Causative and Enabling Factors in Public Integrity: A Focus on Leadership, Institutions, and Character Formation

Abstract

The growing recognition of the threat posed by ethical violations accounts for the attention being given to public integrity programs in different parts of the world. The focus of the programs is mainly on the demarcation of ethics boundaries, the elaboration of codes of acceptable conduct in public life, and the role of leadership in championing the cause of ethical compliance and punishing deviations. This article argues that while ethical codification and leadership might suffice in upholding the ideals of public service in some countries, achieving a consistently high ethical standard in countries on the negative side of the “rectitude scale” requires that the rudiments of public morality be instilled in the entire citizenry. For the latter set of countries, therefore, “going back to basics” is a prerequisite for the success of ethical codification, enforcement, and monitoring efforts as well as the effectiveness of the complementary leadership acts.