Principles for Designing an Independent Ethics Commission

Date

Poll after poll indicates the public’s growing distrust of American government institutions and, to a degree, democracy itself. Americans expect the people who work for them to be accountable for their actions. A strong independent ethics agency is an essential part of a government that is representative, responsive and accountable. This type of agency, referred to here as an "ethics commission," provides oversight that is critical to a functional democratic system by overseeing ethics, financial disclosure, lobbying and campaign finance laws.