Code of Ethics for Government Service

Code of Ethics for Government Service

House Document 103, 86th Congress, 1st Session - Passed by the Congress of the United States on July 11, 1958.

ANY PERSON IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE SHOULD:

I. Put loyalty to the highest moral principles above loyalty to persons, party, or Government department.

II. Uphold the Constitution, laws, and legal regulations of the United States and of all governments therein and never be a party to their evasion.

III. Give a full day's labor for a full day's pay; giving to the performance of his duties his earnest effort and best thought.

IV. Seek to find and employ more efficient and economical ways of getting tasks accomplished.

V. Never discriminate unfairly by the dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether for remuneration or not; and never accept, for himself or his family, favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of his governmental duties.

VI. Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of office, since the Government employee has no private word which can be binding on public duty.

VII. Engage in no business with the Government, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of his governmental duties.

VIII. Never use any information coming to him confidentially in the performance of governmental duties as a means for making private profit.

IX. Expose corruption wherever discovered.

X. Uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.

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Public Law 96-303
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]

34CFR73App

TITLE 34--EDUCATION

PART 73_STANDARDS OF CONDUCT--Table of Contents

Appendix to Part 73--Code of Ethics for Government Service

Any person in Government service should:

~ Put loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party, or Government department.

~ Uphold the Constitution, laws, and regulations of the United States and of all governments therein and never be a party to their evasion.

~ Give a full day's labor for a full day's pay; giving earnest effort and best thought to the performance of duties.

~ Seek to find and employ more efficient and economical ways of getting tasks accomplished.

~ Never discriminate unfairly by the dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether for remuneration or not; and never accept, for himself or herself or for family members, favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of governmental duties.

~ Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of office, since a Government employee has no private word which can be binding on public duty.

~ Engage in no business with the Government, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of governmental duties.

~ Never use any information gained confidentially in the performance of governmental duties as a means of making private profit.

~ Expose corruption wherever discovered.

~ Uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.

(This Code of Ethics was unanimously passed by the United States
Congress on June 27, 1980, and signed into law as Public Law 96-303 by
the President on July 3, 1980.)

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There followed years of squabbling over the requirement to actually display this code of ethics in public buildings. Those who didn't want to meet these expectations finally won out when the display requirement was summarily repealed in 1996.

But as far as I can tell, the code itself remains a part of the Law of the Land. Perhaps it is time that both houses of Congress pass it unanimously again, and renew the display requirement.