During our Monday session we talked about ethical decision making. One of the scenarios Steve (our director) posed is an ethical dilemma that occurs quite often in campaigning. He asked us whether or not we would accept donation money from a corporation that went against some of our beliefs to utilize for a campaign. But what was the catch? Well in this scenario, there was no catch. Some of my cohort went on to explain that they would take the money from the corporation so they could utilize the funds to win the election. Being in an elected position meant that they could pass policies to help the community or directly tackle the issues that the corporation donated funds to because after all, there is no catch right? But based on what I have learned in my Political Science courses at UCI, money is not just money in politics. Money determines how many pieces of mail, how many text messages, and how many phone calls, etc., a candidate can send out. Money in campaigns practically equates to power, influence, and reach.
When asked what I would do in this scenario there was almost no hesitation as to what I would do. I instantly knew that I would not take the money. Campaign donations are all public information that can be easily searched in just a few clicks. So I would be extremely cautious about the donations that I am choosing to accept. I believe that accepting this donation would equate to making an undeclared pact with whom the donation is coming from. To me it means that I am backing the values of a corporation that I fundamentally do not support and demonstrating that I am willing to turn a blind eye to a difference in core values in exchange for campaign funds. In my personal life I already try to avoid supporting any businesses or corporations that do not align with my core beliefs. If I do not necessarily agree with how a company is utilizing their profits then personally, I would rather spend my money elsewhere.
So it’s quite easy for me to say that I do not believe I could disregard my own values and beliefs in exchange for a seat of power, yet I understand the value of financial support. This is why this exercise was incredibly enlightening. There is not necessarily a wrong or right answer when it comes to ethics. This exercise taught me that there may be a variety of hurdles that politicians have to weave their way through in order to balance political success with maintaining their political image. It has made me aware of the reasons and factors that explain why a political figure may compromise to fulfill a specific set of ethics over the other.
Based on the combined experiences of Monday’s CLA workshop and my personal experiences, I have garnered a greater understanding of the everlasting conflict surrounding ethical decision making both in politics and our everyday lives.