Books of Interest

Most books of relevance to local government ethics deal with administrative ethics, that is, the ethical behavior of government administrators, rather than with conflicts or government ethics programs. However, they do deal partially with government ethics, and it is valuable to see how government ethics fits in the larger context of administrative ethics. Most of the books on government ethics deal primarily with the federal and state levels; the ones that focus on local government are either old or international.

The books on this list are not necessarily recommended. I have included them here primarily to show what has been written in the field. I also include a list of interesting and valuable books that are not directly about government ethics, but which I have written about in my blog (most of them, at least) and which would make a nice addition to the reading lists of those involved in government ethics.

Government Ethics

  1. Cody, W. J., Michael and Richardson R. Lynn, Honest Government: An Ethics Guide for Public Service (Praeger, 1992)
  2. El-Ayouty, Yassin, Kevin J. Ford, and Mark Davies eds., Government Ethics and Law Enforcement: Toward Global Guidelines (Praeger, 2000)
  3. Gardiner, John A. and Theodore R. Lyman, Decisions for Sale: Corruption and Reform in Land-Use and Building Regulation (Praeger, 1978)
  4. _______________ and David J. Olson eds, Theft of the City: Readings on Corruption in Urban America (Indiana UP, 1974)
  5. Genovese, Michael A. and Victoria Farrar-Meyers, eds., Corruption and American Politics (Cambria, 2011)
  6. Johnson, Roberta Ann, Whistleblowing: When It Works — and Why (Rienner, 1993)
  7. Klitgaard, Robert, Ronald Mclean-Abaroa & H. Lindsey Parris, Corrupt Cities: A Practical Guide to Cure and Prevention (ICS Press, 2000)(International)
  8. Levine, Gregory J., Municipal Ethics Regimes (Municipal World, 2009)(Canada)
  9. MacKenzie, G. Calvin and Michael Hafken, Scandal Proof: Do Ethics Laws Make Government Ethical? (Brookings Instution, 2002)
  10. Moore, Don A. et al, Conflicts of Interest (Cambridge, 2005)
  11. Morgan, Peter W. and Glenn H. Reynolds, The Appearance of Impropriety: How the Ethics Wars Have Undermined American Government, Business, and Society (Free Press, 1997)
  12. Painter, Richard, Getting the Government America Deserves: How Ethics Reform Can Make a Difference (Oxford UP, 2009)
  13. Rose-Ackerman, Susan, Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences and Reform (Cambridge UP, 1999)
  14. Rosenson, Beth A, The Shadowlands of Conduct: Ethics and State Politics (Georgetown UP, 2005)
  15. Salkin, Patricia E., Ethical Standards in the Public Sector: A Guide for Government Lawyers, Clients, and Public Officials (American Bar Association Section on State and Local Government Law, 1999)
  16. Sherman, Ted & Josh Margolin, The Jersey Sting (St. Martin’s, 2011)
  17. Thompson, Dennis F., Ethics in Congress: From Individual to Institutional Corruption (Brookings Institution, 1995)
  18. _________________, Political Ethics and Public Office (Harvard UP, 1987)
  19. _________________, Restoring Responsibility: Ethics in Government, Business, and Healthcare (Cambridge UP, 2004)

