Theoretical Implications of a Clean Government
Chung-Yi Lin*, Ruei-Feng Wang**
Abstract
Our government faces serious challenges on maintaining integrity and competence. Public officials who have moral competence and professional skill are the cornerstone of a clean goverment. For this reason, the core competence of public officials should not confine to professional skill, but extend to moral competence and prudence. According to James S. Bowman et al. viewpoints, the professional edge must contain the skills triangle: technical competencies, leadership competencies, and ethical competencies. Furthermore, while J. Patrick Dobel discussing public integrity, triangle of judgment would compass the legal-institutional model, the personal-responsibility model, and the effectiveness or implementation model.
However, in applying moral competence, we encounter the ethical dilemma. Building public trust in the public service is our direction of governmental operation. But, when integrity and competence are not compatible, which sway first priority in logic of concern is the issue of decision making. Kouzes & Posner's empirical study, implication of administrative ethical codes in America, and Covey & Merrill's trust theory imply that the realization of a clean government depends on moral competence at first and then professional skill.
Keywords: public trust, skills triangle, judgment triangle, ethical triangle, ethical dilemma
* Professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy, National Taipei University.
**Ph.D. Student, Department of Public Administration and Policy, National Taipei University.