political ethics

Trump Presidency: Disruptor on Steroids

Has Trump Crossed a “Bridge Too Far?” It should come as no surprise that I label President Trump as a disruptor. His presidency got started when he decided to mix things up, tear things down, make bold moves that could be called reckless. In other words, he was like a “bull in a china shop.” […]

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Is Trump an Isolationist or Interventionist?

What’s the End Game? Most of Americans thought President Donald Trump was an isolationist when he ran for President in 2016. It was one reason he got elected. Americans were tired of endless wars, including incursions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who could forget the site of our troops leaving that country under President Biden’s orders,

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Trump’s Decision to Accept the Qatari Plane for Air Force One Smells Bad

Ethics Run Amok President Trump’s decision for the U.S. government to accept an airplane from Qatar valued at almost $400 million to serve as Air Force One raises many ethical issues. Before examining those issues, here is a summary of what led up to the decision including why Trump decided to do it, widespread criticisms

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Bringing Civility Back to the Classroom

Can Civility Be Measured in a Non-Academic Sense? I recently read a piece by Sarah D. Sparks, Colleges Will Give a Leg Up to Students Who Demonstrate Civility,  posted on Education Week, that some colleges are going to give a “leg up” to certain applicants, based on civility determinations, which will provide a preferential advantage in the admissions process.

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Trump’s Attack on Harvard University Has Created a Chilling Effect

Federal Funding of Universities and DEI Programs Under Attack Last week I blogged about the accomplishments and questionable actions by President Donald Trump during his first 100 days in office. I did not tackle the question of the fairness of cutting federal funding to the elite and other universities because of the way they oversaw student behavior

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Trump is Accelerating the Removal of Agency Heads: Should We Be Concerned?

Trump Removes Top Government Ethics Official By now you have likely heard that President Trump removed the head of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) from his post in one of many executive orders issued since he took office just three weeks ago. The agency’s director, David Huitema, was confirmed to the post by the

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The Lost Art of Civility Revisited

Can We Save Society from Rampant Incivility? By age sixteen, George Washington had copied out by hand, 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation.  They are based on a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595.  The first rule is: “Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of

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