003
• Academic Ethics on the Line?  November 2003
• Assessing the Ethical Judgment of a Potential Employee  October 2003
• Assessing the Ethical Judgment of an Employee--II  September 2003
• MBA Student Attitudes  August 2003
• Assessing the Ethical Judgment of an Employee  July 2003
• When a Team Member Cheats--Catch the Cheater!  June 2003
• What Should a City Manager Do When an Employee Behaves Badly Toward a Neighbor?  May 2003
• Planning Commissioner Erred Mightily  April 2003
• When a Team Member Cheats: Who Pays the Piper?  March 2003
• Ethics Trumps Law  February 2003

• Ethics, Duty, and Freedom of Speech  January 2003

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• Show me the money!  December 2002
• When is a deal a deal?  November 2002
• Does courage have a price tag?  October 2002
• To Obey or Not To Obey!  September 2002
• ASPA's Code of Ethics--Time to Change?  August 2002

• Where Corruption Lives: Visit the Sucker State!  July 2002

• Legal, Wrong . . . . or Morally Required?  June 2002
• Keep Your Nose Out of It!  May 2002
• Voice or Exit?  April 2002
• Mixing Romance and Housing in Tampa   March 2002
• When an MPA student becomes a felon   February 2002
• Are administrative and political public service mutually exclusive?   January 2002
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• Ignorance or Insider Trading: What's an Analyst to Do?   December 2001  See response in September 2004 PAT
• An ethics hierarchy?   November 2001
• Good versus Evil!   October 2001
• Should spirituality be taught?   September 2001
• Gifts and Recruitment Ethics?   August 2001
• ASPA's Code Makes a Difference   July 2001
• Stacking the deck   June 2001
• Ethics Advice: Who Needs It?   May 2001
• Should we or shouldn't we censure and expel?   April 2001
• Is ASPA's Code of Ethics Relevant and Practical?   March 2001
• Censures and Expulsions   February 2001
• Ethics and Politics in the Florida Presidential Count   January 2001
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• Illinois Ethics Law Trashed   December 2000
• Politics and managerial ethics: vote and voice but do not run for office!   November 2000
• Toilet Paper Ethics  October 2000
• Business Ethics  September 2000 
• Honesty and Ethical Standards   August 2000
• Truth Telling: What is it?   July 2000
• Always Tell the Truth?  June 2000
• Coach, Friend, or Counselor?  May 2000
• The Public Manager as Consultant: Value Added or Subtracted?  April 2000
• Did You Pass or Fail the Ethics Test?  March 2000
• Public Managers as Private Consultants  February 2000
• Ethics Test for Local Government Employees  January 2000
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• Diplomas for Sale?  December 1999
• Wanted: Old Time Loyalists with Professional Credentials  November 1999
• Merit or Cronyism?  October 1999
• State and Local Government Ethics Laws and Ordinances in California  September 1999
• The Chief-of-Staff's Daughter  August 1999
• Ethics Boards -- Coming and Going in Illinois!  July 1999
• Sexually Explicit Material on the Internet  June 1999
• Banning Gifts -- An Illinois Happening!  May 1999
• Drawing the Line  April 1999
• Advice to the Finance Director -- Stay Out of It!  March 1999
• When the Chief Asks You to Lie  February 1999
• A Purely Private Matter?  January 1999
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• Allowable Lies?  December 1998
• An ASPA Ethics Moment  November 1998
• Going Along to Get Along  October 1998
• When your supervisor calls   September 1998
• Internet use or abuse?   August 1998
• Managing romance in the office?   July 1998
• Hiring your supervisor's friend   June 1998
• Should ethics exams be used to screen job applicants?   May 1998
• Romance in the office--what's a manager to do?   April 1998
• A late night surprise!   March 1998
• Needed Ethics or Manners for Elected Officials?  February 1998
• When the Findings Don't Jive !  January 1998
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• Punishing a Good Deed?  December 1997
• To Praise or Not to Praise !  November 1997
• Zeroing-out a Game  October 1997
• Evaluations and Promotions Get Sticky Sometimes  September 1997
• Professors, Students and Dollars  August 1997
• Is ASPA's Code of Ethics Not Useful?  July 1997
• Is ASPA's Code of Ethics Useful?  June 1997
• The Appearance of Virtual Impropriety (?)  May 1997
• Hi-Tech Entrepreneurialism at Its Best or Worst?  April 1997
• Are Appearances Just as Real as Facts?  March 1997
• Needed Ethics or Manners for Elected Officials?   February 1997

ASPA  Ethics Section