Public Administration Ethics in the Age of Trump

Abstract

The politics/administration dichotomy holds that the duty of civil servants is to faithfully carry out the legitimate directives of the president and policy making political appointees. The reaction of some civil servants to policies of the Trump administration has challenged the obligations of the politics/administration to a greater degree than in most other recent administrations. This paper analyzes the options available to civil servants who strongly feel that administration policies are illegal, unethical, or unwise. It suggests a range of options, from the use of ordinary avenues of objection, to more active resistance, to drastic actions or obstruction. The presumption is that civil servants owe their obedience to policy directives. This paper explores exceptions to that presumption in both career civil servants and political appointees.