A Public Interest That Is Personal and Material

There is an assumption held by people involved in government ethics that putting one’s personal interests ahead of the public interest is bad, that a healthy democracy depends on government officials working for the public interest rather than for themselves.

But not everyone holds this view. In fact, the prevalence of the opposite view provides a great deal of support to unethical conduct, especially at the local government level.

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A Peter Applebome column in a recent issue of the New York Times focuses on this problem. He interviews normal people in Newark, New Jersey, whose former mayor is on trial for corruption.

In four terms as mayor, Sharpe James accumulated a beach house, yacht, Rolls-Royce, and more. Apparently using the power and connections that came with his government position, he was living on top of the world. And that seems to have been okay with a lot of people in Newark.

“Everything in this country’s stolen,” one man told Applebome. “So everyone uses their connections. Everyone looks out for their own. That’s the way it is in Washington. It’s the way it is at City Hall. It’s the way every company’s human resources department works.”

Another Newarker who had volunteered for the current mayor’s campaign said, “I worked for him twice, and I didn’t get any of those jobs with the city. He fires people from Newark and hires someone from New York. I don’t know about that. James did get jobs for people. I’ll give him that.”

Looking out for his friends and neighbors. That’s what a government leader is for, according to many people. A mayor who does right by his friends and neighbors deserves what he gets. In fact, many people like to see their leaders living it up; it’s something to be proud of. It’s not just about the leader’s personal interests, it’s about sharing the bounty that comes with political power, and keeping some for oneself.

To many people, that’s what democracy is, at the local level: not electing those who will best represent them, but electing those who will best help them and their families, and who will live a life they would like to live themselves.

How can this concept of democracy be reconciled with the ethics community’s view of protecting a public interest that is not so personal and material?

Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics

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