Controlling Abuses of Power

The Challenge

Power-in the hands of the church, corporations, or the criminal justice system-must be exercised with accountability and responsibility. We must define clear standards of ethical leadership and clear limits on the power of our leaders, or the rights and dignity of the vulnerable will be compromised.

What's at Stake

Though it may at first seem like a stretch, the abuse of power is at the heart of the sexual abuse scandal currently rocking the Catholic Church, the behavior of Enron executives and Arthur Andersen accountants, and even the suit against Microsoft Corp. In the case of priests who abused children, men whose position gave them special authority exploited the respect due them to win and then violate the trust of young people. Their superiors used their power not to weed out such offenders but to shuttle them from parish to parish, insulating them and the Church from the consequences of their behavior. In the case of Enron, executives appear to have used the leverage they had in the energy market to manipulate prices, and the power they had in their own firms to insulate their own fortunes from the same risks faced by their employees. In the wake of September 11, many questioned the unthinking way some used police and prosecutorial powers against selected racial and ethnic groups.

Critical Questions

• What principles should guide the ethical use of power by corporate executives, by church, non-profit and government leaders?

• What perks and special treatment are appropriate for our leaders? When do those special privileges become excessive?

• What are the special ethical obligations of governing boards and audit committees?

• What special obligations do the powerful have to protect the interests of the most vulnerable?

• What special obligations do leaders of global organizations-be they corporations, churches, or non-governmental organizations-have?

• Do extraordinary times, such as the post September 11 period, justify the greater concentration and exercise of power?

May 21, 2002

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