political ethics
Statecraft moral standards
Political ethics is the branch of ethics concerned with the moral conduct of political actors and institutions.
It examines questions about the proper use of power, the obligations of public officials, the legitimacy of political means and ends, and the boundaries between acceptable strategy and corruption.
The scandal raised serious questions about political ethics in campaign finance.
The field spans everything from individual integrity in office to systemic issues like gerrymandering, lobbying, and the ethics of warfare.
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- whistleblowingExposing hidden wrongdoing internally
- transparencyState of being see-through
equality · impartiality · nepotism · revolving door · special interests · checks and balances · separation of powers · social contract · public discourse · conflict of interest · dark money · campaign finance · moral authority · moral compass · civic engagement · voting · Machiavelli · accountability
political ethicspolitical corruption
Officials exploiting public power
Machiavellianism · cronyism · kleptocracy · tyranny · realpolitik