Public Ethics as a Duty to Follow Public Reasons. A Democratic Solution to Corruption

Abstract

Based on the Argentinian case, we argue that the prevailing notion of public ethics is focused on corruption, understood as the enrichment of the person who in a public office. Against this narrow notion of public ethics, we suggest understanding it as the duty to exercise the public responsibility according to public reasons. From this more comprehensive notion we derive three proposals to ensure an ethic public function. On the one side, a broader and precise regulation of conflicts of interests on public function. On the other side, the implementation of mechanism for social participation in the configuration and control of public decisions. Finally, our project demands an independent, autonomous and self-sufficient authority of application.

Note: Downloadable document is in Spanish.

Keywords: public ethics, corruption, conflict of interests, revolving door, deliberative democracy