Ethics in Policy and Administration

1. To facilitate the reconciliation of secret dirty deeds with democratic values and processes, Thompson advocates the vigorous use of three methods: retrospection, generalization, and mediation. Indeed, Thompson argues that if these mechanisms are competently applied, they would eliminate entirely the problem of dirty hands. Define and explain each of these mechanisms, examine their applicability (i.e., explain how Thompson is proposing to employ them), and assess the effectiveness (i.e., review their strengths and the weaknesses).

2. Define the following concepts: political science, politics, power, government, public policy, and political ethics, and explain the relationship between them. List and explain the four models of representation, and the five terms by which the Constitution identifies federalism. How are all of these concepts relevant to the study of political ethics? Do they contribute or hinder the application of ethics in the function of the institutions and the conduct of political leaders and administrators.