Unit 10: Daily Operations of Government, Lobbying, Campaigns and Elections
In this final unit, you will examine common ethical dilemmas faced by public servants and officials in their daily work, as well as issues specific to campaigns and elections. What restrictions should be placed on acceptance of gifts and favors? What duties and responsibilities do public servants and officials owe to citizens? How are ethical issues investigated? How are ethical regulations enforced? What restrictions should be placed on donations to political campaigns or efforts to lobby policymakers?
Each of these dilemmas may be examined under the five frameworks discussed in Unit 2, sometimes resulting in different outcomes. You will see which frameworks lawmakers, judges, and officials tend to apply to different types of issues and circumstances. Understanding how these dilemmas are approached and resolved in practice is important for students of political science and public policy; it is also essential knowledge for those planning to enter the legal, public service, or lobbying professions.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 11 hours.
Unit 10 Assessment
For this assessment, you will draft a 1- to 2-page memo based on the prompts and instructions contained in the assignment. Once you have done so, check your work against the guide to responding.