Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of Interest exist in any Group
The ideal solution for conflicts of interest outside politics and government is for a person to organize and to coincide as much as possible and so avoid conflict.
When a person experiences a vocation or calling there is a wonderful reciprocity and mutual validation between their and .
It does not always work out that way:
- may inhibit and discourage rather than forwarding and intensifying .
- may undermine and distract rather than sustaining and focusing .
When two individuals with different responsibilities and perspectives need to reach a joint resolution, there is pressure to harmonize interactions and prevent the release of discontent and disaffection. may get ignored as favours relating to of each party are exchanged or promised in order to reach agreement.
Politics is Different
in government cannot organize and to coincide, as is usually possible in private life.
The of are wholly personal, while
their are defined solely to benefit either a group or society as a whole.
So: private and formal rarely coincide—instead they generally sharply diverge. As a result it is easy, indeed automatic, that an private life generates conflicts of interests. This needs attention if a society is to have good governance.
Knowledge that secret of an are being served by a political choice generates a public outcry in any country. The social function and challenge of this Level is to harmonize purposes. So the primary ethical requirement is for private to be declared (i.e. openly disclosed) as the way to facilitate harmony and prevent subsequent recriminations.
Governing Officials v Others
outside government (Groups C#2 & C#3) are far less exposed. They typically have a variety of apart from their official position. Also many of these institutions require an identification between personal and their formal position. For some, the work may well be a calling.
Examples
Church leaders should have a vocation and be utterly dedicated.
Something similar applies in society-focused advocacy bodies and membership organizations where passionate personal commitment is part of the job description.
Such passion reduces the significance of money and makes the officials hard to make deals with, and even harder to buy-off.
In the media, or in professional and industry bodies with more pragmatic or gun-for-hire top officials, identification between and is often far weaker. So the desire to put self-interest first (usually by accommodating inappropriately with government) becomes stronger.
Politicians' Interests Harm Society
Elected usually have related to investments and business, and exclusion from conflicted decisions ought to occur. But corruptly accepting money on the side is a mere peccadillo. The that harm society are three:
Elected Politicians Work with Appointed Officials
Senior Public Servants have related to:
- becoming more wealthy,
- getting work in the private sector at the end of their term,
- receiving status symbols like medals and honorific titles ,
- desirable postings and movement up the career ladder.
Much interaction between Top Politicians and their Public Servants is likely based on each supporting or threatening the other's while activating or blunting their . Within and between discussions, individuals can switch their positions back and forth between and as they think is appropriate for reaching their different goals.
At Present, Everyone Turns a Blind Eye
Governing in the present state of political maturation ignores blatant conflicts of interest. For example, the self-interest associated with getting re-elected leads to:
- Suppression of important reports
- Inappropriate or unworkable policies
- Excessive spending: often debt-based
- Misallocation of resources
These mistakes are often public knowledge—reported in both the popular and highbrow press—yet this knowledge has no effect whatsoever unless society is in one of its negative moods. During such periods, politicians and officials are hauled over the coals relentlessly and ruthlessly for what otherwise would be deemed «normal politics».
The existing () and the () both interact differently with () and ().
- Look in more detail at the influences between these bottom 4 Centres.
Originally posted: July 2009; Last updated: 2 June 2014.