Ethical Reasoning Practice Questions

1. A politician is offered campaign contributions in exchange for future political favors. What's the most ethical decision?

Accept the contributions and promise favors

Accept the contributions without promising anything

Refuse the contributions and report the offer

Negotiate for larger contributions

2. A government agency has the option to implement a policy that benefits the majority but disadvantages a minority group. What's the most ethical approach?

Implement the policy as it benefits the majority

Reject the policy entirely

Modify the policy to minimize harm to the minority group

Let the public vote on the policy

3. A company discovers its product is being used for unintended, harmful purposes. What's the most ethical response?

Ignore it as they're not responsible for misuse

Discontinue the product immediately

Issue warnings and work on design changes to prevent misuse

Increase prices to discourage misuse

4. An architect discovers a minor flaw in a completed building that doesn't violate code but could cause issues years later. What's the most ethical action?

Ignore it as the building passed inspection

Inform the owners and offer solutions

Quietly fix it without telling anyone

Report it to the building authorities

5. A government official is offered a high-paying job by a company they currently regulate. What is the most ethical course of action?

Accept the job immediately

Negotiate for an even higher salary

Decline the offer and report it to ethics officials

Accept the job but promise to recuse from decisions affecting the company

6. A government employee discovers that their department is wasting taxpayer money on unnecessary expenses. What should they do?

Ignore it to avoid causing trouble

Anonymously leak the information to the media

Report it through proper internal channels

Confront the department head directly

7. A company discovers a flaw in their product that causes it to fail just after the warranty expires. What's the most ethical response?

Ignore it as the warranty has expired

Extend the warranty for all customers

Fix the flaw in new products only

Offer discounted repairs for affected customers

8. A counselor learns that a client is planning to commit a minor crime. What's the most ethical action?

Maintain client confidentiality

Report the client to authorities immediately

Try to dissuade the client and warn of consequences

Terminate the counseling relationship

9. A police officer catches a fellow officer breaking a minor law. What's the most ethical response?

Ignore it as it's minor

Report it to the supervisor immediately

Confront the officer privately

Arrest the fellow officer

10. An employee finds a way to cut corners that saves time but slightly reduces quality. What's the most ethical approach?

Implement the time-saving method without telling anyone

Suggest the method to management for evaluation

Keep using the old method despite knowing a faster way

Share the method with coworkers but not management