Government and Ethics Essay

Ethics is the study of what is right and what is wrong. In our daily lives were continuously forced to make simple and important decisions. Ethics help to guide people’s behavior and assist them in coming to conclusions. There is not an exact rule to what is morally correct because some people view things differently but by having a general since of what is ethically appropriate it can help a society function in a civilized manner. The role of government in ethics, and the role of ethics in government are very important concepts in forming that civilized society. In a society there are laws and there are ethics; however there is a considerable difference between the two you cannot have one without the other. Laws are what the government determines right and wrong. Ethics are what the majority of society determines as appropriate. The laws of a society can only state what a person can and cannot do. But they do not cover the in between. Ethics cover the gray areas and indicate what is accepted in a society. Ethics are personal laws they help people make the choice between what is morally right and wrong. Morals help to make a society more civilized and stable. Even though there is a strong distinction between ethics and laws you cannot have one without the other. Laws are not possible without ethics. In the textbook Thinking Critical about Ethical Issues author Ruggiero states, â€Å"The only way for a law to be enacted or repealed is for one or more people to make a decision about right and wrong. That has always been true, whether the lawmaker was the chieftain of a nomadic band or tribe, a king or queen, or a group of elected officials† (Ruggerio, 2008). To determine what is unlawful lawmakers need determine what is moral or immoral. The majority of people in a society determine ethical values. But the idea of majority rule can be very dangerous when determining what is ethically correct. In many cases the majority does not specifically base their decision based on what is morally right or wrong. So in return the majority’s choice is not always perfect, and in many cases can be very ignorant. In a lot of occasions the majority rule often equals mob rule. People often forget to determine what is morally sound for the masses and instead determine what is right for them. Majority rule can also influence lawmakers. Laws are determined by what the masses determine as right or wrong. A good example of when majority rule was not necessarily right is that of slavery. The greater part of society believed that slavery was ethical, and that above all the right to do. And because people thought slavery was right laws portrayed these thoughts. Even though slavery hurt the minority the laws were still in place. Majority rules can infringe on an individuals rights. In many instances the idea of the majority rule needs to be altered to guarantee that the rights of the minority are still being represented. Everyone has obligations whether it is to our family, friends, or employer. Just like individuals the government has obligations to the people that it is serving. In the textbook Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues author Ryan Ruggerio defines obligations as, â€Å"restrictions on our behavior, demands to do something or to avoid doing it† (Ruggerio, 2008). The government is obligated to be fair and just. The laws that are being determined by the officials need to be sure that they are not infringing on others rights. Besides the government as a whole the elected officials have a personal obligation to the citizens that they serve. They need to be sure that they are behaving appropriately. That their decisions are made based on what is good for the community or country that they are making decisions for. Voters put their trust into these individuals, they vote for them based on the thought that they will serve our country in a morally appropriate manner and make ethical decisions that will better us and the world we live in. Obligations can be difficult and sometimes conflicting especially when dealing with moral issues that will affect such a large majority of people. Sometimes when deciding on a law the answer may not be so clear-cut. More than one obligation can exist in any given situation. When obligations are conflicting in governmental situations it is important to analyze the decision in question. The options and consequences must be weighed. It is crucial to look at the situation and the morals that will be involved. What options do lawmakers have when making this important choice? With every moral situation there are options on what different can be taken. The second step is to consider how the choice will affect others. Governmental decisions need to consider how it will affect every individual in the society not just one specific group. Besides make sure the decision is lawful for all it is important to try and understand how the individuals in the society will feel and their thoughts about a given situation. Lawmakers have that obligation to their voters. It is not about doing what is solely right for the government but about doing is ethically correct for everyone. It is important to consider the trickle down affect. If the government makes a certain decision than this may happen, and in return than maybe this. It is crucial to understand the broad consequences as well. And what the longer-term effects will be on the society as a whole. The government has an obligation to the citizens in the society, but I believe the citizens also have an obligation to the government and to each other. In Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues