In Defense of Politicians Stephen Medvic - 1672 Words

Stephen Medvic, In Defense of Politicians, discusses why Americans feel that politicians are dishonest. In 2007, a Gallup poll about honesty and ethical standards for occupations, showed that only 12 and 9 percent of people felt that Congressmen and State office holders held high standards, (Medvic p. 2). In addition, Americans tend to like their representatives more than the members of Congress because they view them as actual people. Americans view Congress as a group of politicians who are greedy and not representing their interests, (Medvic p. 4). Popular culture also plays a role in why Americans do not trust politicians. Late-night television shows use politicians in their comedy skits, where their mistakes are punch lines for†¦show more content†¦They wanted two parties to be ideologically distinct, but polarity is just the result of the distinctness. Medvic also defends politicians on the public’s charges about how they are liars and cheats. Medvic contends th at we do not know how many liars and cheaters there are in politics. However, politicians are under more scrutiny and would more than likely be caught. In addition, politicians are consistent in what they say and attempt to keep their promises, as supported by Tracy Sulkin study, (Medvic p. 112). J. Patrick Dobel, in Public Integrity, argues that political prudence provides a basic ethical resource for public officials. Prudence means to see ahead and the ability to think clearly before one acts. An individual needs to think about the short and long-term consequences of their actions. Political prudence is attached to excellent achievement in politics, which consists of outcomes that â€Å"gain legitimacy, endure over time, strengthen the political community, unleash minimum unforeseen consequences, require reasonable use of power resources and do not require great violence or coercion to enforce the outcome,† (Dobel p. 199). In addition, a prudent leader needs to be open to experience and knowledge, (Dobel p. 211). An example of someone who is politically prudent is William D. Ruckelshaus. In 1970, President Richard Nixon appointed Ruckelshaus the first administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The reason Nixon appointed him wasShow MoreRelatedStephen Medvic s Defense Of Politicians Essay1565 Words   |  7 PagesStephen Medvic in his book, â€Å"In Defense of Politicians: The Expectations Trap and Its Threat to Democracy† reflects the problems of policies that affect the majority of society’s democratic contemporary: the discrediting of the class policy. As a reaction to the continuous vilification of the politicians, the author defends the hypothesis that much of the arguments condemning the policy professionals are unfair and undeserved. Although there are example of politicians corrupt or lacking in ethics