Ethics in Service to the American People.

摘要

The level of confidence the American people have in the Senate continues to be dismal at best. In contrast, the American people continue to have a high level of confidence in our military. This research will determine if the Senate should be held accountable to the same ethical standards as U.S. military officers in order to regain trust and confidence from the American people. Both the Senate and officers have similar codes of conduct. The disparity is found when analyzing the exceptions and exemptions the Senate affords themselves. The other issue is how there are differences on how violators of the codes are held accountable. A brief history of the evolution of ethics for the Senate and military officers is presented to create an understanding of the current ethical codes for these two institutions. A brief comparison is made between the Senate and military officer codes of ethics to determine the similarities and differences. The illustration is expanded by examining the rules of both institutions regarding gifts. Jurisdiction and accountability is discussed while providing a five-year analysis of ethical violations of the Senate and Army officers during the 2009-2013 period. The final chapter provides conclusions and recommendations to assist the Senate in changing the perception of the American people. It is clear that the current systems are falling short of garnering the confidence that is needed for our nation.