July/August 2019

On Ethics
Thinking About Running for Office? A New Guide Offers Ethical Campaigning Advice

Professional engineers are often encouraged to take their dedication to protecting the public welfare from the technical arena to the political arena. But the political process—particularly political campaigns— can get downright messy.

A new guide issued by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University takes on the challenges of campaigning ethically and reducing the nasty side of politics, whether you’re a candidate, advisor, or supporter. Hana Callaghan, author of Campaign Ethics: A Field Guide, believes that promoting ethical campaigns will: (1) help decrease political polarity by reducing the rancor in political races; (2) help restore public trust in government by ensuring integrity in campaigns; and (3) help increase civic engagement by creating a process that not only encourages an informed and involved electorate, but also encourages good people to run for office.

When PEs look for guidance on ethical conduct, many refer to the NSPE Code of Ethics. The Code’s Fundamental Canons advise PEs to issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner; avoid deceptive acts; and conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully. The Code speaks to an individual performing engineering duties, but it’s fair to say that these directives can be transferrable to seeking a position in public office.

The field guide provides insight on how to run a political campaign with integrity while creating an ethical culture within the campaign. The guide offers these 10 essential tips:

1. Ethical campaigns stay true to their values, take the high road, and don’t engage in dirty tricks.
2. Ethical candidates avoid being pulled into the mud. Ethical campaign communications are those that are truthful, relevant, fair, and substantive.
3. Ethical campaign promises are those that are transparent, consistent, and capable of being performed.
4. Ethical candidates manage donor expectations regarding access and influence.
5. Ethical candidates never mix government with politics.
6. Ethical campaign leaders set the tone at the top of the campaign organization.
7. Ethical campaigns have a code of conduct that applies to all involved in the campaign.
8. Ethical campaign organizations have a designated person tasked with ensuring that all conduct and communications comply with the campaign’s values.
9. Ethical campaigns comply with all campaign rules and regulations in their jurisdiction.