The Ethics Primer for Public Administrators in Government and Nonprofit Organizations

James Svara taught courses in politics and public administration over a forty-year career at UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina State University, and Arizona State University. His research has examined the roles and responsibilities of elected and administrative officials in local government, the complementary relationship of politics and administration, administrative ethics, innovation, citizen involvement, and sustainability. He co-chaired the Working Group that drafted the revised Code of Ethics of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) approved in 2013, and he was appointed the inaugural chairperson of the ASPA Ethics and Standards Implementation Committee in 2015. He has lived in Durham since 2012 and has been involved in community issues related to affordable housing and transit.

"The Ethics Primer for Government and Nonprofit Administrators is a concise introduction to the complex topic of administrative ethics that guides the student to align his or her own ethical commitments with the ethical standards of the field. Further, it helps the reader understand how to put these standards into practice as an individual administrator and as a leader of a public or nonprofit organization. Top 5 Problem-Oriented Features: 1. Grounds ethical behavior in key professional codes of ethics, especially the code of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA). 2. Clearly articulates the duties and responsibilities of public servants through the framework of the "ethics triangle" which draws on universal ethical standards that stress virtue, principles, and promoting good outcomes. 3. Drawing on the author's research on the relationship of politics and administration, it describes the role of administrators as based on a complementary relationship with elected officials or members of organizational boards of directors. 4. Uniquely draws a distinction between universal ethical principles and the distinct duties of public administrators 5. Explores techniques for ethical analysis and problem solving including a model to guide application of the ethical triangle to resolving a specific issue The Ethics Primer is a concise introduction to the complex topic of administrative ethics that guides the student to align his or her own ethical commitments with the ethical standards of the field. Further, it helps the reader understand how to put these standards into practice as an individual administrator and as a leader of a public or nonprofit organization. To a greater extent than other texts, it grounds ethical behavior in key professional codes of ethics, especially the code of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA). Codes articulate the duties and responsibilities of public servants. Duty is at the core of the "ethics triangle" that draws on universal ethical standards that stress virtue, principles, and promoting good outcomes"