As the general rule is that politicians can attempt to influence how government employees do their job, administrators under some circumstances can as well - but ultimately, employees (and possibly their lower-level supervisors) have an obligation to carry out the law/policy/program to the best of the ability and are protected from the undue influence of politicians and others.

However, we obviously live in a hyper-politicized time (at the national, state, and local level). So this week's question involves the intersection of politics and your professions (or future professions).

Do you see instances where politicians attempt to influence how people (or yourself) doing your job 

Should they try and influence you? And are they ultimately successful?

 

2. Part 1

Undercover officers are widely used for narcotics and vice crimes in general. Sometimes, these officers have to engage in criminal and unethical behavior as part of their role.

What would Kantian and utilitarian perspectives say about undercover officers? 

Part 2

An officer in your department, Officer Burrow, has been depressed for a few months. You and everyone else know he is going through an ugly divorce with his wife. To make matters worse, everyone knows the reason for the divorce is because of an ongoing affair with his wife and another officer in the department. You and another officer have been called to a family fight. The family fight is getting a little more heated than you would like, so you radio for additional units. Two other officers respond quickly, and you get the situation under control. However, you remember that Officer Burrow radioed that he was in the area and was en route, but he hasn't shown up at the scene yet, which you think is odd. Officer Burrow finally arrives on the scene and comes up to you since you are the primary officer on the call. When he starts talking to you, you notice his speech is slurred, he reeks of alcohol, and his eyes are bloodshot. You pull Officer Burrow to the side where no one is around and ask him if he's been drinking. He responds, "Yeah, is that a problem?"

Ethically, what should you do?