Administrative Values and Ethics
O
Oiyo Contributor
Chapter 3: Administrative Values and Ethics
Whom should the administration serve, and toward what should it move? Administrative values provide the grounds for the legitimacy of administrative actions.
1. Intrinsic vs. Instrumental Values
Administrative values are divided into ‘Intrinsic Values’, which are ends in themselves, and ‘Instrumental Values’, which are tools for achieving those goals.
(1) Intrinsic Values (Ultimate Ends)
- Public Interest: The interests of society as a whole.
- Substantive View: Public interest is a distinct entity beyond the sum of private interests.
- Procedural View: Public interest is the result of compromise and adjustment among private interests.
- Justice: According to John Rawls, justice requires that social and economic inequalities be arranged to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged (Difference Principle).
- Social Equity: Emphasized by New Public Administration in the 1960s, it focuses on preferential care for the disadvantaged.
2. Instrumental Values (Means)
| Value | Definition | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | Ratio of Input to Output | Mechanical (thrift) vs. Social (including democracy) |
| Effectiveness | Degree of goal attainment | Emphasized in Developmental Administration |
| Legality | Administration according to law | Rule of Law principle |
| Democracy | Reflection of people’s will | Transparency and participation |
3. Administrative Ethics and Responsibility
To secure trust in government, public officials must maintain high ethical standards.
- Internal Responsibility: A public official’s conscience and professional ethics.
- External Responsibility: External control by the legislature, courts, and citizens.
John Rawls’ Second Principle of Justice (The Difference Principle) Social and economic inequalities are only justified if they result in compensating benefits for everyone, and in particular for the least advantaged members of society.
Key Checklist
- Which view sees the public interest as a byproduct of compromise among private interests? (Answer: Procedural View)
- What value refers to the ratio of outputs to inputs? (Answer: Efficiency)
- In Rawls’ Theory of Justice, who is the primary target of concern? (Answer: The least advantaged)
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