Types and Levels of Public Morality

The public servant is morally bound, just as are other persons, to tell the truth, to keep promises, to respect the person and property of others, and to abide by the requirements of the law. The ethical problems associated with conflicts of interest in the public service are even more complex and difficult. Among the most difficult and subtle of the public service conflict of interest problems are those relating to the obvious and inevitable interest of a person or group or party to win elections. The effort to provide some degree of protection for the clients against the potential arrogance of officials is one of the reasons why procedural fairness is one of the central components of public morality. In addition to the need to protect citizens against the corrupting power of the state officialdom, there is another important ground for a procedural component of public morality.