Supporting trustworthy decision-making in public and nonprofit organizations
Resource Links
General
Western City (League of California Cities) Everyday Ethics Column Archive.
Ethics Education
This 2022 Public Administration Times series describes a practical approach to ethics training (think of it as a tripod):
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Core Values as a Foundation for Thinking About Ethics Education, (March 14, 2022).
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First Tripod Leg: Ethical Awareness (June 13, 2022).
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Second Tripod Leg: Analysis (September 12, 2022).
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Third Tripod Leg: Action (December 12, 2022).
This March 2023 Public Law Journal article (email us if you need a pdf version because of paywall), explored options for enhancing California-required ethics training for local officials.
Codes of Ethics
Institute for Local Government, Developing a Local Agency Ethics Code: A Process-Oriented Guide (2003). Examples of applications.
City of Santa Clara Code of Ethics and Values Case Study
Behavioral Ethics
This article in the March 2023 issue of Public Management Magazine explains the brain science of ethical missteps, and why it is a mistake to think organizational ethics will take care of itself.
These Public Administration Times articles explore a variety of behavioral ethics topics in the public service context:
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"Just in Case Thinking: Lessons from a Public Agency Embezzlement Scandal" (March 2023).
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"The Ethics of Receiving Gifts in Public Service: What Does the Science Say?" (June 2023).
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"Ethical Decision-making: Avoiding the Rationalization Trap" (September 2023).
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"Loyalty as an Ethical Value in Public Service" (December 2023).
Organizational Culture and Ethics Assessments
Speers, J "Actionable Strategies for Prioritizing Ethics in State and Local Public Service" Delivered at American Society for Public Administration 2025 Spring Conference (March 2025--click here for Executive Summary)
Jacobs, R. "Building an Ethical Culture in Public Service Agencies," Public Administration Times (December 5, 2014).
Risher, H. "The Overlooked Key to Performance Improvement: Culture Change," Public Administration Times (April 21, 2017).
Institute for Local Government, "Promoting a Culture of Ethics at City Hall," Western City Magazine (August 2006).
International County-City Management Association and Institute for Local Government, Ethics Culture Assessment Tool (2006).
Campaign Ethics
UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies book Win the Right Way: How to Run Effective Local Campaigns in California (2005)
The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics:
The Institute for Local Government (ILG) webpage on campaign ethics: https://www.ca-ilg.org/campaigning-office
Bookshelf
Bazerman and Tenbrunsel, Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It (2011)
Bazerman, Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop (2022)
Biasucci and Prentice, Behavioral Ethics in Practice: Why We Sometimes Make the Wrong Decisions (2020)
Blanchard and O’Connor, Managing by Values: How to Put Your Values in Action for Extraordinary Results (2003)
Carter, Civility: Manners, Morals and the Etiquette of Democracy (1998)
Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t (2001)
Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow (2011)
Kidder, How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living (1995)
Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009)
Organizations
US Office of Governmental Ethics, https://www.oge.gov/.
Council on Governmental Ethics Laws, https://www.cogel.org/
California Fair Political Practices Commission, https://www.fppc.ca.gov/