United States Government: Democracy in Action

Introduction
In The Federalist, No. 51, James Madison wrote: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." In this activity, you will learn how Congress has provided standards for ethics, and punishments for violating those standards.

Destination Title: Ethics Manual for Members, Officers, and Employees of the U.S. House of Representatives

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Use the information you found to answer the following questions.

1			From the Code of Official Conduct, list three actions House members shall not take.
2			From the Code of Ethics for Government Service, list three actions House members should take.
3			What are some punishments for violating ethical standards that are based on criminal law?
4			What was the first recorded instance of House members taking disciplinary action against another member?
5			Write an outline for your own "Ethics Handbook" for public servants. In your opinion, what are the most important "shalls" and "shall nots" that elected officials should follow?