author Ryan Ruggerio states, â€Å"The United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights contains similar references to rights. It begins, for example, by declaring that â€Å"human rights should be protected by the rule of law† and goes on to say that all human beings â€Å"should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood† (Ruggerio, 2008). Most ethical issues deal with how something makes us feel and fulfilling our personal or humanistic needs and desires. It is crucial for individuals to be informed about the decision or opposition they are taking. This insures that what you are preaching or voting on is something that you truly believe in. In many cases it is about the individual or a group of individuals giving lawmakers the ideas in order to create positive change. Change can happen because of a leader in the community. This idea can be sometimes pose problems. It can be difficult because the majority does not specifically base their decision based on what is morally right or wrong. So in return the majority’s choice is not always perfect, and in many cases can be very ignorant. In a lot of occasions the majority rule often equals mob rule. People often forget to determine what morally sound for the masses and instead determine what is right for them. If you follow the â€Å"mob† you are not thinking for yourself. In return you are not standing up for what you believe is morally correct and you may be following a negative concept or idea. While meeting their obligations governmental officials must write and past laws for the people in the society. When establishing new laws lawmakers need to go a little further and consult the ethical ideas of the society. If they did not have this concept of what is morally correct laws would not have a strong influence on individual behaviors. It would fail to connect with the people in the society in return not hold much weight. Making many laws ignored by the society. In order to form laws we need a sense of what is deemed morally correct by the culture we are creating them for. The first step governmental officials must do when making a decision for the society is to find and be aware of the problem that they are trying to fix. The second step in the decision making process towards a high-quality choice is to analyze the problem and its causes. During this process they must ask questions to find the real root of your problem. In the textbook Applying Psychology author Andrew J. Dubrin states, â€Å"Many decisions prove to be poor decisions because the underlying or true problem was not resolved† (Durbin, 2004). Lawmakers must be able to understand what is going on so that you can properly guide your actions. Once they have fully looked at every aspect of the problem it is important to search for creative alternatives. This is crucial in order for them to make appropriate decision for everyone in the society. Poor decisions are often made when this is not done. With more choices lawmakers will be able to come to a wiser conclusion. Once they have thought of possible choices a decision must be made on the one that best suits the masses. It is imperative to think of the pros and cons of all the alternatives that had previously been thought of. Each one should be thought of with the same amount of deliberation, so that it can be sure that the right choice has been made. Lawmaker’s then implement the decision that has been made. One of the most important steps in lawmaking comes at the end of the decision making process. The final step is to evaluate the decision that has been made. Lawmakers must look at what they have decided and see if the results are what had been expected. If they are not happy with the solution and it is not working properly for the individuals that it was made for than they might have a new problem on their hands and have to start to work through the steps of problem solving again to find a new answer to the issue. Reflection is also a way to evaluate a law decided on so that you officials can strengthen any weaknesses so they will be ready when they are faced with a new problem that needs solving. After laws have been instituted it is important to ensure that the lawmakers are also behaving morally appropriate. We as voters exercise our ethical choices every time we go to the polls and vote for our appointed officials. But what is holding them responsible for behaving in an ethical manner after they have already won an election. After the Watergate Scandal in 1978 the Ethics in Government Act was put into affect. The Ethics in Government Act forced restrictions on finances of government officials and lobbyist. After this act was passed the Office of Government Ethics was established. This agency is a branch of the executive government. It helps to prevent and determine resolutions to problems existing within in this branch of government. The agency puts responsibility on government employees and helps to stop divergence in interests. Within the Office of Government Ethics there is four different subdivisions. Ethics help to guide people’s behavior and assist them in coming to conclusions. There is not an exact rule to what is morally correct because some people view things differently but by having a general since of what is ethically appropriate it can help a society function in a civilized manner. The role of government in ethics, and the role of ethics in government are very important concepts in forming that civilized society. The government as a whole and its elected officials has an obligation to make morally appropriate decisions for every individual in the society.