One of the important responsibilities of municipal assemblies and school boards is public infrastructure, such as roads and schools. Especially for this responsibility, engineers bring skills, knowledge, and perspectives that can improve public decision making. Often the public role is a part-time one, engineers that fulfill it will also have full-time jobs as employees or owners of engineering firms.

(a) What are some of the ethical issues that can arise from conflicts between the public- and privatesector roles?

(b) What guidelines for process or outcomes are there in your hometown?

(c) Summarize and analyze an example situation from the local newspaper, your hometown newspaper, or a news magazine.