POLS 3440 Chapter 2: Ethics and Conflict of Interest by Michael McDonald
21 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Conflict of interest: a situation in which a person, such as a public official, an employee, or a professional, has a private or personal interest sufficient to appear to influence the objective exercise of his or her official duties. There is a private or personal interest: often a financial interest, when the private interest comes into conflict with the official duty one has because they have an office or act in an official capacity o. These obligations trump private or personal interests: conflicts interfere with professional responsibilities in a specific way, by interfering with personal judgment o. People expect professions to be objective and independent. Private and personal interests are of legitimate concern to those who rely on professionals o. Important to avoid apparent and potential as well as actual conflicts. Apparent conflict: one a reasonable person would think that the professional"s judgment is likely to be compromised.
