Discussion:
In a 1996 article entitled "Toward a Theory of the Ethics of Bureaucratic Organizations, Allen Buchanan argues that "bureaucratic organizations" should be seen as "complex webs of principal/agent relationships. So an adequate theory of ethics for bureaucratic organizations would centre on the reductions of agency risks. Buchanan lists the following as typical risks faced by bureaucratic organizations:
Outright misappropriation of resource, goal substitution (cases where bureaucrats covertly pursue their own goals...under the guise of implementing authorized policies), passive opposition to policies, shirking (substituting leisure or the pursuit of other unauthorized activities for compensated work times), and expertise imperialism (e.g., treating ethical problems as if they were simply economical issues).
In your view, should leaders in the public service pursue the "greatest good for the greatest number," or follow a set of moral rules when they make decisions involving difficult ethical issues? Explain. You may identify current events/situations relevant to any particular aspect of ethical behavior in public administration.