Obama's Ethics Agenda: The Challenge of Coordinated Change
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Dennis F. Thompson
Obama's "ethics agenda" is the most ambitious ever set out by a new administration. It promises a tougher approach not only to the usual problems such as conflict of interest and the revolving door, but also to broader challenges such as political influence on career officials and lack of transparency in government. The goals of the agenda are a step forward insofar as they focus more on improving the democratic process than disciplining political miscreants. But the means relied on to carry out the goals are less impressive. They perpetuate a major deficiency of the current ethics regime—its disjointedness, which undermines the transparency and accountability necessary for a robust democracy. What is needed is a coordinated approach, led from the White House itself, that takes a more comprehensive view of ethics regulation throughout the government.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction
- The Obama Administration: Setting Up a Government
- Article
- Presidential Voting and the Local Variability of Economic Hardship
- The Legitimacy of Inexperience: Leadership from Outside
- Cautionary Tales from the Clinton Administration: First Year Lessons the New Democratic President Can Learn from the Last One
- Mandates, Honeymoons, and the Obama Administration
- Who Gets What Now? Interest Groups under Obama
- The Leadership Style of Barack Obama: An Early Assessment
- Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, and the Future of the "New American Party System"
- Obama's Ethics Agenda: The Challenge of Coordinated Change
- Obama and the Federal Judiciary: Great Expectations but Will He Have a Dickens of a Time Living up to Them?
- Understanding the Obama Presidency
- Turning the Tables: Individual Contributions, Member Contributions, and the Changing Campaign Finance Environment
- Review
- Review of Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State: Why Americans Vote the Way They Do
- Review of Congressional Travels: Places, Connections, and Authenticity
Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction
- The Obama Administration: Setting Up a Government
- Article
- Presidential Voting and the Local Variability of Economic Hardship
- The Legitimacy of Inexperience: Leadership from Outside
- Cautionary Tales from the Clinton Administration: First Year Lessons the New Democratic President Can Learn from the Last One
- Mandates, Honeymoons, and the Obama Administration
- Who Gets What Now? Interest Groups under Obama
- The Leadership Style of Barack Obama: An Early Assessment
- Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, and the Future of the "New American Party System"
- Obama's Ethics Agenda: The Challenge of Coordinated Change
- Obama and the Federal Judiciary: Great Expectations but Will He Have a Dickens of a Time Living up to Them?
- Understanding the Obama Presidency
- Turning the Tables: Individual Contributions, Member Contributions, and the Changing Campaign Finance Environment
- Review
- Review of Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State: Why Americans Vote the Way They Do
- Review of Congressional Travels: Places, Connections, and Authenticity