Administrative Ethics

  1. Berman, Evan M., Jonathan P. West, and Stephen J. Bonczek, eds, The Ethics Edge (International City/County Managers Association, 1998)
  2. Bowman, James S. ed., Ethical Frontiers in Public Management: Seeking New Strategies for Resolving Ethical Dilemmas (Jossey-Bass, 1994)
  3. _______________ and Donald C. Menzel ed., Teaching Ethics and Values in Public Administration Programs: Innovations, Strategies, and Issues (SUNY Albany, 1996)
  4. _______________ and Frederick A. Elliston ed., Ethics, Government, and Public Policy: A Reference Guide (Greenwood, 1988)
  5. Bruce, Willa ed., Classics of Administrative Ethics (Westview/American Society for Public Administration, 2001)
  6. Ciulla, Joanne, The Ethics of Leadership (Wadsworth, 2003)
  7. Cooper, Terry L, The Responsible Administrator, 6th Edition (Jossey-Bass, 2012)
  8. _____________, and Donald Menzel eds, Achieving Ethical Competence for Public Service Leadership (M. E. Sharpe, 2013)
  9. _____________, An Ethic of Citizenship for Public Administration (Prentice Hall, 1991)
  10. _____________ ed., Handbook of Administrative Ethics (Marcel Dekker, 2001)
  11. _____________ and D. N. Wright eds, Exemplary Public Administrators: Character and Leadership in Government (Jossey-Bass, 1992)
  12. Denhardt, Kathryn G., The Ethics of Public Service (Greenwood, 1988)
  13. Dobel, J. Patrick, Public Integrity (Johns Hopkins, 2001)
  14. Fleishman, Joel, Lance Liebman, and Mark Moore eds, Public Duties: The Moral Obligations of Government Officials (Harvard, 1981)
  15. Frederickson, H. George, The Spirit of Public Administration (Jossey-Bass, 1997)
  16. ____________________, Public Administration with an Attitude (American Society for Public Administration, 2005)
  17. ____________________ ed., Ethics in Public Management (Sharpe, 2005)
  18. Gawthrop, Louis C., Public Sector Management, Systems and Ethics (Indiana UP, 1984)
  19. Geuras, Dean and Charles Garofalo, Practical Ethics in Public Administration (Management Concepts, 2005)
  20. Kellar, Elizabeth K. ed., Ethical Insight, Ethical Action: Perspectives for the Local Government Manager (International City/County Managers Association, 1988)
  21. Lewis, Carol W., The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem-Solving Guide, 3rd Edition (American Society for Public Administration/Jossey Bass, 2012)
  22. Morrison, Don A. and Jennifer Gilliland, Ethics: Honesty and Fairness in the Public Service (Local Government Institute, 1997)
  23. Menzel, Donald C., Ethics Management for Public Administrators: Building Organizations of Integrity, 2nd Edition (M.E. Sharpe, 2012)
  24. Mertins, Herman, Jr., Frances Burke, Gerald M. Pops, and Robert W. Kweit, Applying Standards and Ethics in the 21st Century: A Workbook and Study Guide for Public Administrators (American Society for Public Administration, 1998)
  25. Price, Terry L., Understanding Ethical Failures in Leadership (Cambridge UP, 2006)
  26. Richter, William L., Frances Burke, and Jameson W. Doig, eds, Combatting Corruption/Encouraging Ethics: A Sourcebook for Public Sector Ethics (American Society for Public Administration, 2007)
  27. Steinberg, Sheldon S. and David T. Austern, Government, Ethics, and Managers: A Guide to Solving Ethical Dilemmas in the Public Sector (Praeger, 1990)
  28. Svara, James H., The Ethics Primer for Public Administrators in Government and Non-Profit Organizations (Jones & Bartlett, 2006)
  29. West, Jonathan P. and Evan M. Berman, The Ethics Edge (International City/County Managers Association, 2006)

Government Attorney Ethics

  1. Luban, David, Lawyers and Justice: An Ethical Study (Princeton, 1988)
  2. Rhode, Deborah L ed, Ethics in Practice: Lawyers’ Roles, Responsibilities, and Regulation (Oxford UP, 2000)
  3. Salkin, Patricia E., Ethical Standards in the Public Sector: A Guide for Government Lawyers, Clients, and Public Officials (American Bar Association Section on State and Local Government Law, 1999)
  4. Zitrin, Richard and Carol M. Langford, The Moral Compass of the American Lawyer: Truth, Justice, Power, and Greed (Ballantine, 1999)

 

Other Valuable Titles

  1. Bailey, F.G., Kingdom of Individuals (Cornell UP, 1993)
  2. Bazerman, Max H. and Ann E. Tenbrunsel, Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do about It (Princeton UP, 2011)
  3. Cutler, Hugh Mercer, Ethical Argument: Critical Thinking in Ethics (Oxford UP, 2004)
  4. Gentile, Mary C., Giving Voice to Values: How to Speak Your Mind When You Know What’s Right (Yale UP, 2010)
  5. Gottlieb, Robert and Margaret Fitzsimmon, Thirst for Growth: Water Agencies as Hidden Government in California (Univ. of Arizona Press, 1991)
  6. Haidt, Jonathan, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (Pantheon, 2012)
  7. Hirschman, Albert O, Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (Harvard UP, 1970)
  8. Hyde, Lewis, The Gift (Random House, 1983)
  9. Jacobs, Jane, Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics (Random House, 1993)
  10. Janis, Irving L., Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes (Houghton Mifflin, 1982)
  11. Johnson, Peter, Frames of Deceit: A Study of the Loss and Recovery of Public and Private Trust (Cambridge UP, 1992)
  12. Kidder, Rushworth, Moral Courage (Morrow, 2005)
  13. Lazare, Aaron, On Apology (Oxford UP, 2004)
  14. Neiman, Susan, Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up Idealists (Princeton UP, 2008)
  15. Uslaner, Eric, The Moral Foundations of Trust (Cambridge UP, 2002)
  16. Wolgast, Elizabeth, Ethics of an Artificial Person: Lost Responsibility in Professions and Organizations (Stanford UP, 1992)
  17. Zimbardo, Philip, The Lucifer Effect (Random House, 2007)