ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT - FROM A WINTER OF DESPAIR TO A SPRING OF HOPE

This study examines changing attitudes about ethics in government. It compares the perceptions of public managers in 1989 with those in 1996 , a time that saw the passing of the Decade of Greed and the coming of the Decade of Reinventing Government. The findings fr om this nationa l survey explore attitudes toward ethics in society and integrity in p ublic agencies, with emphasis an the American Society for Public Admin istration's (ASPA) newly-revised Code of Ethics. While there is some c onsistency and stability of views over the seven year period, the resu lts suggest that individuals are increasingly empowered agencies are e ffecting change, and the Society's rode may be impacting management pr actices The implications of these data for future ASPA ethics activiti es are then explored.