Exemplary public administrators

C. Everett Koop, William D. Ruckelshaus, Marie Ragghianti, Elsa Porter, George C. Marshall--what do these and other exemplary public administrators have to teach us? Through their life and work they have set high standards of conduct in public service, and offer models of character and leadership at work in government. An exploration and analysis of how the qualities of leadership and character are manifested in the public workplace, this book provides a set of concrete examples of how such virtues as integrity, fortitude, dedication to service, and concern for the public welfare are lived out on the job. Embodied in the daily activities of public servants, the authors reveal, are examples of both brief, highly dramatic acts of courage--whistle blowing, the refusal to go along with an unethical or illegal command--and the more routine, even plodding, expressions of inconspicuous virtue which establish a pattern of integrity in the ongoing work of public administration. The authors present eleven case studies of public administrators which illustrate how today's managers can provide models and systems that promote ethical conduct in public service.