The Blind Men and the Elephant is an ancient Hindu fable that illustrates the tendency for a person to think that he has grasped the whole of a situation when, in fact, only a part of it is understood. This will be shown to be the case with government ethics programs based on a study of twelve municipalities of varying populations in the United States. It is a global concern that, as a result of inefficient, wasteful and corrupt dissipation of limited resources, services are diminished and the public trust lowered. This article explores various models for anti-corruption and ethics programs that have evolved in the U.S. and suggests avenues for research that could benefit municipalities in the challenging task of implementing reforms. You can download the complete paper in PDF format by clicking this link.