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Motivated Blindness -We have a tendencv to overlook others' ethical misconduct <br />J <br />when it is not in our best interest to notice. In the context of local government <br />ethics, motivated blindness can best be seen when local government attorneys are <br />advising officials on ethics matters. Too often, they give officials advice that is in the <br />official's personal interest rather than advice that is in the public interest. It is <br />generally assumed that this bias is intentional. But often it is not conscious at all. It is <br />a result of the fact that the government attornev has an attorney-client relationship <br />with the official, identifies with the situation the official is in, and is unconsciously <br />motivated by the fact that it is in his interest to have the official be happy with the <br />advice. <br />Ethical Fadin� - By seriously underestimating the degree to which our behavior is <br />affectecl by incentives and other situational factors, we do not see ourselves as <br />conflictecl. Instead, we see ourselves as acting for our agency, actinb strategically, <br />considering the financial costs and benefits, pushing our party's platform, doing <br />what we are required to do by law, doing what it takes to look good. <br />Ends-Based Mentalitv -There is a serious clash between government ethics' use of a <br />rules- and process-based approach, and government officials' use of an ends-based <br />approach to decision-malang. These two approaches spealz different languages and <br />judge each other by different standards. In government, doing a bood job means <br />getting the best result for the most number of citizens. How an official gets there <br />matters far less than the result. The process and the rules are things to be taken <br />advantage of in order to get the desired result. Government ethics is about rules and <br />process. It is hard for ends-ariented people to truly understanc� and, therefore, <br />respect it. <br />Fear - In poor ethics environments, fear fueled by intimidation is the principal <br />obstacle to the responsible handling of conflict situations and to the effective <br />operation of a government ethics program. <br />14 <br />