Corruption and ethics--what's the difference? This presentation explores the similarities and differences between corruption and ethics.

1. Donald C. Menzel
President
Ethics Management International
&
Professor Emeritus
Public Administration
Northern Illinois University

2. Session Objective
 To have a conversation about a very, very important
subject so that
 We can make some meaningful distinctions
between unethical behavior and corrupt behavior.
 Let’s begin with some observations about ethics, law,
morality, and corruption.

3. Ethics
 Everybody knows something about ethics, is it not so?
 Life is an ethical journey of sorts.
 A Question I often ask: Is there anyone who has not,
never, never ever, lied, stolen, or cheated? Please raise
your hand!
 It’s the human condition, is it not?

6. MORALS
LAWS
ETHICS
VALUES
VALUES
VALUES
VALUES

7. Ethics
 Morality in action.
 Ethics are internal rules that guide one to follow or not
to follow external rules.
 Values and principles that guide right and wrong
behavior.

8. Three Components
 Values and principles
 Right/wrong
 Behavior

9. Values and Principles
 Values are things we attach worth to.
 A value can be an idea, object, practice, or most
anything else to which worth is attached. Of course,
ethics does not encompass all values. Consider money
or status as a value. Most people attach worth to
money and status, but we do not call them values that
are essential to a definition of ethics.
 Principles are guides to action—Golden Rule or treat
people with respect.

10. Behavior
 Ethics is not a spectator sport; it is a contact sport!
 Jimmy Carter in 1976

11. Right and Wrong
 The final perhaps most important component in defining
ethics is “right and wrong” behavior. In years past right and
wrong was typically the province of custom, tradition, and
religion. Indeed, one essential reason why ethics has
become increasingly important in the modern age is the
waning influence of custom, tradition, and religion. Right
and wrong are now firmly woven into the fabric of
professional occupations and individual choice. Thus right
and wrong can be viewed as residing within the individual
(some would even contend it is innate) or outside his or her
being such as prescribed by codes of ethics or law.

12. are values and principles that guide right and wrong
behavior.

14. Corruption Defined
 Something spoiled, defective, debased, tainted,
impure
 Behavior which deviates from the formal duties of a
public role because of private-regarding pecuniary or
status gains
 Intentional deviation for personal gain.
 To profit personally from public office.

15. “what is corruption?”

17. Bribery and graft
While bribery includes an intent to influence or be influenced by another
for personal gain, which is often difficult to prove, graft only requires
that the official gains something of value, not part of his official pay,
when doing his work.
Large "gifts" qualify as graft, and most countries have laws against it.
(For example, any gift over $200 value made to the President of the
United States is considered to be a gift to the Office of the Presidency
and not to the President himself. The outgoing President must buy it if
he or she wants to keep it.)
Another example of graft is a politician using his knowledge of zoning to
purchase land which he knows is planned for development, before this
is publicly known, and then selling it at a significant profit. This is
comparable to insider trading in business.

18. Other Forms of Corruption
 Forgery
 Embezzlement
 misuse of public funds
 Cronyism--patronage
 Non-performance of duties
 Influence peddling

19. Other Forms of Corruption
 Cover-ups
 Perjury
 Abuse of power
 Manipulation of regulations
 Vote buying and election rigging
 Acceptance of improper gifts

20. “where does corruption flourish?”
The most corrupt and patronage ridden
governments seem to be at the local level in many
countries, including developed countries such as
the United States and Germany.
Why?

21. The close cooperation between public
authorities and private interests limits
partisan politics and the oversight it
provides.

22. “Discretion Increases corrupt incentives.”
“what is the relationship between
discretion and corruption?”

23. “Do different cultures breed different
levels and types of corruption?”

24. “Subtle differences in culture and basic values
exist across the world. But there is one human
motivator that is both universal and central to
explaining the divergent experiences of
different countries.
That motivator is self-interest, including
interest in the well-being of one’s family and
peer group. Critics call it greed. . . .Endemic
corruption suggests a pervasive failure to tap
self-interest for productive purposes.” – Susan
Rose-Ackerman, Corruption and Government:
Causes, Consequences, and Reform, 1999

25. Discussion Questions
 Is it corrupt for officials to profit personally from
public office?
 What does it mean to reap personal gain when
serving in a public office?
 What about gifts? Should public officials practice
a “zero gifting” policy? Why? Or why not?

26. Thomas Jefferson
 When a man assumes a public trust, he should
consider himself a public property.

27. Donald C. Menzel
President
Ethics Management International
&
Professor Emeritus
Public Administration
Northern Illinois University